Snip Nua
Encyclopedia
Snip Nua was a racing greyhound who featured in the BBC television show Three Men go to Ireland
Three Men in a Boat (TV Series)
Three Men in a Boat is a television comedy/documentary series produced by Liberty Bell Productions for BBC Two starring Dara Ó Briain, Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones, first shown in January 2006...

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Biography

Born in the spring of 2008, Snip Nua was a racing greyhound who became famous because she featured in the BBC television show Three men go to Ireland, which was broadcast over the Christmas holidays in December 2009. The show was eagerly anticipated in Ireland as it promised to provide good publicity for both Greyhound racing and Irish tourism and was even referenced on the Irish tourist board web site.
Due to its being included in the television program, Snip Nua's performance at Mullingar Greyhound stadium in the 'Three men in a boat' race was watched by an estimated 5-7 million people in the UK alone.

Fior Gael syndicate

Snip Nua was owned by a 16-member syndicate
Syndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies or entities formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest or in the case of criminals, to engage in organized crime...

, Fior Gael. In Ireland, syndication is a popular way of spreading the cost and responsibility of greyhound ownership.The Fior Gael syndicate was made up of a group of professionals and business people, among them barristers, lawyers, and journalists. Notable members of the syndicate included Frank McNally, business editor of the Irish Times, and comedian Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....

. Ó Briain once described his membership of the syndicate as his worst financial investment. He claimed that despite owning six dogs in seven years the syndicate had only had one win. At the time of the 'Three Men' show, Snip Nua was the syndicate's latest dog. She appeared to be a promising racer who might break the syndicate's poor run of success, and in her first races, the young dog indeed put in some strong performances

Death and legacy

Snip Nua's career as a professional racer was short; on the 14th of December 2009 she was destroyed after sustaining a hock injury at Harold's Cross Greyhound Stadium. The fact that Snip Nua's TV debut was aired after her death without any mention of that fact by the BBC caused offence among groups concerned about the welfare of racing greyhounds such as Greytexploitations and Greyhound Action. Although the rules of the Greyhound Racing Board in the United Kingdom sanction the destruction of dogs on economic grounds, the Dublin Society for the Protection of Animals has described this practice as 'tantamout to animal abuse'. In early 2010 a series of demonstrations were held at Dara Ó Briain's UK show dates to try to persuade both him and the BBC to publicly denounce the sport of greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....

due to the dog's death.
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