Earliest meeting: Friday 7th September 1906
Final meeting: Friday 7th September 1906
The county Clare spa town of Lisdoonvarna, close to the remains of a Norman Castle, is located just a mile and a half from the town centre. Today the tiny population is famous for organising music festivals, but in the very early 20th century it staged its own race meeting. Although minor meetings might have been held prior to 1906, the only meeting reported in newspapers was held on Friday 7th September 1906. The management made every effort to provide an interesting and varied racecard, offering the Spa Hurdle Plate, the Lisdoonvarna Steeplechase Plate and the Ennis Flat Handicap. However, in the event the racing was poor and some events did not fill. The meeting began with the Spa Plate Handicap Hurdle in which Mr W A Usher’s Mafalda beat Too Clever and Mount Earl. Unfortunately the Lisdoonvarna Plate was cancelled due to insufficient entries, but the Ennistymon Steeplechase Plate saw Mr M Slattery’s Moll Machree defeat sole rival Roxborough at 4/1 on favourite. Although the races were well attended, the card lacked sufficient quality to justify the effort of staging further meetings. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Colonel Butler-Creagh, Mr H V McNamara, Mr T de Joyce (Stewards) |
| Principal Races |
Lisdoonvarna Plate, Ennistymon Plate, Ennis Plate, Spa Plate |
Friday 7th September 1906
Ennis Plate flat race over 2 ½ miles
1. Bow-Wow, chestnut filly owned by Mrs Harty
2. Miss Islington, 4 year old owned by Mr B O’Donnell
3. Morelia, 4 year old owned by Mr P ‘Estrange
Betting: Evens Miss Islington, 5/2 Morelia, 6/1 Bow-Wow |
| The final meeting took place on Friday 7th September 1906. |
| Course today |
A flat race, hurdle race and steeplechase course in fields on the outskirts of the town. |
| 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 johnslusar@fsmail.net |
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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