A Day Out at Thurles Racecourse

Getting there: road, rail and bus

Thurles sits in central Ireland, about a mile west of Thurles town and roughly five miles west of the N8/M8, the main Dublin to Cork corridor. For most visitors the choice is driving to the free car park at the track or taking the train and picking up the raceday shuttle.

By road

Coming off the N8/M8 it is a short run in to the course, and there is ample free parking at the racetrack itself, close to the entrance, so there is no need to hunt for a space in town. Every fixture falls between October and March, so allow extra time in poor winter weather.

By rail

Thurles railway station is on the Dublin to Cork line, about a mile from the course. On racedays a free minibus shuttle collects racegoers at the station and runs them to the track, or you can walk the mile if you prefer. The shuttle is a raceday service, so check the current arrangement with the course before you rely on it, particularly given the recent change of operator.

By bus and by air

Coach travel to Thurles is served by Bernard Kavanagh and Sons, whose services reach the town from a range of destinations; from the town, use the raceday shuttle or a short taxi ride. The nearest major airport is Shannon, from where you would arrange onward transport.

Parking

Parking at the track is free and plentiful, close to the entrance, which makes driving the simplest option for a group or a family. Wear sensible footwear for the walk from the car park in wet winter conditions, and give yourself time to get parked and in before the first race.

The course map and layout

Thurles is a compact, largely single-level site laid out around a right-handed turf oval of about one and a quarter miles. There is a single enclosure with on-course bars and a members' clubroom, free parking sits close to the entrance, and once through the turnstiles the whole public side is yours, so wayfinding is easy.

The track itself is worth understanding when you choose where to stand. The circuit climbs the back straight over three fences, including an open ditch, before a fairly steep descent to a sharp home turn, a downhill plain fence that can catch horses out, and two final fences into the rising ground. The winning post sits at the top of a steep uphill finish, reached by a short run-in of about one and a quarter furlongs. For the drama of horses labouring up the climb, stand near the post; to see the jumping up close, the fences down the back and into the home turn are where races are often won and lost.

The character of the track matters too. Thurles is sharp and undulating, and its free-draining turf rarely turns bottomless, which is why it can race in the depths of winter when other courses are lost. On a busy card you may notice jockeys pulling wide later in the afternoon, because the ground is a touch more resilient on the outside once the inside has been churned. The sharp home turn and short run-in mean finishes come quickly, so watch the horses well positioned coming to the last.

The course does not publish a detailed public site map, so exact positions of the parade ring and winners' enclosure are not set out here; it is a small, single-level venue and staff will point you the right way.

Tickets and the single enclosure

Thurles keeps admission simple. It operates a single-enclosure model, so there are no tiers of stands to choose between and no separate premium enclosures with their own price and dress rules. You buy one ticket at the turnstiles on the day, and the whole public side of the course is open to you. There are no pre-bookable set hospitality packages; you turn up, pay at the gate, and you are in.

Indicative prices

Exact 2026 admission prices were not confirmed from official course material, and pricing could change now Horse Racing Ireland runs the course, so treat the following as indicative and confirm with the course before you travel:

• Adults, indicatively around 15 euro
• OAPs and students, indicatively around 7 to 8 euro
• Children admitted free with an adult (sources vary between under-14 and under-18, so check the current cut-off)

These figures come from secondary sources rather than an official price list, so a quick check by phone or on the website before you set off is the reliable way to know what you will pay.

Membership

Membership has been offered at around 120 euro for adults and 100 euro for OAPs, covering all the season's fixtures with a free racecard and use of the members' clubroom. For anyone planning several winter visits that can work out well against paying at the gate each time. Again, treat these as indicative figures and confirm the current offer.

What the enclosure gives you

Inside the single enclosure you have on-course bars, standard raceday catering and, for members, the clubroom. The viewing is straightforward: a compact course where you can move around freely, find a spot at the rail, and get close to the fences and the finish without a long walk. That setup makes Thurles a good first racecourse; one ticket covers the lot.

