Other Race Meetings in County Carlow

Horse and Jockey

Image taken from the Illustrated London News of Horse and Jockey

Carlow County Library

Horse and Jockey
Carlow County Library

Horse and Jockey

Image taken from the Illustrated London News of Horse and Jockey

Carlow County Library

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Borris Steeplechases 1886

Report of the Borris steeplechases 30th October 1886 taken from the Carlow Nationalist and Leinster Times.

Carlow County Library

Borris Steeplechases 1886
Carlow County Library

Borris Steeplechases 1886

Report of the Borris steeplechases 30th October 1886 taken from the Carlow Nationalist and Leinster Times.

Carlow County Library

Enlarge image

Race Meetings were held in a number of other venues around County Carlow in the later decades of the Nineteenth Century. Bagenalstown and Fenniscourt Steeplechases were held on a grass course in April, 1871. Thomas James and J.H. Corsellis were clerks of the course. One of the races at this meeting was known as the "Farmers Plate". It is described in the Carlow Post advertisement from 18th February, 1871.

"Farmers Plate
Entrance - Subscribers of Ł1 Free; non-subscribers, Ł1.
For horses the property of residents of the Counties of Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, and Queen's County, to be three months in their possession previous to the race. Weight for age. Three years 9st; four, 10st 4lb; five 11st; six and aged 11st 7lb. winner of a race value Ł20, 7lb extra; of Ł40, 14lb extra. Four horses, the property of different owners, to start or no race. About one and a-half mile heats.

Steeplechases were also run at Ballon some miles from Carlow. They were held on the lands of Mr. E.J. Doyle. Officers of the Steeplechases were "President - Joseph J. Nolan, M.D. Vice-President - Robert Kepple, P.L.G. Treasurer- Michael, Nolan, Judge- P.P. Lawler Starter - Patrick Kelly, Clerk of Scales and Weights - Aiden Doyle. Stewards and Committee of Management - Messrs T.B. Doyle, James Kennedy, Terence Cummins, W.G. Corrigan, W.B. Cummins, E.J. Doyle, Alexander Townsend, James Murphy, Hon. Secs. H. J. Corrigan, M.Conroy, Superintendent of Measurement - W. Young, V.S."

The village of Hacketstown was the location for annual races in the 1880's. The meetings there were not run under the recognised code of rules and it was reported that there were long intervals between the events.

The meetings at Tullow, described in the "Nationalist and Leinster Times" of September 18th, 1886, were attended by "thousands of visitors". It was noted that the number of spectators was even more than the Ballybar attendance in its heyday. The stewards were : "J.J. Nolan, M.D.; Messrs. E. Murphy, W. Maher, G. Moore; J. Nolan, P. Murphy, J.M. Murphy, J. Reid, T. Bolger, M. Murphy, E. Moore, J. Murphy, L. Dempsey. Hon Treasurer - Mr. P. Kelly. Hon. Secs. - Messrs. G. O'Toole and M. Doyle, Tullow. Judge, Handicapper, etc. - Mr. T. Brindley, Dublin. Starter - Mr. James Dunne, the Curragh."

The Tullow

Other Race Meetings in County Carlow

course was remarkably good but the view from the stand and enclosure were reported as being unsatisfactory. The main complaints about the proceedings related to the lack of an adequate train service. The Sentinel reported "The train brought down a very large contingent, so large that passengers were, we understand, packed together in the carriages in the most uncomfortable positions. In fact, the want of adequate train service formed a topic of loud and general complaint by the metropolitans. The question was asked how it was that a special train was not put on, and the omission appears the more remarkable when it is remembered that the Curragh meetings with not a tenth of the attendance that Tullow commanded, would be favoured with two, and sometimes three specials." Tullow was not without casualties "It is to be regretted that two persons received very serious injuries by crowding on the course and being knocked down by the horses running."

Race meetings were also held at Borris in October 1886. They had also been held in the previous year. The races were run on land owned by Mr. John Tennant at Ballynattin, within a half mile from Borris village. In spite of the "firm sod" the going was difficult and many horses came "to grief". Once again reference is made to the part played by the railway "There was a very large attendance, and the special from Kilkenny and the 9.30 train from Dublin brought down a large contingent just in time to miss the first event on the card." Horse and pony races also took place at Wells in Bagenalstown.

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