The Curragh Racecourse -- usually referred to as simply the Curragh -- is one of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
's most important
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
racecourses
A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...
. It is situated on the
Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...
plain in
County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
, between the towns of
Newbridge and
Kildare
Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional cen ...
.
History
![The Curragh race course, County Kildare Ireland LCCN2003677593](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/The_Curragh_race_course%2C_County_Kildare_Ireland_LCCN2003677593.jpg)
The name "Curragh" comes from the
Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
word ''Cuirreach'', meaning "place of the running horse". The first recorded race on the plain took place in 1727, but it was used for races before then. The first Derby was held in 1866, and in 1868 the Curragh was officially declared a horse racing and training facility by act of parliament.
Racecourse redevelopment
Redevelopment of the Curragh grandstand and racecourse facilities began in 2017 with completion due in time for commencement of the 2019 Irish Flat season. A truncated racing fixture list continued to be held at the course during this period with temporary facilities in place for the public.
Racing
The Curragh is a right-handed track, horseshoe and galloping in nature with a testing uphill finish. The track spans two miles in distance with a one-mile chute. It is home to all five Irish Flat Classics.
Training grounds
The Curragh training grounds provide trainers with the opportunity to prepare their horses on approximately 1,500 acres of training facilities. In addition to 70 miles of turf gallops, there are approximately 12 miles of peat gallops and eight all-weather tracks available to work on.
Previous champion horses
Numerous elite level racehorses have run at the course prior to becoming multiple Group One winners around the world. Due to the fair nature of the track, the course has a reputation for attracting high quality two-year old runners in particular, with many making their first racecourse appearances at the Curragh.
Notable races
Transport
Bus and coach
On race days, there are shuttle buses from
Kildare railway station
Kildare railway station is a railway station on the Dublin to Cork Railway line and Dublin commuter service.
It is also the changing-point for passengers to/from services to Waterford.
It has three tracks, one for through services and two pl ...
to The Curragh. Dublin Coach's routes to
Portlaoise
Portlaoise ( ), or Port Laoise (), is the county town of County Laois, Ireland. It is located in the Midland Region, Ireland, South Midlands in the province of Leinster. The 2016 census shows that the town's population increased by 9.5% to 22,050 ...
and
Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
also serve the racecourse on these days.
Former railway stations
The racecourse was once served by two railway stations: Curragh Mainline on the main
Dublin–Cork line, which opened in 1846, and Curragh Racecourse at the end of a short branch to the grandstand, which opened in 1875. Curragh Racecourse station closed in 1977 and the branch was subsequently lifted, while Curragh Mainline fell into disuse in the early 2000s.
References
External links
Curragh.ie – Official sitePattern race calendar can on Horse Racing Ireland's site
{{Horse racing in Ireland
Horse racing venues in the Republic of Ireland
Sports venues in County Kildare
Tourist attractions in County Kildare
Sports venues completed in 1727