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seasonal · Wednesday 5 August 2026 · Various 
Sligo County Races - Diageo Day Flat Racing Meeting
At Sligo Racecourse · Sligo Racecourse, Co. Sligo
At Sligo Racecourse · Sligo Racecourse, Co. Sligo
Sligo Racecourse’s August two-day festival opens on Wednesday 5 August 2026 with Diageo Day - an evening flat racing meeting that draws racegoers from across Connacht and beyond. Seven races are scheduled, with gates opening at 3:00 pm and the first race off at 4:50 pm, giving you plenty of time to settle in, study the form, and find a good spot on the grandstand. It suits racing regulars and first-timers equally; children under 14 get in free, which makes it a genuine family afternoon out rather than a purely punters’ affair.
Sligo is one of the most distinctive racecourses in Ireland. The track sits in a valley between Benbulben and Knocknarea, and from the grandstand you get the mountains on both sides - it is hard to pay attention to the actual racing. The course itself is no pushover: long, sharp turns, undulations throughout, and a steep uphill finish that catches many horses out and tends to produce genuine finishes rather than processions.
The August meeting is well-established on the racing calendar - records of racing in County Sligo go back to 1781, and the current Cleveragh track has been hosting fixtures since 1955. The facilities have had substantial investment in recent years: a new grandstand, a renovated bar and restaurant, and a two-storey hospitality building overlooking the parade ring. Diageo Day follows hot on the heels of the Galway Festival, so the crowd tends to have its racing legs warmed up by the time it arrives in Sligo.
There is no dress code for general admission, though fancy dress and branded clothing are not permitted in the hospitality areas. Betting on-course via the Tote is available alongside the usual bookmakers’ rails.
Sligo Racecourse is at Cleveragh, close to the town centre and easily reached by car from the N4 - roughly two and a half hours from Dublin, and around an hour from Galway. There is ample dedicated car parking at the racecourse. Bus Eireann services connect Sligo town with Dublin, Galway, and Derry; from Sligo Bus Station it is a short taxi ride or a walkable distance on a dry evening. If you are travelling from the west, the N17 from Galway and the N15 from Donegal both feed into the town without much difficulty.
A race evening still leaves time for a meal in town before the gates open, or a slow drive out to Rosses Point or Strandhill along the coast. W.B. Yeats is buried at Drumcliff, a few kilometres north, if you want to combine culture with the racing. There is more to see in Sligo and across Co. Sligo.
Heading to Sligo Racecourse in Sligo? Sligo has plenty more to see. Read the Sligo area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.