Sligo

Quick Facts About Sligo

Racing has taken place in Cleveragh since 1955, but there is a tradition of racing in the area dating back to 1781, when racing was first recorded at Bowmore on Rosses Point. It was written in the Sligo Journal of the races in 1893 that the "beauty and fashion of the county attended the races".

Nothing has changed then in the meantime! For the next hundred years the races were halted intermittently because of political turmoil and/or faction fighting and in 1898 moved to a site at Hazelwood until 1942. There was no racing for the 13 years preceding the opening of the present course.

The programme at all meetings is comprised of Flat and National Hunt (jump) races.
Among the top-class horses to run at Sligo are Jazz Princess, who later went on to win a Group 3 race at the Curragh in 2004 and became one of the best
two-year-olds in Ireland. Brewster, one of the top novice hurdlers in Britain in 2005 won a bumper at Sligo in 2002.

Sligo Revealed

Sligo racecourse is nestled among some of the most scenic countryside imaginable with the mountains Benbulben and Knocknarea looking down from either side of the town. The area is considered as one of the unheralded beauty spots of Ireland and it's certainly worth the effort to get to Sligo racecourse for one of its eight fixtures.

It's one of those rare places where the journey to and from (passing through some of the most beautiful countryside in Ireland) is in itself pleasurable. The racing is exciting with competitive cards making for very lively betting markets, especially the early August meetings which feature a continuation of Summer festivities from the nearby Galway races. 

Course Characteristics

Sligo is a right-handed course of 1 mile in length with a steady incline from halfway to the finish line.  

How To Get There

By Road:
Sligo is located in the north west of Ireland. 212kms from Dublin, 142kms from Galway, 203 kms from Belfast and 134kms from Derry.

By Rail:
Dublin (Connolly Station) to Sligo. Taxi service from Sligo Station to the racecourse.

By Bus:
Local bus service with stops adjacent to enclosure.

By Air:
The closest airports are Strandhill airport (10km) and Knock international (56km) airport with daily flights from Dublin. Knock also has a service from Liverpool. There are helicopter landing facilities at the racecourse (to be arranged in advance). 

Admission

Special discounts are offered to groups of ten or more.
Coach tours welcome.
Free parking.

Refreshment Facilities

The track has a spacious bar, self service restaurant and snack bar.  

Corporate Facilities

The Cleveragh Room can cater for groups of 50 people and features its own viewing area, an exit onto the reserved balcony of the stand, betting facilities and close circuit television.  

Après Racing

There is much to do after or indeed before racing around Sligo. There are hundreds of archaeological sites to visit in the area and miles of idyllic sandy beaches to explore. For the younger, more energetic types those beaches also have some of the best surfing in the country. Sligo is, of course where the brothers William and Jack Butler Yeats spent much of their time and from where they derived much of their creative influences. William regarded it as the "Land of Heart's Desire". Their influence on the town's art world is immense: there is a W.B. Yeats society based in the town and much of Jack B. Yeats' work is displayed in the local Municipal Art Gallery. There are also ample opportunities for angling, golfing and pony trekking.