Dundalk Stadium Guide

Welcome to our official guide to Dundalk Stadium and Racecourse. In this section 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!

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 the greyhound racing was introduced, this stadium is the only dual-purpose racecourse in the whole of Europe, 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 racing is covered on Racing TV as part of their Friday Night Club. The current fixture list looks like this:

• Fri, 25th September, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 2nd October, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 9th October, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 16th October, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 23rd October, 2020 (e)
• Wed, 28th October, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 30th October, 2020 (e)
• Wed, 4th November, 2020
• Fri, 6th November, 2020 (e)
• Mon, 9th November, 2020
• Wed, 11th November, 2020
• Fri, 13th November, 2020 (e)
• Mon, 16th November, 2020
• Wed, 18th November, 2020
• Fri, 20th November, 2020 (e)
• Mon, 23rd November, 2020
• Wed, 25th November, 2020
• Fri, 27th November, 2020 (e)
• Wed, 2nd December, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 4th December, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 11th December, 2020 (e)
• Wed, 16th December, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 18th December, 2020 (e)
• Fri, 8th January, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 15th January, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 22nd January, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 29th January, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 5th February, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 12th February, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 19th February, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 26th February, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 5th March, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 12th March, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 19th March, 2021 (e)
• Fri, 26th March, 2021 (e)
• Wed, 31st March, 2021 (e)
• Sat, 10th April, 2021
• Sun, 18th April, 2021
• Wed, 21st April, 2021 (e)

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 frulong Group 3 Mercury Stakes.

Dundalk Map

Dundalk racecourse is a polytrack all-weather course. It is a left-handed and round, with a circuit of a little over 10 furlongs. The home straight is 2½ furlongs with a cut away at the top of the home-straight. There is a 5f off-chute which joins the main course on the home bend. Their tends to be a draw bias for low numbers over races up to 7 furlong.

Address

The official address of Dundalk Racecourse is:

Racecourse Road
Dowdallshill
Dundalk
Co Louth
A91 FFP3
Ireland

How To Get There

The best ways to get to the course are below:

• 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 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:

Hotels near Dundalk Racecourse

There aren’t many hotels in the vicinity but the closest is the Crown Plaza but being 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. We always recommend checking out Booking.com below which often has great rates and availability: 

Booking.com

Dundalk Racecourse Fixtures

The current Chester race meeting dates for 2021 are:

• Mon, 12th July 2021
• Sun, 15th August 2021
• Fri, 17th September 2021
• Fri, 24th September 2021
• Fri, 1st October 2021
• Fri, 8th October 2021
• Fri, 15th October 2021
• Fri, 22nd October 2021
• Wed, 27th October 2021
• Fri, 29th October 2021
• Wed, 3rd November 2021
• Fri, 5th November 2021
• Wed, 10th November 2021
• Fri, 12th November 2021
• Wed, 17th November 2021
• Fri, 19th November 2021
• Wed, 24th November 2021
• Fri, 26th November 2021
• Wed, 1st December 2021
• Fri, 3rd December 2021
• Wed, 8th December 2021
• Fri, 10th December 2021
• Wed, 15th December 2021
• Fri, 17th December 2021

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

Summary

Dundalk Stadium is a busy and lively track most famously known for its Friday racing, which goes on through almost any weather conditions through 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 the horse racing with greyhound racing as well! We love Dundalk here at British Racecourses and highly recommend a visit.

Other Racecourses

Our team as of July 2021 have reviewed these racecourses in the UK and Ireland which are all worth a visit: