Earliest meeting: Tuesday 13th August 1844
Final meeting: Friday 4th September 1903
The former fishing village of Blackrock Strand, near Dundalk, is now a suburb of Dublin and at one time was known as Newton-on-the-Strand. It famously held races on The Strand in the early part of the 19th century, and was certainly staging very popular meetings by the 1840s. One of the earliest meetings of note was held on Tuesday 13th August 1844, while within 10 years crowds in excess of 10,000 were enjoying meetings on the sand. At the meeting on Wednesday 9th August 1854 the Blackrock Silver Cup was won by Mr O’Hagan’s Duchess, after which meetings continued throughout the 1860s and 1870s. Although there was a lapse in 1892, meetings returned the next year and, while quality was never high, races were always competitive offering mixed cards of flat and hurdle racing. At the turn of the century a meeting was held on Friday 21st September 1900 when the Louth Handicap Plate was won by Mr P J Maher’s Convent Maid, while the Strand Hunters Plate went to Mr W Howard’s Recluse. The final meeting took place on Friday 4th September 1903. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Rt Hon. Lord Clermont, Mr T P Byrne, Mr T C McCardle (Stewards) |
| Principal Races |
Blackrock Silver Cup, Blackrock Plate, Louth Handicap Plate, Strand Handicap Plate |
Friday 21st September 1900 |
The Louth Handicap Plate over a mile
1. Convent Maid owned by Mr P J Maher
2. Unnamed colt by Torpedo owned by Mr W J Doyle
3. Bellotte owned by Mr J C Malone
The Strand Hunters Plate over 2 miles
1. Recluse owned by Mr W Howard
2. Germaine owned by Mr E Delany
3. The Little Mot owned by Mr P J Maher |
| The final meeting took place on Friday 4th September 1903. |
| Course today |
On the Strands. |
| 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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