Galway Races

The Galway Races is a weeklong Irish horse-racing festival that starts the last Monday of July every year. The races are held at Ballybrit race course in Galway, Ireland and are the only seven-day race meeting in Ireland (or the United Kingdom).

The busiest days of the festival are Wednesday, when the Galway Plate is held, and Thursday, when the Galway Hurdle and Ladies' Day take place.

Festival history

The first racing festival held in Ballybrit was a two-day event with the first race meeting on Tuesday, 1869-08-17. The summer festival was extended to a 3 day meeting in 1959, 4 days in 1971, 5 days in 1974, 6 days in 1982 and, most recently to, 7 days in 1999. The summer festival is the highlight of the business year for most local businnesses as crowds flock from all over the world to attend one of the world's biggest race meetings.

The pub underneath the Corrib Stand, built in 1955, was for many years the longest bar in the world.fact|date=March 2008 It was replaced by the Millennium Stand which opened in 1999. The Killanin Stand opened in 2007 replacing the old Corrib (west) Stand.

On the 4th day of the Galway races there was a race meeting held in Tuam. The last races held in the Tuam race course was in 1973.fact|date=March 2008

Additional race meetings also take place in September and October, but these are not as popular as the summer festival, which draws more than 200,000 spectators.

Course Information

Right-handed course of one mile and two furlongs, with a steep decline into the dip where the last two fences are situated. These fences are famous for being the closest two fences on any racecourse in the world. There is a sharp incline to the finish line.

Ladies Day

Thursday is traditionally the busiest and most stylish day of the week-long Galway Racing Festival. Ladies compete for the coveted title of Best Dressed Person or Most Elegant Hat.

In culture

The Galway Races are the subject of an eponymous folk song, popularized by the Dubliners and the Chieftains.

References

* [http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/GalwayRaces.html www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/GalwayRaces]
* [http://www.galwayraces.com/History-galway-races.shtml History Galway Races]

External links

* [http://www.galwayraces.com Galway Races Official Site]
* [http://www.myguideireland.com/the-galway-races#directions Directions to Ballybrit Race Course]
* [http://www.galwayraces.com/Admission-Fees.shtml Admission Fees]
* [http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-songs-with-chords/Galway%20Races.htm Galway Races (song lyrics)]
* [http://www.last.fm/music/The+Dubliners/_/The+Galway+Races Galway Races (song listen)]