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festivals · Monday 10 August 2026 · 1:00pm 
Ballinrobe Summer Races 2026
At Ballinrobe Racecourse · Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
At Ballinrobe Racecourse · Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
Ballinrobe Racecourse has been hosting racing for more than 230 years, and the Monday evening meetings in August are among the best attended of the whole season. This is a proper country racecourse - right-handed, compact, and set against the backdrop of Lough Carra - and the August 10 fixture draws a crowd of up to 4,000 people from across Connacht. If you have never been to racing in the west of Ireland, this is a fine place to start: the pace is relaxed, the fields are competitive, and the long summer evenings mean you get racing and landscape in the same outing.
The card on August 10 is National Hunt, with six to seven races across the afternoon and evening. Gates open well before the first race at 1:00pm, giving you time to walk the parade ring, study the form, and find a good spot on the viewing banks. The track itself is a nine-furlong right-handed oval with a stiff climb on the back straight and a downhill finish that tends to suit front-running types - worth bearing in mind if you like a punt. The jumps circuit includes four hurdles and six fences, with the last fence just after the final turn.
The racecourse has seen recent upgrades to the parade ring and viewing facilities, and there is catering on site. Hospitality packages are available for groups wanting a more structured day. Admission is from EUR 10; booking online in advance is the sensible move as popular summer meetings sell well. The second August meeting at Ballinrobe falls on the 24th, so keen racegoers have two chances within the same month.
Ballinrobe sits roughly 25 km south of Castlebar in south Mayo. By car, the R334 and local roads are the standard approach from the north; from Galway, follow the N84 through Headford and on into Ballinrobe. Parking is available on-site at the racecourse. Public transport options to Ballinrobe are limited, so most people drive or arrange a lift. If you are travelling from Galway or Castlebar, taxis and private hire are worth organising in advance on race nights - local demand is brisk.
Race day brings the whole town to life, and local pubs and restaurants are busy well before and after the last race. Ballinrobe is also the gateway to Lough Mask and the quiet roads of south Mayo, worth exploring if you are making a day of it. There is more to see in Ballinrobe and across Co. Mayo.
Heading to Ballinrobe Racecourse in Ballinrobe? Mayo has plenty more to see. Read the Ballinrobe area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.