Earliest meeting: Monday 9th September 1765
Final meeting: Friday 7th September 1906
The County Fermanagh county town of Enniskillen boasts a castle built by Hugh Maguire, nicknamed Hugh the Hospitable, in 1428. The first occasion races were reported in the town was a five day meeting from Monday 9th to Friday 13th September 1765 when the 4 year old Stakes was won by Mr Newcome’s Martu Burton, beating Thunder and Betty Breasy. Trimmer beat Tulip in the Weight for Age Handicap the next day, while Grizelda claimed the Give and Take half way through the festival. Ten years later, with the meeting going from strength to strength, the Corporation Stakes was won by Mr Hamilton’s Emily on Monday 3rd July, while the main race on Tuesday 4th July was restricted to Fermanagh bred horses and claimed by Recover. The course at Broad Meadow was quite tight with a circumference of 6 furlongs and often had to be traversed three times in the longer races. Racing continued in the town for over 130 years, and while the meetings were well supported, the racing was seldom more than run of the mill. The final meeting took place on Friday 7th September 1906.
Monday 3rd July 1775
Corporation Stakes over 3 miles
1. Emily, grey mare owned by Mr R Hamilton
2. Unnamed grey horse owned by Mr T Twigg
3. Polly Kiss-On, bay mare owned by Mr Armstrong
Tuesday 4th July 1775
Fermanagh Bred Purse over 3 miles
1. Recover, bay gelding owned by Mr S Armstrong
2. Sprightly, grey mare owned by Mr Watkin
3. Pilgrim, grey gelding owned by Mr Wilson
Thursday 6th July 1775
Weight for Age Purse over 4 miles
1. Reformation, bay mare owned by Mr R Hamilton
2. Prince Royal, bay horse owned by Lord Altamont
3. Castaway, bay gelding owned by Mr Conghran
Monday 8th to Friday 12th July 1782
Enniskillen Plate over 4 miles
1. Grattan owned by Mr Eccles
2. Olympic owned by Mr Shadwell
3. Favourite owned by Mr Gore
In 1794 The Irish Racing Calendar was published by its proprietor P. Sharkey. It contained an Account of the Plates, Matches and Sweepstakes run for in Ireland from the April Meeting 1794. An extract of this is shown below.
Monday 4th to Saturday 9th August 1794
Enniskillen Hunters Purse over 3 miles
1. Nosegay owned by Mr James Armstrong
2. Miss Lurg owned by Mr G D Irwin
3. Sprightly Peggy owned by Mr Weir
Enniskillen Weight for Age Handicap over 2 miles
1. Flahertagh owned by Mr Caldwell
2. Unnamed colt by Bagot owned by Mr Graydon
3. Unnamed filly by Otho owned by Mr Bateman
Enniskillen Handicap Plate over 2 miles
1. Breslaw owned by Mr Bateman
2. Harriet owned by Mr Ormsby
3. Unnamed filly by Pot8o’s owned by Mr Caldwell
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
