THE CURRAGH RACECOURSE - HOME OF THE CLASSIC'S
Curragh Racecourse, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
Phone: ++ 353 (0) 45 441 205 fax: ++ 353 (0) 45 441 442
e mail: info@curragh.ie
website:www.curragh.ie
The people of Kildare town are very lucky, the luckiest in Ireland. They are surrounded by some of the loveliest scenery in Ireland.
We have the Japanese gardens, the Pollard fens, the commons, the National stud, and the Curragh plains, Donnelly's hollow and to top it all we have the Curragh racecourse, the likes of which you will not find anywhere else.
To add to this we have the Cill Dara rugby football club, the Round Towers football club, Kildare town soccer club, and the C.Y.M.S. club and all the sports and games that go on in it, the sports that the schools take part in, the different sports that the individual groups and organisations take part in. No other town has the amount of organisations (voluntary) that we are blessed with. From the age of 4years to around 90 years there is something for everyone.
There are stories told that from the very first race that took place on the Curragh around the 1700's which was recorded by Cherney's racing calendar in 1727.
The word "Curragh" means place of the running horse. As early as the third century there was chariot racing on the Curragh. This is well documented. The Irish turf club was founded in the coffee rooms in Kildare and it was soon established as the governing body for horse racing throughout Ireland.
The first ever-Irish Derby took place in 1866 on the Curragh and since then most of the major races in the Irish racing calendar take place on the Curragh.
In 1865 a commission was set up by the house of parliament to examine the Curragh, and the resultant 1868 Curragh of Kildare act settled the right of common pasture, and preserved the use of the Curragh for the purpose of horse racing and training. The total area of the Curragh was defined as 4870 acres, and the management of the Curragh was vested in the office of a ranger. The 1870 Curragh of Kildare act dealt with grazing rights and specified that only sheep could be grazed on the Curragh.
Following the treaty of 1921 the lands passed from the British crown to the minister for finance, and later to the minister of defence and his department, under the Curragh of Kildare acts, now administers them.
The Curragh of Kildare act of 1961 repealed the 1868 act and parts of the 1870 act, and allowed for the enclosure of parts of the Curragh, and the attendant extinguishment of sheep grazing rights.
In 1964 the minister for Defence introduced a set of bye laws which were statuary instruments providing for further regulation in the use and management of the Curragh. Basically these were a practical list of "do's and don'ts" relating to the Curragh. The Curragh of Kildare act of 1969 extended the 1961 act and incorporated many of the 1964 byelaws, thereby putting them on the statute book.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE BLOODSTOCK INDUSTERY
The Curragh is at the heart of the Irish bloodstock industry, and due to an enlightened and supportive approach by the department of defence, the management of the turf club , and the expertise of our trainers, the Curragh training grounds have developed into a world-renowned training centre, and a major source of employment, using indigenous skills and talents.
In addition to the training stables mentioned earlier, numerous large stud farms, including the National stud, have developed on the fringes of the Curragh with the consequent spin off effect into the local economy. Approximately 26% of the horses trained in Ireland are trained on the Curragh, and it is not unreasonable to apply the same percentage to employment levels.
Horses trained on the Curragh have won major races world wide in countries as diverse as England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, America, Canada, and most notably in 1993, when the Dermot Weld trained Vintage Crop became the first horse trained anywhere in the northern hemisphere to travel to Australia and win their most prestigious race, the Melbourne Cup. These victories have brought great prestige to the Curragh, Kildare and indeed to Ireland.
Kildare County Council has recognised
the importance of the bloodstock industry in the county, and it is council
policy to protect the environmental qualities needed for its successful
operation. In its 1985 county development plan, the council states that
the high amenity value which investment in this industry requires will be
from the encroachment or spoliation by urban sprawl, ribbon development,
or other anti-amenity features, especially those generating noise, traffic,
hygiene, or dust problems.
Environmental issues.
We mentioned the fact that as horse racing in Ireland became more organised in the last eighteenth century, the Curragh evolved into the major training centre in the country due to its excellent natural facilities. these facilities continue to the present day, and with the evolution of modern machinery, have been improved. The principal advantages of the Curragh as a training centre are: -
Wide open spaces, unhindered by development,
with an assortment of locations offering a varied routine for horses.
Excellent drainage which means that the ground seldom gets too hard or too
soft.
Grass growth for approximately ten months of the year, giving the turf a
wonderful cushion, and excellent recuperative powers.
Long steady undulations and climbs which are excellent for building up strength
and stamina.
Ease of access to the gallops areas from the stables dotted around the Curragh.
A central location to most of our racecources as well as the major transport
arteries of the country.
The turf club recognises the importance of maintaining these qualities and
protecting this environment, which is so suitable to racehorse training.
It also recognises that horses are but one of a number of legitimate users
of the plain and that the areas used by the horses must be left in a fit
state for the other users.
