|
|
|
Any visitor to Ireland who has a passion for horseracing is rarely disappointed. Wherever there is open land there is likely to be horses run on it and the great number and variety of racecourses in the country is a testament to the deeply ingrained culture of the sport in the country.
|
|
Ireland’s racecourses come in all shapes, sizes and stature but there is one which can truly be described as unique and it doesn’t have a course or any permanent structures at all. This is Laytown, where the beach is the track, a field is the parade ring and the sand dunes are the grandstand. Laytown racing presents racegoers with an unforgettable and simply unique horseracing experience.
A popular seaside resort village, Laytown is situated in County Meath on the east coast of Ireland. Close the capital city Dublin, the village has grown in recent years, attracting residents who work in the city but the huge beach remains the major attraction for visitors, especially for the Laytown racing which draws crowds of up to 10,000 for the one day event in September.
|
|
Officially recognised and controlled under the Rules of Racing, the event is the only official strand race in the world. Trainers and riders have long utilised beaches for running horses but only Laytown takes this concept to its natural conclusion, to the delight of each new generation of race fans.
|
Laytown beach has held horseracing since 1868 and took on a more formally organised approach in 1901 under the guidance of the local parish priest.
Incredibly, there has not been a year since then which has not featured Laytown racing and in the 1950s, before technology gave us all weather tracks and training, Laytown was regarded as an effective trial for the Galway races.
The significance and stature of the competition may have diminished since but the races are no less thrilling for that and they represent an historic and cultural slice of Ireland which is wholly authentic.
|
|
|
A great deal of planning and organisation goes into hosting Laytown races. Weeks in advance the best stretches of sand are assessed and selected and on the day all the facilities of a standard racecourse are put in place within a field which is leased by the race committee. The thee-acre field is in an elevated position, adjacent to the finishing post with great views overlooking the beach.
|
|
Temporary facilities created in the field include the parade ring, bookie’s pitches, and judge’s box, and a restaurant and bar, medical centre and secretary’s office are located within marquees erected for the purpose. The grandstand is created by steps cut into the sand dunes.
Admission to Laytown racing costs €15 and €9 for senior citizens and students. Children under the age of 14 get admitted for free.
Laytown is easy to get to from Dublin by train and bus and from Drogheda too which runs special buses on the day. There are many pubs and restaurants in the town, and County Meath has a wealth of attractions besides for those looking for additional leisure activities. |
This website is operated by Websitebrokers Limited and is not affiliated to any one racecourse or group of racecourses. |
|
|
