The Dingle Races are flapper races – informal meetings run outside the rules of official Irish racing – and that is the appeal, not a drawback. Over three days each August, more than 160 horses and ponies run twenty races on the field at Ballintaggart, some of them ridden by jockeys barely ten years old, for a total prize fund of €40,000 (individual purses run up to €6,000). The local saying is that the summer is gone once the races are over.
When it’s on
In 2026 the meeting runs on Friday 7, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 August. The first race is at 4pm on the Friday; Saturday and Sunday both start at 2.30pm. If you only come for one day, make it Sunday: it’s Ladies Day, and it carries the most competitive racing of the weekend.
| Day | First race | What’s on |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 7 Aug | 4pm | Opening evening, first race |
| Saturday 8 Aug | 2.30pm | Full card through the afternoon |
| Sunday 9 Aug | 2.30pm | Ladies Day and the closing races |
At the racecourse
There are no grandstands. The track is open, so you watch from the rail with the hills and a slice of Atlantic behind the horses, and you can get close to the action in a way the bigger courses don’t allow. General admission to the grounds is free; the dedicated race-viewing areas and hospitality are ticketed separately, on-site or in advance through the official site.
The centre of the course is given over to a fairground – bouncy castles, fortune-tellers, and stalls selling everything from bouncing balls to saddler’s sponges. It keeps children busy for the afternoon while the racing runs, and makes the whole thing as much a family day out as a betting one.
Getting there and parking
The racecourse is about 2 km out of Dingle on the N86 Tralee road, signposted from town. On-site parking is free, with stewards directing cars, but it fills up – especially on Sunday – so come early. The easier option on a busy day is to leave the car in Dingle and take the shuttle bus that runs out to the racecourse and back. (Earlier write-ups suggesting a 45-minute walk along the road miss the shuttle, which is the sensible way to do it.)
Contact: 087 285 6084, info@dingleraces.ie, or ‘Dingle Races’ on Facebook for the year’s details.
Nearby
The racecourse sits on the Dingle Peninsula, so the rest of a day is easy to fill:
- Ballintaggart Ogham Stones – early inscribed stones a short distance from the course.
- Caherconree – a promontory hillfort high on the peninsula’s spine, with long views on a clear day.
- Brandon Bay – a long sweep of strand on the north side of the peninsula, popular with walkers and windsports.
For the day itself, travel light and bring cash for the bookmakers and the stalls, and check the Facebook page before you set off – times and any weather calls go up there first.