Earliest meeting: Monday 22nd July 1754
Final meeting: Monday 23rd September 1872
The County Carlow town of Bagenalstown, also known as Muine Bheag, lies on the River Barrow. In the 1700s it was just a small hamlet, but developed into a town within the townland of Moneybeg. On the outskirts of Bagenalstown is Ballymoon Castle which has parts dating back to the 1300s. The town staged races in the middle of the 18th century when the first results were recorded in the Historical List of Horse Races and Matches in 1754. The keenly fought Subscription Cup was won by Mr John Perkin’s Shounbye, defeating Queen of the May. Meetings continued for the next 4 years until this spell of racing finished on Saturday 20th May 1758. Racing was revived in the town in 1869 when the Bagenalstown and Fenniscourt meeting was launched on Tuesday 2nd February. This second series of meetings lasted until Monday 23rd September 1872. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
John Perkin, John Dillon |
| Principal Races |
Bagenalstown Large Give & Take Sweepstake, Bagenalstown Subscription Cup, Bagenalstown Irish Bred £20 Purse, Bagenalstown Real Hunters Subscription Plate |
22nd July 1754 |
Bagenalstown Subscription Cup
1. Shounbye, chestnut gelding owned by Mr John Perkin
2. Queen of the May, bay mare owned by Mr John Dillon
3. Unnamed mare owned by Mr Humphrey Perkin
4. Creeping Kate, bay mare owned by Mr Nicholas Murphy |
23rd July 1754 |
Bagenalstown Irish Bred £20 Purse
1. Batchelor, bay gelding owned by Mr Mulloy
2. Sobersides, chestnut horse owned by Mr Brennan
3. Unnamed horse owned by Mr Medlicot |
24th July 1754 |
Bagenalstown Real Hunters Subscription Plate
1. Shounbye, chestnut gelding owned by Mr John Perkin
2. Sportsman, bay gelding owned by Mr James Sherman
3. Farmer, sorrel gelding owned by Mr John Humphrey |
25th July 1754 |
Bagenalstown Large Give & Take Sweepstake
1. Smart, horse owned by Mr Smith
2. Unnamed gelding owned by Mr Graham
3. Unnamed gelding owned by Mr Dillon |
| The final meeting took place on Monday 23rd September 1872. |
| Course today |
In fields on the outskirts 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 |
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ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3
652 pages
774 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0
352 pages
400 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7
180 pages
140 former courses |
ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4
264 pages
235 former courses |
| Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent. |
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