Horse racing has been taking place at the Curragh for many hundreds of years. The first recorded race took place in 1727. The first Irish Derby - one of the most important races in the Irish horse racing year - took place in 1866.
Irish Derby, The Curragh
Courtesy Matthew McNamara, www.curragh.info
Courtesy Matthew McNamara, www.curragh.info
As well as being a venue for horse racing, the Curragh is known worldwide as a location for training racehorses. More than a quarter of the racehorses trained in Ireland are trained on the Curragh.
The Irish National Stud
On the fringes of the Curragh, there are many stud farms, including the National Stud. Stud farms are farms where racehorses are bred. The stud farms of Kildare are amongst the best in the world and this industry is very important for the county and, indeed, the country.