Records of organised race meetings in County Galway go back to the mid-13th century when what were known as ‘horse matches’ were run under the King’s Plate Articles. In 1764, there was a five-day race meeting at Knockbarron near Loughrea. The first race day at Ballybrit was on August 17th, 1869 when contemporary records show that some 40,000 people turned up to watch the sport. The racecourse, measuring one and a half miles, was laid out by a civil engineer, a Mr. T. Waters and was described as “Covered with herbage or moss and excelling any course in Ireland for good going”.
A reporter in The Galway Vindicator wrote “The Galway Races promise to advance in the future, equal, if not superior to any other provincial races in the country”. How right he was!
From the beginning, both the town and the course were swamped with crowds. The Midland and Great Western Railway transported horses to and from Galway provided they were going to take part in one of the races, and the trains were packed full of punters too! Corrib navigation would ferry steamers full of people from Cong. There were long queues of horse-drawn carriages, coaches, traps, side-cars, donkeys and carts on all the roads leading to Ballybrit
From the outset, the committee began to make improvements and develop the course. In 1874, a telegraph office was installed near the stand so journalists could send out their stories directly from the course. Three years later, the Galway Hurdle was run for the first time. In 1898, they replaced the old wooden stand with a new one, and in 1904, two motor cars appeared at the races for the first time. The first concrete stand was built in 1925, then came ‘the longest bar in the world’, 210 feet long, which was operated by the Walsh family from the Old Malt.
There was a nice tradition in Ballybrit on the Sunday before the races when the people who lived locally would wander in and walk around, exploring the facilities, going up to the stand etc. Many of those could not afford the price of the stand on Race days but were made welcome by the staff on that day
The Races were a two day affair, not many people slept for 48 hours and all the shops closed at midday to allow their staff attend at the track. The centre of Galway was like a ghost town on those afternoons. Radio Éireann broadcast from Ballybrit for the first time in 1929 and since 1963, the races have been televised. In 1959, it became a three-day event, this was increased to four in 1971, to five in 1974 and to seven in 1999. Their first September meeting was held in 1969 and now, there is also racing in October.
During the war, petrol was rationed, so it was back to the old days of horses and carts and bicycles. There were no petrol fumes, but there was always a carnival atmosphere which played a very important part in making the name of the Galway Races. Indeed, there was usually a carnival and Toft’s amusements in Eyre Square, and the city always seemed to have been invaded by buskers.
In 1962, the Gardaí travelled on foot and in squad cars to invade pub after pub in the city. Notes were taken. People scurried out back doors, up ladders, hid in bedrooms. On the Wednesday night, not a drink was served after 11.30pm. These spoilsport tactics by the Gardaí were the talk of the Races in 1962. It is fair to say that “the best and happiest meeting in the Irish Racing calendar” did not suffer any permanent damage as a result. It has always been as much a festival as a race meeting and it has never lost any of its magic or appeal.
“There was half a million people there of all denominations The Catholic, the Protestant, the Jew, the Presbyterian There was yet no animosity, no matter what persuasion But sportsman’s hospitality inducin’ fresh acquaintance”.
Our first photograph shows a row of punters standing precariously on a row of concrete pillars c1940 in order to get a better view of the action on the track. Our second image was taken in 1946 and shows the newly built tea rooms, restaurant, water-tower and weighing rooms, all of which were part of the then latest development at the racecourse.
Go mba fada buain sibh!
