Laytown Racecourse

About the course

Laytown is unlike any other fixture in the Irish calendar. It is the only race meeting in Ireland run on a beach under the Rules of Racing, and it happens just once a year. As the tide goes out on the morning of race day, the course is set up on the strand, and the horses race on a straight, almost level track. Races are confined to six and seven furlongs.

The meeting has a long history. The first recorded races were in 1868, when they were run on the beach alongside the Boyne Regatta: rowing took place on the high tide and the horses raced once the tide had gone out. Racing was on and off in the late 1800s, was suspended during the last two years of the First World War and again between 1942 and 1945. Up until 1995, races were run over distances from five furlongs to two miles, with a U-shaped turn at Bettystown before the horses came back to the Laytown finish. The format was changed after an accident in 1994, and today's races are shorter and run without turns.

Starting stalls replaced the old flag start from the 2015 meeting onwards. Many well-known jockeys have ridden winners on the beach, including Ruby Walsh, Colin Keane, Pat Smullen and Nina Carberry.

Big meetings and races

There is one meeting a year: a single day of Flat racing, usually held in September. Check the official website for the date before you plan. Horse Racing Ireland says crowds of more than 5,000 come every year, many travelling a long way to see racing on the sand.

The card is short, typically six races, and the course is only set up once the tide has gone out. There are no big named races to look out for: the setting is the attraction.

Getting there

• By road: Laytown is about 46 km north of Dublin. Take Junction 7 off the M1, follow the R132 to Julianstown, then the R150 to Laytown.
• By rail: There are regular trains to Laytown station from Dublin Connolly and from Drogheda. The course is about a ten minute walk from the station, and a free courtesy bus runs from the station area to the race field from one hour before the first race, returning half an hour after the last.
• By bus: Matthews Coaches run from Dublin city centre to Laytown on race day and go direct to the enclosure. Bus Éireann's D1 and D2 services run from Drogheda Bus Station to the race field. Check both operators for up to date times.
• By air: Dublin Airport is the nearest airport.

On race day there are free car parks at Laytown railway station, at the roundabout on the Tara Road and at the Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa school, with a free shuttle bus from these car parks to the race field before and after racing.

Facilities and tips for visitors

Most racegoers watch from an elevated field above the strand. For the day it is set up with temporary marquees that serve as the weigh room, the jockeys' room, bars and restaurants. Access to the beach itself is restricted while racing is under way, so follow the stewards and stay behind the barriers.

A few practical points:

• Buy tickets online through the official website ahead of the day.
• Dress for the coast in September: the field is exposed and the weather can turn quickly.
• If this is your first time at the races, our guide to your first day at the races covers the basics.

Nearby places to stay

Laytown is a small seaside village, so many visitors stay in Drogheda, which has a rail link to Laytown, or in nearby Bettystown along the coast. Dublin is also close enough for a day trip by train or coach.