Belmullet Point-to-Point Racing

Point-to-point racing is as close to the roots of Irish jump racing as you can get. No grandstand crowds, no corporate boxes - just horses, amateur riders, a grass course on the edge of the Atlantic, and a day that moves at the pace of the land around it. This summer meeting at Belmullet Racecourse in North Mayo is the kind of afternoon that is hard to replicate anywhere else in Ireland: the racing is real, the atmosphere is unhurried, and the landscape alone is worth the drive.

What to expect

A typical point-to-point card runs to six or so races, all over fences and almost all over three miles. The riders are amateurs - licensed by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, but riding for the love of it - and many of the horses are on the early steps of a career that could eventually take them to Cheltenham or Leopardstown. That developmental quality gives the sport a particular edge: you are watching potential, not polish.

Racing gets under way at 1:00pm. Bookmakers set up trackside, so you can have a small flutter if you like. Food and refreshments are available on course, and the crowd tends to be a relaxed mix of local farming families, racing enthusiasts, and visitors drawn by the setting. Dress for the weather - North Mayo in August can be warm and sunny or breezy and overcast within the same afternoon. Bring a layer regardless.

Getting there

Belmullet sits on the Mullet Peninsula in the far north-west of County Mayo, about 90 km west of Ballina. By road, take the N59 or N26 to Ballina and then follow the R314 north-west across the Erris flatlands. The drive from Ballina takes roughly 50 minutes; from Westport it is around an hour and a quarter. Bus Eireann operates a service between Ballina and Belmullet several times a day (journey time just over an hour), though for a point-to-point with an early afternoon start, a car gives you much more flexibility. Parking is available at the racecourse.

While you’re in Belmullet

The town is the gateway to the Erris peninsula - wild coastline, the Belmullet Golf Links at Carne, and some of the quietest beaches in the country at Elly Bay and Cross. After the racing, the town’s pubs are a natural stopping point. There is more to see in Belmullet and across Co. Mayo.

Good to know

• Date: Monday 10 August 2026
• First race: 1:00pm
• Admission: from EUR 10
• Organiser: Point-to-Point Racecourse Authority - check pointtopoint.ie for the latest fixture confirmation and any updates to the card
• Parking: on-site at Belmullet Racecourse
• What to bring: warm layer, cash for the bookmakers and food stalls