Earliest meeting: Tuesday 20th September 1785
Final meeting: Saturday 25th March 1893
The county Wicklow village of Dunlavin is a settlement founded circa 1658 by the Bulkely family who originated from Cheshire. It is located 30 miles south west of Dublin, close to the Curragh, which seems highly appropriate given that it held its own races for a prolonged period, although only the 1785 meeting was included in the Racing Calendar of that year. Although the town was founded circa 1658, almost a century later it was felt that the town needed to be developed, and an enlightened resident, James Worth Tynte proposed a development scheme covering all aspects of the town. At that time the innkeeper was Lawrence Toole, the family continued to have business interests in the town for some considerable time. A significant part of James Worth Tynte's development included ensuring that there were leisure activities, including a playhouse/theatre and a racecourse. The racecourse was at the southern edge of the village, as shown J Nevill's 1760 map below, although it is uncertain what racecourse buildings there were to shelter the punters. At that time in history the horse was at the epicentre of village activities, the ownership of one or more horses reflecting one's social status. Originally the meeting was scheduled to start on Monday 19th September with a Hunters race over 4 miles, although the result was not reported in newspapers or the Racing Calendar. Entries for the entire meeting were made at Mr Abel Woodman's house, and each day racing concluded with an Ordinary and a Ball. The five-day meeting actually began on Tuesday 20th September 1785 with a three-year-old Sweepstake over 3 miles which was won by Mr Edward's Fitzherod filly. However, the prize was claimed by the second passed the post, Mr Dennis with his Gamahoe colt, because the jockey aboard the filly dismounted before returning to the winning post. The next day a Weight for Age Handicap was claimed by Mr Brownrigg's Leinster, while on subsequent days the winners were Mr Bateman’s Hob, Mr Dunn's bay mare and Colonel Lumm's Prancer. Although racing had taken place prior to this meeting, the cards included half-breds and ponies; indeed pony racing was still taking place in the village in the late 19th century. As well as racing in the village of Dunlavin, meetings were also staged in Ballymore Eustace, Donard and Baltinglass where, at their 1755 meeting one of the races was sponsored by the Dunlavin Hunt Committee.
Tuesday 20th September 1785
£20 Three-Year-Old Purse over 3 miles
1. Filly by Fitzherod owned by Mr Edwards
2. Colt by Gamahoe owned by Mr Dennis
Although the filly won the race, Mr Edwards' jockey dismounted before he returned to the winning post, so the race was awarded to Mr Dennis, the Edwards filly deemed to have been beaten a distance.
Wednesday 21st September 1785
Dunlavin Weight for Age £30 Handicap over 4 miles
1. LEINSTER, 5-year-old owned by Mr Brownrigg
2. Unnamed 6-year-old grey mare owned by Mr Hamilton
3. SHOEMAKER filly owned by Mr J Cooper
4. Unnamed bay mare owned by Mr Dennis
Thursday 22nd September 1785
Dunlavin £50 Weight for Age Handicap over 4 miles
1. HOB owned by Mr Bateman
2. SWEETBRIAR owned by Lord Clanwilliam
Although Sweetbriar won the first of 3 heats, he fell in the second heat and was unable to contest the deciding heat.
Lord Clanwilliam, John Meade, son of Sir Richard Meade, was born on 21st April 1744, and was known as Sir John Meade until 1766 when he was elevated to the peerage. He was debauched and a spendthrift, gambling away his entire family estate. In 1765 John married Theodosia Magill, a wealthy heiress who owned estates in Gilford and Rathfriland, and the couple had 10 children, 5 daughters, Anne, Catherine, Theodosia, Melosina and Maria Rose, and 5 sons, Richard, Pierce, John, Edward and Robert. As well as gambling, he kept a number of mistresses and had a passion for horseracing. He died, aged 56, on 19th October 1800.
