Fairyhouse Racecourse

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Welcome to our guide to Fairyhouse Racecourse.

The magical sounding Fairyhouse Racecourse is one of the most important National Hunt tracks in the whole of Ireland and hosts some of the most prominent events in the country.

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

We look at the track, racecards, local recommended hotel picks, travel information, betting guides and even the weather.

Find out more about Fairyhouse Racecourse:

Fairyhouse racecourse

Overview of Fairyhouse Races

Fairyhouse Racecourse is situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath Ireland, just a short drive out of Dublin. Its main business is turf accountancy, and that’s of no surprise when you learn that this venue is home to the Irish Grand National Steeplechase; the biggest race in the Republic’s calendar.

Fairyhouse Racecourse is an extremely popular venue with both those in the racing industry and the general public, with events that usually sell out ahead of time.

A variety of concession tickets are on offer and all under-16s visit the course for free so it makes for a great day out for families.

There is no strict dress code at Fairyhouse Racecourse (although smart casual attire is encouraged in the hospitality suites) and so many find it accessible without being daunting.

Fairyhouse Racecourse is one of the most modern horseracing venues in Ireland and boasts a wide variety of hospitality and conferencing facilities.

Fairyhouse Racecourse History

The first documented race meet at Fairyhouse Racecourse was held in 1848, and 30 years later in 1870, the first Irish Grand National Steeplechase held.

Since then the event has developed and grown, with the likes of Arkle, Desert Orchid, Hurricane Fly, Don Cossack and Annie Power all gracing the track at Fairyhouse.

In the 00s, Fairyhouse Racecourse became a venue for music festivals and performances as well as horseracing, and this has seen its popularity soar across the country as a prominent events venue.

Fairyhouse Racecourse Map

There are two courses at Fairyhouse; the flat and the jumps track.

Fairyhouse Flat Track

Check out the flat course at Fairyhouse:

Fairyhouse Racecourse Map Flat

The track itself is a 1 mile and 6.5 furlong right-handed circuit with a 2.5 furlong straight and a slight uphill finish.

The course is wide, galloping, right-handed and square but not testing – and favours no particular type of horse, which is perhaps why betting is so popular here.

Fairyhouse Jumps Track

Below is a map of the Fairyhouse jumps track:

Fairyhouse Racecourse Jumps

There are 2 jumps courses at Fairyhouse Racecourse; one with 12 fences and one with 8 hurdles.

Main Races and Events at Fairyhouse

Fairyhouse Racecourse’s calendar highlight is undoubtedly the three-day Easter Festival, with the jewel in the Festival crown being the Irish Grand National Steeplechase. Run each year on Easter Monday and currently sponsored by Jameson’s Whiskey, The Grand National is run over a distance of 3 miles and 5 furlongs and is open to horses aged 5 years or over across 24 fences. It is a handicap race and is broadcast live across Irish television and around the world every year.

Fairyhouse Racecourse Address

The address of Fairyhouse Racecourse is:

Fairyhouse Racecourse
Ballybin
Ratoath
County Meath
A85 XK30
Ireland

How To Get To Fairyhouse Racecourse

The ways to get to Fairyhouse races are:

  • By road – Fairyhouse Racecourse is equidistant between the main M3 and N2 roads so easily accessible from Dublin, Dunboyne, Balrath, Dunshaughlin, Slane and Kells. It’s approximately a 35 min drive from Dublin, 3 hours from Cork, 2 hours from Limerick and just under 2 hours from Belfast. Parking is free on-site at Fairyhouse Racecourse and there are several car parks – although early arrival is advised on busy days if you’d like to park close to the venue.
  • By train – the nearest train station to Fairyhouse Racecourse is Heuston Station in Dublin, although this is a further half an hour away by car. Dublin Heuston Station is frequented by services from all over both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
  • By bus – buses to Fairyhouse Racecourse operate daily on the 105 Bus Eireann service and stop directly outside the venue, with timetables available online. During the Easter and Winter Festivals, a direct service is run from Dublin by Marathon Coaches.
  • By air – the nearest airport to Fairyhouse Racecourse is Dublin, which is served by international routes daily.

Hotels near Fairyhouse Racecourse

The area Fairyhouse Racecourse sits in, just outside Ratoath, is fairly rural and not a tourist destination so although there isn’t numerous overnight accommodation very close by, there are some a short drive away. The nearest choice is the Killeentierna House B&B, a country house family-run bed and breakfast that offers reasonably priced rooms all year round but is fairly small so does get booked up in advance.

Nearby Dunboyne boasts the Dunboyne Castle House Hotel and the Dunboyne Guesthouse, both with rooms available for around the £100 mark. The Ashbourne Court Hotel, Delphi Cottage Guesthouse, Aisling Guesthouse and Ashbourne Self Catering Cottages are all also only a short drive away.

