Earliest meeting: Tuesday 31st August 1824
Final meeting: Tuesday 28th April 1903
The small county Roscommon village of Strokestown, also known as Bellanamully, boasts the 18th century Park House Mansion and lays claim to the second widest street in Ireland. In the 19th and very early 20th century the village organised race meetings, often in conjunction with the local Hunt Group. One of the first two day meetings was staged on Tuesday 31st August and Wednesday 1st September 1824 on the Ballinafad course. The feature race, the Strokestown Cup, was restricted to gentlemen residing in the county, but the card also contained open handicaps. After racing the Heague Hotel, within a mile of the course, provided an Ordinary, supper and a Ball. The first occasion results were included in the Racing Calendar was from the two day meeting on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th August 1827 when the opening Sweepstake over 3 miles was won by Mr Blake’s Napoleon at the main expense of Coeur de Lion. The next day the Stewards Sweepstake saw Mr Lea’s Telemanque defeat Sarsaparilla and Bother’em. Meetings continued to be organised on a regular basis, although often they would contain pony races. At one such meeting on Thursday 20th September 1855 the Strokestown Handicap was won by the thoroughbred Fox, carrying 11st 3lb, but only after the pony Exhibition, carrying 7st, had led throughout and was just pipped close home. A Hunt Steeplechase meeting took place on the Doonard course, owned by Mr P P Taaffe, on Monday 20th September 1858. Mr John Dillon, who was a Steward in 1824, remained a Steward for this meeting which took place on a 2 mile course containing four 4 feet wide walls and ‘any obstacles that may occur by chance’. Although racing ceased for a while in the latter part of the 19th century, meetings returned and the final card took place on Tuesday 28th April 1903. |
Tuesday 28th August 1827
Strokestown Sweepstake over 3 miles
1. Napoleon, bay colt owned by Mr Blake
2. Coeur de Lion, bay colt owned by Mr Hunter
3. Fitz Pan, 4 year old owned by Mr Shiel |
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 |
