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festivals · Friday 7 August 2026 · 4:00pm 
Dingle Races
At Dingle Racecourse · Dingle Racecourse, Dingle, Co. Kerry
At Dingle Racecourse · Dingle Racecourse, Dingle, Co. Kerry
The Dingle Races - known in Irish as Ráiseanna Daingean Uí Chúis - is the largest horse and pony race meeting in Ireland, drawing competitors and racegoers from across the country and well beyond. Run over three days in early August, it sits squarely at the end of the Dingle summer calendar; locals will tell you that when the races are over, summer is done. For anyone who enjoys racing with real atmosphere - not the manicured corporate kind - this is a weekend worth planning a trip around.
More than twenty races take place across the three days, with a total prize fund of €40,000. The course at Ballintaggart, on the western edge of town, is famous for its Beenbawn turn - a demanding bend that separates good horses from great ones. Racing draws upwards of 160 horses from across Ireland, and the standard is serious; past runners here have included jockeys who went on to ride at the highest level, including Nina Carberry and Barry Geraghty.
Sunday is Ladies Day, with the Dawn Milk Dingle Derby as the centrepiece - the most coveted prize in Irish horse and pony racing over its two-mile distance.
The infield tells a different story. Bouncing castles, fairground stalls, and fortune-tellers fill the centre of the track, making this as much a fair as a race meeting. Families come for both, and neither crowd gets in the other’s way. Friday kicks off at 4:00pm; Saturday and Sunday racing begins at 2:30pm.
Dingle sits at the far end of the Dingle Peninsula in west Kerry, roughly 50km west of Tralee. By car, the N86 from Tralee is the main approach; the R559 coastal route via Ventry is slower but considerably more scenic. From Cork or Limerick, allow a good three hours.
Public transport to Dingle is limited - Bus Eireann runs a service from Tralee, but services are infrequent, and the racecourse is a short walk from the town centre. Most people drive. Parking at the races fills quickly; arriving early or walking from town accommodation is the easier option on busy days.
The races draw people who stay for several days, and the town earns it. The harbour, the food scene, Fungi’s legacy, and the music in the pubs make it one of the most complete short-break destinations in the country. There is more to see in Dingle and across Co. Kerry.
Heading to Dingle Racecourse in Dingle? Kerry has plenty more to see. Read the Dingle area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.