Earliest meeting: Monday 21st October 1754
Final meeting: Friday 3rd August 1973
The Irish racecourse at the town of Tuam, County Galway, was well-supported by a town with a population of just 4,000. The ‘Historical List of Horse Races and Matches of 1754’ showed that racing took place in Tuam as early as 1754. The four day meeting began on Monday 21st October 1754 with the Freeholders and Inhabitants Purse which saw Mr Thomas’s Prim defeat the more fancied Jenny Jessamy owned by Sir Edward O’Brien. The next day the race was confined to Irish Bred horses and fell to Sir Edward O’Brien’s Fribble. By 1775 the meeting had extended to a full week from Monday 21st to Saturday 26th October, with the best race taking place on Wednesday 23rd. Before the first heat Lord Clanwilliams’s Irish Hero was made 1/5 favourite, and this extended to 1/6 after victory in the heat. However, he was beaten into second in the next heat by Mr Josh Shadwell’s Schoolboy, who was then made 10/1 On in the final and duly obliged. In 1812 the Irish fixture list was so congested that significant organisation was needed to ensure it did not reach saturation point. The Irish Turf Club took up the challenge and assigned specific weeks to each venue. Tuam was allocated the first week in August, which was a good draw because they were able to attract holiday crowds. By the August 1815 meeting the races at the course were predominantly sweepstakes valued at between 25 and 50 guineas, stakes that were sufficient to encourage entries and provide entertainment for the local community. In 1905 the meetings were moved to Parkmore racecourse, about half a mile from Tuam on the Dublin road, and this proved to be a successful venue with racing continuing until the final card took place on Friday 3rd August 1973. When attendances started to decline the land was worth more as development land than could be earned as a racecourse. In 1978 the site was sold to Galway County Council, and over the years a housing estate was built. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Lord Clanwilliams, Lord Altamont, Lord Donegall, Lord Belmore, Colonel Day, Colonel A Daly, Sir Edward O'Brien |
| Principal Races |
Tuam Handicap, Tuam Freeholders and Inhabitants Plate, Tuam Ladies Handicap Plate, 4,5 & 6 year old Purses |
21st October 1754 |
Tuam £20 Purse for Freeholders and Inhabitants
1. Prim, grey horse owned by Mr Thomas
2. Jenny Jessamy, grey mare owned by Sir Edward O’Brien |
22nd October 1754 |
Tuam £30 Irish Bred Race
1. Fribble, bay horse owned by Sir Edward O’Brien
2. Bolton, chestnut horse owned by Mr John Brown
3. Valiant, bay gelding owned by Mr O’Connor |
23rd October 1754 |
Tuam 30 Guineas 4 year old Stakes
1. True Blue, grey gelding owned by Mr Mahon
2. Ferret, colt owned by Mr Cattle
3. Smoaker (sic), bay gelding owned by Mr John Brown
4. Hippolita, bay filly owned by Sir Edward O’Brien |
25th October 1754 |
Tuam 40 Guineas Handicap
1. Prim, grey horse owned by Mr Thomas
2. Frisking Nan, bay mare owned by Mr Daley
3. Dutchess, bay mare owned by Sir Edward O’Brien |
Monday 21st August 1775 |
Tuam 4 year old Purse over 2 miles
1. Patagonian, chestnut gelding owned by Mr P Blake
2. Taddy, bay gelding owned by Mr Burke
3. Slovern, bay colt owned by Lord Altamont |
Tuesday 22nd August 1775 |
Tuam 5 year old Purse over 3 miles
1. Trinket, brown mare owned by Mr J Kirwan
2. Orson, brown horse owned by Mr W Lambert
3. Grammar, bay gelding owned by Mr Burke |
Wednesday 23rd August 1775 |
Tuam 6 year old Purse over 4 miles
1. Schoolboy, bay gelding owned by Mr Jos. Shadwell 2 1 1
2. Irish Hero, bay horse owned by Lord Clanwilliams 1 2 2
Before the first Heat Irish Hero was 1/5, and having won the first Heat Irish Hero was 1/6 before the second Heat. However, once it was one all, before the final Heat Schoolboy was the 10 to 1 On Favourite. |
Friday 25th August 1775 |
Tuam Hunters Stakes over 2 miles
1. Hautboy, bay gelding owned by Mr J Brown
2. Unnamed aged bay gelding owned by Mr J Kirwan
3. Tyger, bay gelding owned by Lord Clanwilliams |
Saturday 26th August 1775 |
Tuam Weight for Age 4 mile Race
1. Schoolboy, bay gelding owned by Mr Jos. Shadwell
2. Trojan, bay gelding owned by Mr J Brown
3. Fryar, grey horse owned by Mr J Kirwan
At the start Fryar was as short as 1/15, but in running betting made Schoolboy the 4 to 1 On Favourite. |
Monday 26th to Friday 30th August 1805 |
Tuam £50 Maiden Plate over 2 miles
1. Chanter owned by Colonel Day
2. Curbs owned by Lord Donegall
3. Merryman owned by Mr Kirwan
4. Patty owned by Mr Battersby
Town of Tuam Plate over 3 miles
1. Traveller owned by Lord Belmore
2. Captain owned by Mr Hawkes
3. Partner owned by Colonel A Daly
Tuam Stewards Handicap over 2 miles
1. Tom Pipes owned by Mr Caldwell
2. Curbs owned by Lord Donegall
3. Unnamed filly owned by Colonel A Daly |
Tuesday 11th July 1899 |
Tuam Ladies Handicap Plate over a mile
1. Pleasure Seeker owned by Mr J R Nally
2. The Stutterer owned by Mr P I Lennon
3. Desert Flower owned by Mr J G Houghton |
| The final meeting took place on Friday 3rd August 1973. |
| Course today |
On Parkmore racecourse. |
| 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 |