Friday 23rd September 1785
Dunlavin Plate (donated by Sir James Tent) over 4 miles
(confined to horses owned by the County of Dublin Freeholders)
1. Unnamed bay mare owned by Mr Dunn
Saturday 24th September 1785
Dunlavin £30 5-year-old Plate over 4 miles
1. PRANCER, by Herod, owned by Colonel Lumm
2. Unnamed bay mare owned by Mr Harpole
Colonel Charles Lumm was an enthusiastic racing man who owned Lumm Lodge Stud, a racing stable located at the Curragh. On of his best horses was Honest Tom, a son of King Fergus who himself was a son of the great Eclipse. Honest Tom won 5 Kings Plates and 24 races in Ireland during a distinguished career.
With summerlike weather and a capital afternoon's sport, the Dunlavin Hurdle races were staged on Saturday 25th March 1893. The varied 6-race card contained something for everyone, from a 3 mile slog to a 2 mile pony race, with a 2 1/2 mile race for half-breds in the middle. The principal race of the day, the Wicklow Plate, was won by a resuscitated Welcome, owned by Michael Dennehy, who had been defeated less than an hour earlier.
Dunlavin Plate (2 miles for ponies)
1. INDEPENDENT 3/1 owned by Mr Andrew Fay and ridden by H Fay
2. WELCOME 2/5 fav owned by Mr Michael Dennehy and ridden by Lenehan
3. WAXY TOMMY 4/1 owned by Mr Peter Moore and ridden by Murray
4. FOGGY 5/1 owned by Mr George Darker and ridden by C de Robeck
5. NEGLECTED 5/1 owned by Mr G F Turner and ridden by Irwin
6. CONFUSION 5/1 owned by Mr J Tierney and ridden by Hannon
Rathsallagh Hunters Plate over 2 miles
1. WEE LAD 2/1 fav owned by Mr Andrew Fay and ridden by Coyle
2. WHAT MATTER 4/1 owned by Mr J Kelly and ridden by Murray
3. QUEEN OF TRUMPS owned and ridden by Mr T Norton
4. DOTIE 10/1 owned and ridden by Mr G Fisher
5. MAID OF ATHENS 10/1 owned by Mr J V Burke and ridden by C de Robeck
6. VENILETTA 10/1 owned by Mr Peter Keane and ridden by H Mullaly
7. TOM BOY 10/1 owned by Mr R Gannon and ridden by Irwin
8. BLUE BLACK 10/1 owned by Mr T Cribbins and ridden by Rossiter
Wicklow Handicap (2 miles for ponies)
1. WELCOME 4/1 owned by Mr Michael Dennehy and ridden by Lenehan
2. INDEPENDENT 1/3 fav owned by Mr Andrew Fay and ridden by Coyle
3. WAXY TOMMY 6/1 owned by Mr Peter Moore and ridden by Murray
4. RATTLER 10/1 owned by Mr H J Hampton and ridden by M Ryan
5. NEGLECTED 10/1 owned by Mr G F Turner and ridden by Irwin
6. WEE LASS 10/1 owned by Mr James Wynne and ridden by J Lynch
County Plate (Half-breds over 2 1/2 miles)
1. MARQUIS OF ERIN 4/6 fav owned and ridden by Mr E Daly
2. MAID OF ATHENS 4/1 owned and ridden by Mr J V Burke
3. WEE LAD 2/1 owned by Mr Andrew Fay and ridden by Coyle
4. SORCERESS 4/1 owned by Mr James Nolan and ridden by Archibald
Village Cup over 3 miles
Confined to Officers of Curragh District and Naas Depot
1. SAVANT 3/1 owned and ridden by Mr Bidwood
2. SWEET VIOLET 2/1 fav owned and ridden by Mr Sanders
3. AILEEN 5/1 owned and ridden by Mr Fielding
4. MEATH 5/1 owned by Mr Steward and ridden by Reskin
Lilliputian Race (Small ponies over 1 1/2 miles)
1. NELLIE GRAY owned by Mr C Lawler and ridden by J Lynch
2. SULTANA owned by Mr P Minch and ridden by H Mulally
3. DUNLAVIN owned by Mr H Fay and ridden by A Prette
4. LITTLE TIM owned and ridden by Mr J Murphy
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
