A Day Out at Kilbeggan Racecourse

Getting There

Kilbeggan Racecourse is at Loughnagore, about 1.6km from Kilbeggan town centre on the north side, with the Eircode N91 RK6P. From the town square, follow the signs for the racecourse. Most people arrive by car, as there is no rail station at the course.

By road

Kilbeggan sits right in the middle of Ireland, on the M6 Dublin to Galway motorway. Approximate journeys:

• Dublin: about an hour
• Mullingar: 13 miles (21km)
• Athlone: about 20 miles
• Tullamore: 8 miles

The central location is part of the appeal, as the course is within easy reach of a large chunk of the country for an evening meeting. There is parking on site.

By bus

Bus Éireann serves Kilbeggan town from Dublin's Busáras. From the town it is a short hop to the course, roughly 1.6km on the north side. Check the current Bus Éireann timetable before you travel, as evening services vary.

By rail

There is no train station at the course. If you are coming by public transport, the bus to Kilbeggan town is the route to plan around.

By air

The nearest airport is Dublin, just over an hour away by road.

The Course Map

Kilbeggan is compact, which makes it easy to find your way around on a first visit. The main facilities are grouped together near the finish, so you are never far from the parade ring, a bar or the winning line.

When you arrive, the parade ring, the Pavilion Bar, the grandstand and the enclosures all sit close to each other by the finishing straight. That means you can watch the horses saddle in the parade ring, walk a short distance to a viewing spot, and be back at the bar between races without much effort.

Up on the hill overlooking the course there is a tented bar with live music and a marquee. This is the spot that gives the evening its atmosphere, with a view down over the whole circuit.

The track itself is a sharp, right-handed, undulating oval of about nine furlongs, and the finish runs uphill for roughly the last 300 yards. Because the enclosures cluster around that finish, the run-in and the last fence or flight are the part of the course you will see best from the stands.

The course does not publish a detailed enclosure-by-enclosure map, so for exact layout on the day it is worth picking up a race card or checking the signage at the entrance.

Tickets and Enclosures

Kilbeggan keeps admission simple. General admission is around €15 on the day, dropping to about €10 when you buy online in advance, which reflects roughly a 10% online discount on adult general admission. Prices are indicative and can vary by fixture, so confirm the current figure with the course before you travel.

There is also a Summer Party Pack at about €23 per person, which includes admission, a food voucher, a drink voucher and a race card. For a first visit on one of the busier evenings, that can be a tidy way to cover the basics in one go. Again, treat the price as indicative and confirm with the course.

The course does not run the rigid, multiple-enclosure system you find at some larger tracks. Detailed enclosure-by-enclosure access and named hospitality package prices are not comprehensively published, so it is best to check directly with the course if you want a specific area or package.

Children are generally welcomed, particularly on the family fun days, where there is entertainment laid on for younger visitors.

For a fuller breakdown of ticket options alongside the racing detail, see the complete guide to Kilbeggan Racecourse.

Capacity and Venue Hire

Kilbeggan does not publish a single-day crowd capacity, so the best guide to its scale is the attendance trend. By the course's own account, meetings have grown from three a year to ten, and annual attendances have roughly doubled from about 20,000 in 1995 to around 50,000 across 2024. Those are yearly totals across all fixtures, not the crowd for one meeting.

Measure	Figure
Fixtures per year	About eight to ten (April/May to September)
Annual attendance, 1995	Around 20,000
Annual attendance, 2024	Around 50,000
Single-day crowd capacity	n/a (not published)
Named function-room capacities	n/a (not published)

On the facilities side, the course has the Pavilion Bar, a tented bar with live music on the hill, a marquee, restaurants, bars, a stewards' room and offices. The course does not publish detailed function or conference room capacities or a floor plan, so if you are looking to hire a space or book a group event, contact the course directly to confirm what is available and what it holds.

Accessibility

Kilbeggan does not publish detailed accessibility information, so this is one area where it pays to plan ahead by contacting the course directly.

The specifics that many visitors need to know are not confirmed in the course's published material. That includes accessible parking, step-free routes around the enclosures, accessible viewing positions, accessible toilets, and policies on assistance dogs and carer or companion tickets.

Rather than assume any of this, ring the course ahead of your visit on (057) 933 2176 to confirm what provision is in place and to flag anything you need on the day. The layout works in your favour to a point, as the parade ring, bars and enclosures are grouped together near the finish, but the ground is a rural, undulating course, so it is worth checking the practicalities before you set off.

Food, Drink and Facilities

The catering at Kilbeggan is honest, hearty food rather than fine dining, which suits the summer evening mood. Expect a range of hot and cold options, including cottage pie, bacon and cabbage, curry with chips and vegetables, soup, sandwiches and bread rolls.

For a drink, the two focal points are the Pavilion Bar near the main enclosure and the tented bar up on the hill, where there is live music overlooking the course. That tented bar is the heart of the evening on the busier nights.

