← All events
sport · Tuesday 25 August 2026 · Various 
Bellewstown Races - August Meeting 2026
At Bellewstown Racecourse · Bellewstown, Co. Meath
At Bellewstown Racecourse · Bellewstown, Co. Meath
Evening racing on a hillside above the Boyne Valley, with the Irish Sea glinting to the east and the Mournes on the northern horizon - the August meeting at Bellewstown is the kind of race day that reminds you how good a country racecourse can be. This is a two-day gathering, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 August 2026, and it draws a crowd that comes as much for the occasion as the racing. Families, casual punters, and serious race-goers all find their place here. Admission from €15 keeps it accessible.
Bellewstown has been staging races on Crockafotha hill since at least 1726, and the August fixture carries that same unhurried tradition. Racing starts around 5pm each evening and runs through until close to 9pm - an evening format that suits the long August light perfectly. The track is a sharp, left-handed oval of about nine furlongs with tight turns, undulations, and a testing uphill finish that catches out horses without a proper engine. Speed matters here, and races can be won and lost in the final climb.
The highlight contest at the August meeting is the Mullacurry Cup Handicap Hurdle, a €20,000 prize race over two and a half miles that regularly draws a competitive field. Alongside the racing there are Tote and bookmaker facilities, and hospitality packages are available that include a buffet meal and live music after the last race - a decent night out on its own terms. There is no formal dress code, though prizes are handed out for best-dressed racegoers if you want to make an effort.
Bellewstown sits between Drogheda and Navan, reached via the N2. Signposts run from Julianstown and Duleek and the route is well marked on race days. Parking on site is free. If you are coming by train, Drogheda station is roughly 11km away and a shuttle bus runs to the course on race days - worth checking with the racecourse for times and stops. The journey from Dublin takes under an hour by road.
The village itself is quiet, but the surrounding countryside - rolling Meath farmland with the Boyne Valley never far away - is well worth an unhurried drive before or after the races. There is more to see in Bellewstown and across Co. Meath.
Heading to Bellewstown Racecourse in Bellewstown? Meath has plenty more to see. Read the Bellewstown area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.