Galway Racecourse Guide

The Galway Races remains a staple of summer sporting action in Ireland as the week-long extravaganza at the Ballybrit course continues to attract major crowds.

Galway is the racing capital of Ireland's western seaboard, with their midsummer meeting amongst the most popular social racing events in the calendar. 

There's also plenty of quality racing to enjoy at the course, which mixes Flat and National Hunt racing throughout the year.

Here's everything you need to know about Galway racecourse. 

Galway Racecourse Location

Where is Ballybrit?

Ballybrit is located to the northeast of Galway, on Ireland's west coast.

How to get to Galway Racecourse

By Air

The racecourse is 40 minutes from Shannon Airport, one hour from Knock Airport, two hours from Dublin Airport, and two-and-a-half hours from Cork Airport.

By Car

Galway Racecourse is located just off the M6 motorway and can be easily accessed from Dublin, Cork or Limerick.

• From Dublin and the east, Follow R148 and N4 to M4 in South Dublin. Follow M4 and M6 to Bothar na dTreabh/N6 in Galway. Continue on Bothar na dTreabh/N6 to the racecourse
• From Limerick, take R445 to N18 in Clare. Then take M18 to N66 in Galway and follow N18 and R446 to reach the course.
• From Cork, take N20, N18, M18 and N18 to R339 in Galway. Then take Ballybrit Cres to your destination.
• From the north, get on A12 from A1 and Grosvenor Rd/B38. Take M1 to A1 in Lisburn, then take the A1 exit from M1. Continue to N1 and take M1, M4 and M6 to Bothar na dTreabh/N6 in Galway. Continue on Bothar na dTreabh/N6.

By Bus

Shuttle buses run from Eyre Square in Galway to the racecourse during the seven-day Festival in August.

Galway Racecourse Layout

Track Layout

Flat course

The Flat course at Galway is an undulating track that turns right-handed. There is a sharp descent leading into a 2f uphill run-in.

The circuit forms a testing 1m2f, with 1m4f races starting at the bottom of the hill.

Jumps course

The hurdles and chase course use the same testing 1m2f circuit as the Flat.

Each full lap of the circuit features six obstacles in hurdles races, with the final flight placed shortly after the turn into the straight.

The final two fences of the chase course are placed close together, midway down the penultimate straight, making for a very long run-in.

Enclosures and Viewing Areas

The course has two stands, the Main, or Killanin Stand, and the MIllennium Stand, which replaced the old Corrib Stand in 1999.

Key Races at Galway 

Flat

• Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap
• The Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap

Jumps

• Galway Plate
• Galway Hurdle
• The Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Steeplechase

Racing at Galway takes place predominantly in the second half of the year but there is no doubting that their week-long summer festival is the standout in the calendar. 

Taking place in late July-early August, the festival runs from Monday-Sunday and goes simply under the moniker of The Galway Races.

The meeting is famed as a social event like no other. It doesn't boast the top level action of a Dublin Racing Festival or Irish Champions Weekend, but Galway offers fiercely competitive racing with excellent prizemoney on offer.

The Galway Plate and the Galway Hurdle are the two main events on the seven-day programme, which mixes action on the Flat and over jumps, often on the same card.

Galway Racecourse History

Galway Racecourse Opening Date

The first meeting at Ballybrit took place on Tuesday, 17th August 1869, and featured the inaugural running of the Galway Plate, with a prize of 100 sovereigns going to the winner.

Records from the time indicate 40,000 spectators attended the meeting.

Outside of Racing

Pope John Paul II led a mass at the racecourse for some 280,000 people as part of his visit to Ireland in 1979.

Michéal Ó hUiginn, Mayor of Galway at the time, awarded the Pope the Freedom of Galway.