Earliest meeting: Saturday 13th June 1896
Final meeting: Monday 4th September 1916
The County Mayo town of Ballyhaunis lies on the railway line linking Dublin with Westport. In the late 19th century it was staging race meetings, the first of which was recorded in the Racing Calendar on Thursday 3rd June 1897. However, the inaugural meeting had taken place the year before, on Saturday 13th June 1896, on the Hollywell course, just over a mile from the town centre, owned by Doctor C E Crean. A meeting at the turn of the century was held on Thursday 7th June 1900 when the Province Plate, over 1 ½ miles, was won by La Plata from Bal Austa. The stewards sponsored a Hunters Plate Handicap which saw Mr B R McCarrick’s Water Lily defeat Crutches. There were concerns over the state of the course and in March 1905 newly appointed Irish Turf Club inspectors checked the track and the licence was withdrawn due to the poor condition of the course. However, the necessary work was carried out and the track reopened. The final meeting took place on Monday 4th September 1916.
Launch of the Ballyhaunis Meeting
On Monday 27th January 1896 a meeting was held at Mr M A Waldron's between some influential members of the town of Ballyhaunis, County Mayo presided over by Dr C E Crean JP. The purpose of the meeting was to promote races in the town and amongst those present were Mr T Dillon Leetch, Mr M Waldron, John Coyne, Michael Delaney and William Flynn. The meeting was characterised by the greatest unanimity and business-like procedures, portraying a firm belief that they could make the meeting happen. Dr Crean kindly offered his Hollywell demesne course for the races, it being about a mile and a quarter from the town centre. The course was described as 'picturesquely situated, with fences of a solid nature and the going throughout the course was firm under foot'. The course inspector, Mr Purcell Gilpin, visited the course on behalf of the Irish National Hunt Committee and said that he was entirely satisfied with the course, so the inaugural meeting was scheduled for Saturday 13th June 1896. One local man, Michael McHugh, remarked that the distribution of prize money in those early years was strange. The winner got 20 or 25 sovereigns, the second got 1 or 2 sovs, but the third received no prize money. However, a sovereign is worth over €500 today.
Saturday 13th June 1896
Ballyhaunis Steeplechase Town Plate (30 sovs) over 2 miles
1. BONNIE RATH (evens jt fav) owned by Lord Greville, trained by Mr A J Pilkington (Woodlands, Mullingar) and ridden by Sullivan
2. HONEY DEAR (evens jt fav) owned by Major Clarke and ridden by Mr Powell
3. SPES BONA (10/1) owned by Mr T G Dillon and ridden by Hayden
Ballyhaunis Stewards Steeplechase Handicap Plate (25 sovs) over 2 miles
1. ADOLPHUS (evens fav) owned by Mr M Williams, trained by D Shanahan (Curragh) and ridden by Anthony
2. VEXATION (4/1) owned by Miss Rochfort and ridden by W Costello
3. ADA (10/1) owned by Mr James Crawford and ridden by S McKeown
Commercial Steeplechase Plate (25 sovs) over 3 miles
1. SPITFIRE (evens fav) owned by Mr P Day, trained by D Shanahan (Curragh) and ridden by Anthony
2. BELLE II (4/1) owned by Mr D R Kaye and ridden by Mr Powell
3. YORKFIELD (4/1) owned by Mr E J Rivers and ridden by Mr C Gaynor
Produce Steeplechase Stakes (25 sovs) over 2 miles
1. SIR JOSEPH (10/1) owned by Mr P Cleary and ridden by Sullivan
2. THE DOCTOR II (4/1) owned by Mr J Grimes and ridden by T Costello
3. LOGAHOFF (10/1) owned by Mr V J Ricave and ridden by W Costello
Farmers Steeplechase Plate (25 sovs) over 2 1/2 miles
1. AMBROSE (5/4 fav) owned by Mr F Mitchell and ridden by J Hoysted
2. NELLY PRESTON (3/1) owned by Mr John Ronae and ridden by Mr Butler
3. DAISY'S JOY (6/1) owned by Mr T Nally and ridden by T Costello
Thursday 7th June 1900
The Province Plate over 1 ½ miles
1. La Plata owned by Mr J McHugh
2. Bal Austa owned by Mr P W Connelly
The Stewards Hunters Plate Handicap over 2 ¼ miles
1. Water Lily owned by Mr B R McCarrick
2. Crutches owned by Mr P McConville
Monday 4th September 1916
Ballyhaunis Ladies Handicap Plate (25 sovs) over 1 1/2 miles
1. NELLIE MAC (10/1) owned by Mr H Bourge and ridden by P O’Hara
2. NEWPARK (4/7 fav) owned by Mrs Croft and ridden by F Dainty
3. CHARMING WEATHER (10/1) owned by Mrs H Whitworth and ridden by E Lawn
4. DAN DANCER (8/1) owned by Mr J Meleady and ridden by C Hawkins
5. WATER DAISY (8/1) owned by Mr C Berzac and ridden by B Roberts
6. EILEEN AROON (8/1) owned and ridden by Mr J Coghlan
Ballyhaunis Stewards Steeplechase Plate (25 sovs) over 2 1/4 miles
1. PRINCELY O'NEILL (10/1) owned by Mr J Travers and ridden by E Tuite
2. THE CARDINAL (Evens fav) owned by Mr P Fury and ridden by F Dainty
3. LADY MAGNET (6/4) owned by Mr G Martyn and ridden by H Harty
Western Handicap Plate (25 sovs) over 2 1/4 miles
1. DOOLEY OOLEY (1/3 fav) owned by Mr K Malcolmson, trained by H Ussher and ridden by Mr W J Parkinson
2. MERRY SONSE (4/1) owned by Mr P Conry and ridden by Mr P McCormack
3. MISNOMER (100/8) owned by Mr J Mulligan and ridden by Mr P Mulligan
4. ST COLEMAN (100/8) owned by Mr J Coen and ridden by Mt F Flanagan
Substitute Steeplechase Plate (25 sovs) over 2 miles
1. YOURS ONLY (3/1) owned and trained by Mr H Ussher and ridden by J Hogan snr
2. MULDOON (4/5) owned by Mr J Meleady and ridden by C Hawkins
3. SONG O' THE SEA (3/1) owned by Mr P Honner and ridden by J Lynn
Visitors Handicap Plate (25 sovs) over 1 mile 2 furlongs 50 yards
1. SCOTCH WOLF (Evens fav) owned by Mr R Power, trained by H Ussher and ridden by Mr W J Parkinson
2. SIGNUM (20/1) owned and ridden by Mr J Coghlan
3. MONSYL (20/1) owned by Mr H Bourke and ridden by Mr P McCormack
8 Ran
Ballyhaunis Town Steeplechase Plate (25 sovs) over 3 miles
1. HAPPY GO LUCKY (2/1 jt fav) owned by Mr T Killian, trained by Cleary and ridden by J Lynn
2. KENTSTOWN (2/1 jt fav) owned by Mr W Battersby and ridden by M Farragher
3. KING OF MEATH (5/2) owned by Mr W Joynson and ridden by T Kelly
4. GENERAL BLANE (6/1) owned by Mr J Yourell and ridden by E Tuite
On the edge of the town, about a mile and a half from the town centre on the 'Hollywell demesne'. There is no evidence of the former course, which is covered by a housing estate, but it is named 'The Old Racecourse' to immortalise the former racecourse.
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
