Ballinrobe Races is woven into the fabric of community and sporting life in the west of Ireland and on May 24, there will be further evidence of this when thousands will flock to the picturesque course for the first Ladies Day of the racing season. (see ad below )
People from across the country travel to enjoy the races, but there is so much more to it than that. It is a gathering of the people, a chance to trade opinions and banter on a wide variety of topics.
Will Galway beat Mayo? The state of the nation. The latest political crisis. The price of cattle. How is the fishing this year? Affairs of the world. All are discussed and dissected at Ballinrobe Races.
Ballinrobe is located 30 miles from Galway city, and just six miles from the Mayo/Galway border. The course has a rare rustic feel to it — Loughs Corrib, Carra, and Mask are all located within a few miles.
When you take your place in, or to the front of, the grandstand, you look out on a charming course. You can virtually see every stride taken by the horses as they jostle for victory.
In the mid-distance, the picturesque Partry Mountains look on approvingly. Killarney has the Reeks and Sligo has Ben Bulben.
There are few courses quite as scenic and as engaging as Ballinrobe. It is a day out for all the family.
And when the horses come thundering down the finishing straight, and the roars or the groans tell a thousand stories, the ease with which the crowd interacts in Ballinrobe is apparent. Everyone mingles in Ballinrobe. The course has brought racing to the people of Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Roscommon, and Clare for many years, and will continue to do so in the future.
The Coranna Enclosure at Ballinrobe Racecourse is an ideal corporate venue for groups of all sizes. To make a booking contact Fiona at Lydon House on (091 ) 564015.