On the big family days there is plenty laid on for younger visitors, including bouncy castles, face painting, children's games and entertainers.

The Summer Party Pack, at about €23 per person, bundles admission with a food voucher, a drink voucher and a race card, which can be a straightforward way to sort food and drink in advance. As with all prices here, treat that as indicative and confirm the current figure with the course.

The course does not publish named hospitality package prices in detail, so if you want a specific package or a reserved area, contact the course directly.

The Best Days to Visit

Kilbeggan's season is a run of mostly evening summer fixtures, so the question for a first visit is less about a grand festival and more about which evening suits you. Here are the standout dates from the 2026 calendar.

Date (2026)	Meeting	First race (approx)
Friday 24 April	Spring National Hunt Race Meeting	4:20pm
Friday 15 May	Early Summer Evening Racing	4:50pm
Sunday 31 May	Bank Holiday Racing and Best Dressed Guy's Day	2:00pm
Monday 15 June	Summer Monday Evening Racing	4:30pm
Friday 10 July	Kilmurray Group Midlands National	4:30pm (gates 3pm)

The Midlands National meeting (Friday 10 July 2026) is the one to build a first trip around. It is the course's showpiece, headed by the Midlands National, a Listed handicap chase over 3 miles 1 furlong worth €100,000, alongside the Writech Handicap Hurdle and a Galway Plate Trial. The day also has a Sustainable Style Ladies Competition with a prize worth €4,000 (including €3,000 cash), children's entertainment and live music. Gates open at 3pm with the first race at about 4:30pm.

For a family day, the Bank Holiday meeting on Sunday 31 May is an afternoon fixture rather than an evening one, first race around 2pm, and it doubles as Best Dressed Guy's Day, which adds a bit of an occasion.

For a relaxed introduction, any of the summer evening cards, such as the Early Summer meeting in May or the Summer Monday in June, gives you the easy, sociable feel of the place without the crowds of the big day.

For the full fixture list and the racing detail behind each meeting, see the complete guide to Kilbeggan Racecourse. Fixture dates and times can change, so confirm with the course before you book.

What to Wear

There is no strict dress code at Kilbeggan, so you can keep it comfortable. This is a rural summer evening course, and most people dress for a pleasant night out rather than a formal occasion.

That said, plenty of racegoers do make an effort, especially on the feature days. The course runs a Best Dressed Guy's Day in late May and a Sustainable Style Ladies Competition on Midlands National day in July, so on those fixtures you will see more people dressed smartly.

A few practical points for the evening. The action is on an open, undulating course, so the weather can turn cooler as the light goes, and a jacket or an extra layer is sensible for the later races. The ground is grass, so flat or sturdy shoes are more comfortable than heels for walking between the enclosures and the hill.

How to Watch from Home

If you cannot get to Kilbeggan, or you want to follow a runner after your visit, the course's racing is broadcast live on Racing TV under its media-rights arrangement.

Racing TV is a subscription channel, so you will need a subscription or a day pass to watch, whether through a TV package or the Racing TV app. Coverage details and any streaming options can change, so check what is available closer to the meeting you want to watch.

First-Visit Tips

A few pointers to make the most of a first evening at Kilbeggan.

Buy online in advance. General admission is around €15 on the day but about €10 online, so booking ahead saves you a little and speeds up your entry.

Plan the drive. There is no train to the course and parking is on site, so most people come by car. Kilbeggan is signposted from the town square, about 1.6km out on the north side.

Time your arrival on the big day. On Midlands National day the gates open at 3pm with the first race at about 4:30pm, so you have time to park, get a drink and find a spot before the action.

Head for the hill. The tented bar with live music up on the hill is where a lot of the atmosphere is, and it gives you a view down over the whole course.

Bring a layer. It is an open, summer evening course, so it can cool down for the later races.

A word on betting

Kilbeggan is a sharp, turning track that tends to suit handy, speedy front-runners over long-striding gallopers and pure stayers. That is a form angle worth knowing, not a licence to print money. Backing favourites loses money to starting price over time and no system wins long term, so treat any bet as part of the entertainment and only stake what you are happy to lose.

For the form and betting detail behind the track, see the complete guide to Kilbeggan Racecourse.

Where to Stay and Nearby

Kilbeggan makes a good centre for a night away, with options in the town itself and in the larger towns close by.

For accommodation, there are bed and breakfasts in Kilbeggan town, and hotels a short drive away in the surrounding towns. Named options include the Tullamore Court Hotel in Tullamore, about 8 miles away, and the Annebrook House Hotel in Mullingar, 13 miles (21km) away. Athlone, about 20 miles off, is another base with a choice of places to stay. For the Midlands National meeting and the busier evenings it is worth booking ahead.

If you are making a day or a weekend of it, there are a couple of nearby draws. Kilbeggan Distillery is in the town itself, and Belvedere House and Gardens sits near Mullingar, a short drive from the course.