Bellewstown () is a village located 8 km south of

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

, on the Hill of Crockafotha in County Meath in Ireland. It takes its name from the

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

Bellew family, who were the dominant local landowners from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century.

Bellewstown village

Amenities in Bellewstown include a primary school, Catholic church, pub, GAA grounds, racecourse, and golf course.

Bellewstown Races

In 1780, George Tandy, a former mayor of

and brother of

James Napper Tandy James Napper Tandy (February 1739 – 24 August 1803) was a United Irishmen, United Irishman who experienced exile, first in the United States and then in republic of France, France, for his role in attempting to advance a republican insurrectio ...

, persuaded King George III to sponsor a race at Bellewstown. The race was called His Majesty's Plate and was valued at £100. The tradition of summer horse racing at

Bellewstown Racecourse Bellewstown () is a village located 8 km south of Drogheda, on the Hill of Crockafotha in County Meath in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It takes its name from the Anglo-Irish Bellew family, who were the dominant local landowners from th ...

dates back centuries. The first record of racing here appears in the August edition of the '' Dublin Gazette'' and the ''Weekly Courier'' in 1726. There was originally a cricket ground in the middle of the race track. Racing continues to occur on an annual basis, taking place during the course of the summer. There are currently two meetings a year, comprising four days in July and two days in August. The track is a one-mile and one furlong left-handed course, featuring both flat and hurdle racing.

Associations

One of the many

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

s used by poet James Clarence Mangan was 'P.V. M'Guffin, Bellewstown'.John McCall, The life of James Clarence Mangan, (Dublin, 1884)

References

{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Meath

Bellewstown village

Bellewstown Races

Associations

See also

References