Minister Heydon: Punchestown is highlight of sporting and social calendar in Kildare
Delivers a significant financial boost to local economy
Kildare South TD and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon - who has direct ministerial responsibility for the horseracing industry - said he looking forward to the Punchestown Festival and described it as one of the highlights of the sporting and social calendar in Ireland and Kildare.
Minister Heydon noted the attendance figures of over 118,000 in 2024, which he stated “delivers a significant financial boost to the local economy”.
The Fine Gael TD told the Leinster Leader that the festival is “the grand finale of the jump racing season and taking centre stage on day two is the prestigious Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup”.
Minister Heydon also commented that Punchestown was the leading attended festival in 2024 highlighting “its importance for the horse racing industry and its hugely positive impact on Kildare and the surrounding area, given the number of both domestic and overseas visitors to the festival”.
The Deloitte report of May 2023 on the Social and Economic impact of Irish Thoroughbred Breeding & Racing estimated that the Irish thoroughbred industry has an annual economic impact amounting to €2.46 billion and supports direct and indirect jobs of some 30,000 people.
The minister concluded by highlighting that “these figures show that the sector makes a valuable contribution to a balanced regional economy and creates a highly favourable international profile for our country, including in the tourism sector”.