Dundalk Stadium

Welcome to our official guide to Dundalk Stadium and Racecourse.

We explore this lively all-weather racecourse in detail, looking at its history, a look at the main races, a guide to track, hotel picks, fixtures, travel information, betting guides and even the weather of this great Irish track.

If you are looking for the latest betting tips for Dundalk, check out our full guide to Dundalk Racecourse tips.

Find out more about Dundalk racecourse:

Dundalk Racecourse History

Dundalk Stadium is a racecourse of two halves, featuring both horse racing and greyhound racing, and is the only all-weather track in Ireland.

It is popular with trainers from all over Ireland as well as attracting runners from the UK.

The stadium prides itself on being ‘more than just a racing venue’ and offers a variety of hospitality options on site. Visitors to the stadium will be met with a wealth of bars as well as three different eateries including fast food, a carvery, and a beautiful restaurant.

The Dundalk stadium has a long history of over 120 years but has undergone many reworkings during that time.

In 2007, Dundalk stadium underwent a complete renovation and refurbishment which totally changed the feel and purpose of the site, after been originally opened four years previously, in 2003.

The stadium boasts a fully floodlit poly-track surface which is coated with a wax surface, making it modern and innovative.

The racecourse features stables that can house up to 130 horses and kennels for many greyhounds.

Many racecourses only operate full time throughout the spring and summer seasons and that is where Dundalk is special. The course really lights up during the winter months when visitors can attend a flat race at least once each week – nicknamed the Friday Night Club.

In 1999, the stadium was brought out and greyhound racing was introduced, this stadium is the only dual-purpose racecourse in the whole of Europe (the greyhound track is inside the horse racing course), making it somewhat unique and interesting.

Dundalk Races

Most of the racing at Dundalk Stadium happens on Friday evening from September to March, whilst not strictly the highest quality there are always big fields and competitive racing under the floodlights.

The main and most prestigious races at the Dundalk Stadium include Patton Stakes which is a 1 mile listed race for 3-year-olds held in March. October sees the Group 3 Diamond Stakes over 10 furlongs and the 5-furlong Group 3 Mercury Stakes.

Dundalk Racecourse Map

Below is a map of Dundalk racecourse:

Dundalk racecourse is a Polytrack all-weather course.

It is left-handed and round, with a circuit of a little over 10 furlongs.

The home straight is 2½ furlongs with a cutaway at the top of the home straight.

There is a 5f off-chute that joins the main course on the home bend. There tends to be a draw bias for low numbers over races up to 7 furlongs.

Dundalk Racecourse Address

The official address of Dundalk Racecourse is:

Racecourse Road
Dowdallshill
Dundalk
Co Louth
A91 FFP3
Ireland

How To Get To Dundalk Racecourse

The best ways to get to Dundalk are:

• By car – the racecourse can be accessed by using the M1 and N25 roads respectively if visitors are arriving by car. When driving, the racecourse can be reached from Dublin in just 45 minutes and from Belfast within an hour. There is a good amount of parking at the stadium and visitors have the option to safely leave their vehicle overnight should they so wish.
• By train – if travelling by train, the stadium is accessed via the Dundalk train station, usually by the Enterprise high-speed rail network.
• By air – for air passengers, Dublin airport is just a 40-minute drive from the stadium. There is a bus service which can be taken from the airport, which runs directly to the stadium, making arriving at the venue quickly and simple.

Dundalk Betting Sites

At British Racecourses, we often recommend betting online and via betting apps. This is because you can often get the best odds, great offers when signing up and you can place bets quickly and safely without having to queue.

If you are looking to bet online we recommend the following great deals with some amazing offers for new customers shown on this page.

These betting sites all made the list of the best horse racing betting sites, with particularly good current deals with bet365, Ladbrokes racing, William Hill, Skybet and Paddy Power.

Hotels Near Dundalk Racecourse

There aren’t many hotels in the vicinity but the closest is the Crown Plaza. Being a driving distance from both Dublin and Belfast most visitors to the course choose to stay in one of these locations where you are essentially spoilt for choice.

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Dundalk Races 2023

Here is the horse racing calendar for Dundalk Races in 2023:

Dundalk Races 2024

Here is the horse racing calendar for Dundalk Races in 2024:

Check out our guide for the full list of Ireland’s 2024 horse race meetings.

Dundalk Racecard and Dundalk Tips

The racecards for the Dundalk races are released the day before the races take place, find out where to view racecards here – tomorrow’s racecards and today’s racecards. You can also of course purchase a racecard from the track which carries much of the same useful information.

Dundalk Weather

Punters and race-goers love to keep up with the weather to predict going conditions, as well as making sure what they wear is suitable.

Here’s the current weather forecast for Dundalk:

DUNDALK WEATHER

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Summary of Dundalk Racecourse

Dundalk Stadium is a busy and lively track most famously known for its Friday racing, which goes on in almost any weather conditions throughout the Irish winter.

Races are not always strictly high-class but they are always good-sized fields and competitive, making fun and open betting events.

Even though this is the case, the track is frequented by nearly all of the Irish trainers who compete throughout the winter months.

The course itself is friendly with great customer service and the stadium offers a superb restaurant and viewing opportunities – so if the weather is bad you can enjoy great racing, food and drink inside.

For those looking for a bumper Friday evening, you can combine horse racing with greyhound racing as well!

We love Dundalk here at British Racecourses and highly recommend a visit.