Horse racing in Mayo

Fit for kings


Regardless of your equine knowledge, a trip to the races is always an enjoyable experience, writes Mike Finnerty

JAMES JOYCE, the famous Irish writer, once said, “The only decent people I ever saw at the racecourse were horses.” Those who have little or no affection for the sport of kings may well agree, but the majority of people that have ever set foot inside the gates of the picturesque Ballinrobe racecourse would surely beg to differ.
Just close your eyes and think of Ireland. The west of Ireland to be precise. Now imagine green fields as far as the eye can see. And put yourself in the grandstand that overlooks the finish line as the horses sweep towards the winning post. A warm summer’s breeze is blowing in from Lough Carra and the sun is shining from high above the Tourmakeady mountains.
There isn’t a cloud in the sky. The roar of the crowd greets a blanket finish and you are clutching a betting docket tightly in your hand. Now open your eyes. You’re welcome to the Ballinrobe races.
They’ve been racing horses here since 1773. Now, over two centuries later, the only racecourse in County Mayo is going from strength to strength. And those of us lucky enough to be born, bred and reared in the town wonder what we would do without our racecourse which we have grown to know and love.
Back in our schooldays a trip to the Races was a wonderful adventure. A race meeting meant a half-day and a chance to live like kings. We lived within walking distance of the track, so no summer passed without regular trips to the boundary stone wall where we sat and watched the horses flash by in a blaze of colour.
As we got older we started to enter via the front gate, watching the day’s events through a different lens, using our own, hard-earned money to wager. We ate, drank and were merry and savoured the social aspect that draws in people of all ages from far and wide.
The Ballinrobe races are a smorgasbord of punters, gamblers, socialites, tourists and locals. There are people who wouldn’t know a steeplechase from a hurdle but they all share one common interest: a pursuit of an entertaining excursion set against the backdrop of a unique west of Ireland atmosphere.
There is a plethora of reasons why Ballinrobe’s racecourse is as different as it is successful. Its legend has been built on the back of its location, its ambience, its breathtaking views and the quality of its racing. And, of course, the people who have built the course, the track and its reputation.
Its intimate setting in a natural amphitheatre, where the action is never too far from view means it’s everything a country racecourse should be. In fact, it is one of only a handful of courses in Ireland where you can see the horses from pillar to post. The scenery is breathtaking, the racetrack framed by stone walls, a fairy-fort and an horizon that seems to stretch to infinity.
The course’s growing popularity has been reflected in the numbers attending. The figure has risen dramatically in recent years from approximately 10,000 back in 1990 to to the all-time peak of 25,000.
There are now eight meetings in the summer (including seven evening meets) and the course is thronged with holiday-makers as well as those who pop in for a flutter on their way home from the office. Either way, it’s the ideal place to go to switch off and unwind.
The addition of a new 160-seater restaurant at the course which can serve ‘silver service’ five-course meals has added another dimension to what Ballinrobe racecourse has to offer.
Writing from experience, there are few better ways to spend an evening than to gather with a group of friends and watch the world go by from inside the window of the wonderfully-appointed Coranna Restaurant.
And when the last race has ended, and you have collected your winnings, it’s off into town to meet us locals. We may not all be as eloquent as James Joyce but we’ll make sure you feel right at home. And we’ll tell you all about the fishing, golfing and, of course, the racing.