Earliest meeting: Monday 19th October 1761
Final meeting: Monday 15th May 1922
Athlone stands on the River Shannon on the border between Westmeath and County Roscommon. In the middle of the 18th century the town’s races were deemed sufficiently important to be included in the ‘Historical List of Horse Races & Matches of 1761’. At that early meeting the feature race, the Athlone Purse over 2 miles, was won by Mr Armstrong’s Whimsey, overcoming the determined challenge of White Nose and Sejarus. In 1777 the local townspeople offered a prize of £100, a large sum at that time, for a 2 mile race run in 3 heats, but by 1790 the course was in a dire and worrying condition. It was dangerous for spectators, treacherous for jockeys and deadly for horses. It was described as an ‘Ill-laid out course’, although funding for this and most other Irish courses was poor, and the Irish Turf Club had to take action. They did so by appointing a ‘Keeper of the Match Book’ the first of which was Patrick Kelly from Kilcullen. Races continued to be held annually for over 130 years until the final meeting on Monday 15th May 1922. |
This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Mount Eagle, Colonel Archdale, Sir Edward O'Brien, Mr St Leger, Mr H Lindsay-Fitzpatrick |
| Principal Races |
Moydrum Plate, Garrycastle Handicap Plate |
Monday 19th October 1761 |
Athlone Purse over 2 miles
1. Whimsey, bay mare owned by Mr Armstrong
2. White Nose, bay mare owned by Mr Lambert
3. Sejarus, grey horse owned by Mr O’Hara |
Tuesday 20th October 1761 |
Athlone Real Hunters Stakes over 4 miles
1. Goliah, bay horse owned by Mr Armstrong
2. Grandy, grey horse owned by Mr Lowther |
Wednesday 21st October 1761 |
Athlone 5 year old Purse over 3 miles
1. Modesty, bay mare owned by Mr St Leger
2. Trimmer, bay horse owned by Mr French
3. Revenge, bay horse owned by Mr J H Foster |
Thursday 22nd October 1761 |
Athlone Purse for 6 year olds and upwards over 4 miles
1. Lottery, bay mare owned by Sir Edward O’Brien
2. Jenny Jessamy, bay mare owned by Mr Fitzgerald
3. Patch, brown mare owned by Mr Lambert |
Friday 23rd October 1761 |
Athlone Irish Foaled horses over 3 miles
1. Brutus, brown horse owned by Cornet O’Brien
2. Bajazetta, bay mare owned by Mr W H Fortescue
3. Game Cock, bay horse owned by Mr Plunket
4. Celia, bay mare owned by Mr O’Connor
5. Conqueror, bay horse owned by Colonel Maguire |
Saturday 24th October 1761 |
Athlone Consolation race over 4 miles
1. Jenny Jessamy, bay mare owned by Mr Fitzgerald
2. Trimmer, bay horse owned by Captain French |
Monday 19th to Saturday 24th July 1762 |
Athlone Give and Take over 4 miles
1. Miss Sidney owned by Mr Newcombe
2. Charlotte owned by Mr Smith
Athlone Hunters Weight for Age Stakes
1. Granby owned by Mr Lowther
2. Gallyo owned by Mr Armstrong
Athlone 6 Year Old Plate
1. Modesty owned by Mr Donnellan
2. Goliab owned by Mr Armstrong
3. Snip Snap owned by Colonel Archdale
Athlone 5 Year Old Stakes over 3 miles
1. Sprightley owned by Mr Knox
2. Experiment owned by Mr Walpole
3. Miss Prim owned by Mr Blake
Athlone 4 Year Old Stakes over 2 miles
1. Ground Ivy owned by Mr Knox
2. Kitty owned by Mr Newcomen
3. Adrastus owned by Mr Dobbins |
Monday 12th June 1899 |
The Moydrum Plate over 2 and a quarter miles
1. Blue Guts owned by Mr H S Kenny
2. Gay and Sweet owned by Mr D Kiernan
3. Miss Baker owned by Mr H Lindsay-Fitzpatrick
The Garrycastle Handicap Plate over a mile and a half
1. Bait owned by Mr W Meredith
2. Nahillah owned by Mr T N Wardrop
3. Star of the East owned by Mr T J Daly |
| The final meeting took place on Monday 15th May 1922. |
| Course today |
An ‘ill-laid out course’ on the edge of the town. |
| If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com |
Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-
London Illustrated News
Racing Illustrated 1895-1899
The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated
Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough
The Sporting Magazine
A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8
Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727 |