The most hotel and accommodation options are undoubtedly half an hour down the road in Dublin, where you’ll find chain and boutique hotels, B&Bs, pub rooms, Airbnbs, guesthouses and hostels all available year-round to fit every budget and occasion.

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Betting Shops Local to Fairyhouse Racecourse

As home to the biggest race in the Irish racing calendar, it’s no surprise that betting is fairly central at Fairyhouse Racecourse and there’s a variety of facilities for it at the venue.

Betting shops, indie bookmakers and Tote facilities can all be found throughout Fairyhouse, and there is free Wi-Fi available to all visitors should they wish to have a flutter online using their devices or phones (betting on mobile phone).

The on-site betting facilities at Fairyhouse Racecourse are primarily supplied by BoyleSports betting.

In nearby Ratoath you’ll find branches of BoyleSports, Paddy Power horse racing and Bruce Betting.

In Ashbourne there are branches of BoyleSports, Paddy Power, The Track and TrackSports. All local betting shops show races from Fairyhouse Racecourse live where they can and the larger events from the Easter Festival (including, of course, the Irish Grand National) are broadcast throughout a plethora of pubs, restaurants and public areas throughout the country.

Best Fairyhouse Races Betting Sites

At British Racecourses we often recommend betting online and betting on apps when going to the races. This is because you can often get the best odds, great offers when signing up and you can place bets quickly and safely.

If you are looking to bet online we recommend the following great deals, some are even offering free bets. All of these made our list of the best online betting sites.

Fairyhouse Weather

Check out the Fairyhouse weather, this can help you predict the racing conditions and also what to wear at the horse races.

The weather for Fairyhouse is:

RATOATH WEATHER

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Other Events Held at Fairyhouse

Fairyhouse Racecourse hosts a variety of music and performance events throughout the year, but also opens every Sunday (when there are no race meetings) as a market selling locally produced goods from its local community. Products on offer include fresh fruit and veg, arts and crafts, saddlery and tools. It also hosts regular and well-attended car boot sales on weekends where no races are taking place.

Fairyhouse Races 2023

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

DateDayTrack
01/01/2023SundayFairyhouse
14/01/2023SaturdayFairyhouse
19/01/2023ThursdayFairyhouse
28/01/2023SaturdayFairyhouse
08/02/2023WednesdayFairyhouse
25/02/2023SaturdayFairyhouse
08/04/2023SaturdayFairyhouse
09/04/2023SundayFairyhouse
10/04/2023MondayFairyhouse
01/06/2023ThursdayFairyhouse
09/06/2023FridayFairyhouse
16/06/2023FridayFairyhouse
12/07/2023WednesdayFairyhouse
18/09/2023MondayFairyhouse
02/10/2023MondayFairyhouse
07/10/2023SaturdayFairyhouse
07/11/2023TuesdayFairyhouse
14/11/2023TuesdayFairyhouse
02/12/2023SaturdayFairyhouse
03/12/2023SundayFairyhouse
16/12/2023SaturdayFairyhouse

Fairyhouse Races 2024

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

DateWeekdayRacecourse
01/01/2024MondayFairyhouse
13/01/2024SaturdayFairyhouse
18/01/2024ThursdayFairyhouse
27/01/2024SaturdayFairyhouse
07/02/2024WednesdayFairyhouse
24/02/2024SaturdayFairyhouse
30/03/2024SaturdayFairyhouse
31/03/2024SundayFairyhouse
01/04/2024MondayFairyhouse
30/05/2024ThursdayFairyhouse
07/06/2024FridayFairyhouse
14/06/2024FridayFairyhouse
10/07/2024WednesdayFairyhouse
23/09/2024MondayFairyhouse
07/10/2024MondayFairyhouse
12/10/2024SaturdayFairyhouse
05/11/2024TuesdayFairyhouse
12/11/2024TuesdayFairyhouse
30/11/2024SaturdayFairyhouse
01/12/2024SundayFairyhouse
14/12/2024SaturdayFairyhouse

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

Fairyhouse Racecard and Fairyhouse Tips

The racecards for the Fairyhouse races are released the day before the races take places, find out where to view racecards here – tomorrow’s racecards and today’s racecards. In these you will get an advance look at all the runners and riders, some people like to do this and select their horses before getting to the track.

You can also of course purchase a racecard from the track which carries much of the same useful information.

Summary of Fairyhouse Races

One of the premier Irish racing tracks, Fairyhouse is one of the jewels in the crown.

A stunning track, close to Dublin, the course hosts high-quality jumps and flat racing throughout the year. Its biggest race is probably the Irish Grand National.

It is one of our favourite racecourses and is highly recommended.

Other Irish Racecourses

Check out our reviews of other Irish Racecourses today: