Earliest meeting: Thursday 20th May 1802
Final meeting: Thursday 15th June 1916
The county Cork town of Charleville, on a tributary of the River Maigue, is located in the Golden Vale near to the border with Limerick. Previously called Rathcogan, the ‘new town’ was renamed Charleville in 1661 after Charles II who had just been restored to the throne. The earliest race meeting to be included in the Racing Calendar was a splendid six day affair spread over a week beginning on Thursday 20th May 1802. The meeting opened with a 30 Guineas Cup which was won by Mr Evan’s Mahomet, followed by a tame 3 mile Handicap on Friday 21st May which went to Captain Caldwell’s Bruiser. However, the highlight of the meeting was the Hunters Plate, sponsored by the Earl of Cork, which saw Crazy Jane win both heats to claim the prize for Mr Hallam. Meetings were staged annually for the next five years, each being well supported, before results were no longer included in the Calendar.  In March 1860 a new stand was opened for the two day meeting on 13th and 14th March, and by 1870 Charleville launched the turf season in Southern Ireland with a meeting on Tuesday 22nd March. The steeplechase course was conveniently situated a short distance from the town centre and railway station, the day opening with the Orrery Handicap Chase over 3 miles in which Mr Nolan’s Cripple beat Hard Lines and Honesty. There was a Selling Race and the Foxhunter’s Plate which saw Mr Walsh’s Fosco defeat Black Tom and Sunday School. Although attendances decreased at the start of the 20th century, racing continued until a final meeting took place on Thursday 15th June 1916.

Saturday 22nd May 1802
Earl of Cork Hunters Plate over 4 miles
1. Crazy Jane, bay mare owned by Mr Hallam
2. Snip, bay horse owned by Colonel Vandeleur
3. Tug, bay horse owned by Mr Roache

Monday 13th to Wednesday 15th May 1805

Charleville Weight for Age Stakes over 3 miles
1. First Fruits owned by Mr Hunter
2. Chancer owned by Colonel A Daly
3. Unnamed mare by Falcon owned by Mr Dogherty

Charleville Stakes over 4 miles
1. Superior owned by Mr Croker
2. Unnaned filly by Hero owned by Colonel A Daly
3. Rebel owned by Mr Fitzgibbon

Thursday 19th & Friday 20th April 1838

Town of Charleville Sweepstake
1. Silver Tail owned by Mr O’Shaughnessy and ridden by Purcell
2. Monarch owned by Captain Saunders and ridden by O’Callaghan
3. Off-She-Goes owned by Mr Lynch and ridden by Lenihan

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

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