Earliest meeting: Monday 14th April 1834
Final meeting: Saturday 17th May 1902
The county Cork town of Mitchelstown, on the River Gradoge, is located in the valley south of the Galtee mountains and is named after the St Michel family who founded the settlement in the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded race meetings in the town was held on Monday 14th April 1834 when the opening race went to Mr Moore’s Sampson, the Sweepstake to Mr O’Brien’s Agitator and the concluding race to Mr Haye’s Little Moll. In 1853 a two day meeting was staged on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th March 1853 when the early Sweepstake was won by Mr Johnson’s Cock Robin, defeating Caffre and Giorvina, while the main race on the next day, the Handicap Stakes over 1 ½ miles, went to Mr Ash’s Rocket. Entries for the races were made at the local hotel from where an Ordinary was served each day after the races had ended, presided over by the stewards. The period between 1879 and 1887 was a turbulent one for the town because rent strikes were organised by William O’Brien, the local MP, against unscrupulous landlords on the Mitchelstown Estate. The protests culminated in a gathering in New Square on 9th September 1887 which was brought to a dramatic, tragic conclusion when the police interrupted the peaceful demonstration and opened fire, killing two people on a day labelled as the Mitchelstown Massacre. Racing continued into the early part of the 20th century, with a final meeting on Saturday 17th May 1902 at which the Galtee Hunt Plate finished in a dead heat between The Gunner and King Philip, although the latter was disqualified due a reason accepted by his rider Mr P Hayes. |
| This racecourse is covered in Volume 4 of Racecourses Here Today and Gone Tomorrow. Ordering details shown below. |
| Local Patrons |
Marquis of Waterford, Captain Johnson, Lieutenant Bidgood |
| Principal Races |
Mitchelstown Free Handicap, Mitchelstown Sweepstake |
Although Mitchelstown went through some turbulent times between the races in the 1850s and the 1890s, race meetings were finally re-established in March 1892 on an excellent course situated a mile and a half from the town centre at the base of the mountains which provided a superb natural viewing point. There were dark clouds in the early morning, with a constant threat of snow, although in the event there was just a light dusting. However, the surrounding mountains were still covered by a large quantity of snow as the races progressed. The Stewards for the meeting were W Downes Webber, W J O'Brien, T W Aberne, T L Carroll, Mr G Reali, J Phelan, D J O'Leary and Mr W W O'Dwyer, while Mr R M Waters acted as Clerk of the Course, Handicapper, Starter and Stakeholder.
Thursday 3rd March 1852
Stewards 25 Sovereigns Plate over 2 miles
1. ST MARIE (2/1), 6-y-o brown mare owned by Mr N A Hartigan and ridden by James Scully
2. VICTORINE (10/1) 6-y-o bay mare owned by Colonel Brook and ridden by P Barry
3. HOMELESS (5/1) 5-y-o bay mare owned by Mr O'Connell and ridden by T Hayes
4. COUNTESS SARAH (evens fav) 4-y-o bay mare owned by Mr J Phelan and ridden by J Phelan
5. GREEN LEAF (10/1) owned by Mr John Linehan and ridden by T Regan
Farmers 22 sovereigns Plate over 3 miles for horses owned by farmers and tradesmen of Munster
1. LITTLE PRINCE (6/4) owned by Mr Ryan and ridden by M Harty
2. DUCHESS OF FIFE (Evens fav) owned and ridden by J Phelan
3. BUCKS (10/1) owned by Mr A W O'Grady and ridden by T Hayes
4. SURVEYOR (10/1) owned by Mr Thomas Price and ridden by T Harty
5. MAID OF COVE (10/1) owned and ridden by Richard Scanlon |
A second 2-day meeting, with the Marquis of Waterford acting as Chief Steward, followed a week later on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th March 1852 when the card on the first day consisted of a 50 sovereigns free Handicap over 3 miles and a 25 sovereigns sweepstake over a mile and a half. On the second day the card opened with a 30 sovereigns Sweepstake over a mile and a half, followed by a 10 sovereigns Farmers Sweepstake over a mile and a half, and concluded with a 5 sovereigns Sweepstake over a mile and a half. |
The next year the 2-day meeting was staged on the same course on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th March 1853 with a similar structure of races to the 1852 programme, the Marquis of Waterford once again acting as Chief Steward, with details shown below. After this meeting there are no further reports in the newspapers of further meetings being staged until the closing years of the century. |
Wednesday 30th March 1853
Mitchelstown Handicap Stakes over 1 ½ miles
1. Rocket, bay gelding owned by Mr Ash
2. Oakstick, bay gelding owned by Mr Johnson
3. Frolic, 5 year old owned by Mr Callaghan |
In February 1891 a committee was appointed to re-establish races in the town under the direction of Mr Brindley of Dublin. The proposed new course was an all-grass racecourse less than 2 miles east of the town centre in the Kildrum area of the town. Mr Edward O'Brien of the Bank of Ireland, Mr D McCann of the National Bank, and Mr James Phelan were the driving force behind the new meeting. In addition to the meeting in early March, a further meeting was held in the vicinity of Mitchelstown on 6th April 1892 over a natural steeplechase course at Funcheon Vale. |
The final meeting under rules took place on Saturday 17th May 1902 when the principal race was the 40 sovereigns Brigtown Handicap Steeplechase Plate over 3 miles.
Saturday 17th May 1902
Mitchelstown 30 sovereigns Town Plate over 2 miles
1. GOLDEN KNOT (1/4 fav) owned by Mr Talbot and ridden by T Moran
2. BOB THE DEVIL (3/10 owned by Mr Ogeran and ridden by Buck
Mitchelstown 25 sovereigns Committee Plate Handicap Hurdle over a mile and a half
1. GREEN WITCH (1/2 fav) owned by Mrs Boyle and ridden by T Moran
2. TROUVERE (6/4) owned by Mr Buckley and ridden by M Walsh
Broomhill 25 sovereigns Steeplechase Plate over 2 miles
1. THE CONLIN (1/2 fav) owned by Mr Kirkby and ridden by L Kelly
2. GERALDINE II (6/4) owned and ridden by Mr Ryan
Brigown 40 sovereigns Handicap Steeplechase over 3 miles
1. FRIENDSHIP (3/1) owned by Mr W Kent and ridden by Regan
2. CHIONIA owned by Mr Harvey and ridden by R Morgan
3. HILL STAR owned by Mr Maloney and ridden by P Walsh |
| The final meeting under rules took place on Saturday 17th May 1902, but point-to-point racing did continue well into the 1902s. |
| Course today |
Across ground on the Mitchelstown Estate, initially on ground a mile and a half from the town centre, and later in the Kildrum area of the town. |
| 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 |
