Earliest meeting: Thursday 28th May 1885
Final meeting: Thursday 21st July 1898
The village of Taghmon in County Wexford is 8 miles west of Wexford and today has a population of barely 700 people. Races in the village can be traced back to a meeting on Thursday 28th May 1885, although the race quality was said to be inferior. For the next 14 years the village organised meetings which catered for both Flat and National Hunt Races. The course was in fields on the Wicklow side of the village and crowds were boosted by train excursions to Wexford, with cars (of a sort) being provided for the final 8 miles to the course. A final meeting was staged on Thursday 21st July 1898 when the concluding Taghmon Handicap Plate was won by Mr John Widger’s Melophoria. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Mr John Widger, Mr J A Bennett |
| Principal Races |
Browncastle Handicap Plate, Taghmon Handicap Plate, Tintern Abbey Cup |
Tuesday 19th May 1896 |
The Browncastle Handicap Plate over 1 ¼ miles
1. Curacao owned by Mr W P Odlum
2. Queen of Art owned by Mr J W Nuttall
3. Lady Phil owned by Mr R H Peare |
Thursday 21st July 1898 |
The BrownCastle Handicap Plate over a mile
1. Sweet Florence owned by Mr J A Bennett
2. Ten Cents owned by Mr T E Francis
3. Silver Florin owned by Mr N Doyle
The Taghmon Handicap Plate over 1 ½ miles
1. Melophoria owned by Mr John Widger
2. Ten Cents owned by Mr T E Francis
3. Ironclad owned by Mr G Doyle |
| The final meeting took place on Thursday 21st July 1898. |
| Course today |
In fields on the Wexford Road on the outside of the village. |
| 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 johnwslusar@gmail.com |
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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