Capacity and venue hire

Thurles has never been a big-capacity, conference-and-events operation. It has traditionally run as a no-frills, largely single-enclosure venue with modest facilities, so there is no published comfortable-capacity figure and no verified single-day attendance record. The one figure on the record is an annual total: the Horse Racing Ireland Factbook (as cited by Wikipedia) records a 2023 attendance of 17,273 across all the year's fixtures, not a crowd for any one raceday.

Measure	Figure	Notes
Annual attendance (2023)	17,273	Total across all fixtures that year; not a single-day figure
Single-day attendance record	n/a	Not published
Comfortable capacity	n/a	Not published
Named function rooms and capacities	n/a	Not published; the members' clubroom is the main indoor space

On venue hire, Thurles is not marketed as an events business in the way some larger racecourses are, and named function-room capacities are not published. Thurles is a working winter jumps course rather than a corporate venue, so if you are thinking about space for a group or an event, contact the course and ask what is possible: 0504 22253 (087 7558882 on a raceday) or info@thurlesraces.ie.

Accessibility at Thurles

Thurles's published accessibility detail is limited, so this section sets out what is known and is clear about what is not.

What works in your favour is the site itself. Thurles is a largely single-level, compact course, free parking sits close to the entrance, and staff assist on request, so the flat, contained layout is broadly navigable. What is not published is the specific provision that matters most to disabled racegoers:

• Designated blue-badge or accessible parking bays
• Accessible viewing areas within the enclosure
• The number and location of accessible toilets
• The assistance-dog policy
• Whether a free or discounted carer or companion ticket is offered

None of that means the provision is absent; it means the published material does not set it out. The reliable way to plan is to ring the course ahead of your visit on 0504 22253 (087 7558882 on a raceday) or email info@thurlesraces.ie and confirm exactly what you need. That call is doubly worth making at the moment, given Horse Racing Ireland only took over running the course in August 2025.

Food, bars and facilities

Food and drink at Thurles follow the same no-frills spirit as the rest of the course: a warm bar and a hot bite on a cold winter's day rather than fine dining.

On-course catering and bars

Inside the single enclosure you have standard on-course catering and bars, built for a winter jumps crowd. The facilities are functional rather than lavish, in keeping with the track's reputation, and the course is well maintained. There are no pre-bookable set hospitality packages; catering and bars are simply available on the day. Members have the use of a clubroom on racedays, a more comfortable indoor base that comes with the seasonal membership covered in tickets and the single enclosure.

The course does not publish menu prices, so none are quoted here. Expect standard racecourse pricing for food and drink, and bring both cash and a card.

The Horse & Jockey Hotel and eating nearby

The nearby Horse & Jockey Hotel, about five minutes away on the N8, is a well-known local hospitality base and lends its name to the feature chase, run as the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase. It is the obvious option for a meal or a stay either side of the racing if you want something more substantial than the on-course catering. The Anner Hotel in Thurles is another well-known local choice, with more options in Thurles town and nearby Cashel. Because a Thurles fixture is a winter afternoon rather than an all-day festival, many visitors pair the card with a meal in town or at the Horse & Jockey before heading home.

The best days to go

Thurles does not run a multi-day festival. Its calendar is a series of winter fixtures, about 11 in all between October and March, mostly on Thursdays with some weekend cards. The standout cards, with the 2026 dates from the most recent running:

Card	2026 date	Feature race	Why go
Kinloch Brae card	Sunday 18 January	Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase and Grade 2 Anaglog's Daughter Mares Novice Chase	The showpiece: two Grade 2s and a noted Gold Cup and Ryanair trial
Michael Purcell card	19 February	Grade 3 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle	A strong novice-hurdle card and a Cheltenham pointer
Pierce Molony card	5 March	Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase	Late-winter graded chasing as the season peaks
November and December Listed cards	Late autumn and pre-Christmas	Listed contests, including the Boreen Belle Mares Novice Hurdle	Good winter racing with smaller crowds

The showpiece: the mid-January Sunday

The one day to circle is the mid-January Sunday card. In 2026 it fell on Sunday 18 January, with the Kinloch Brae Chase off at about 15:20. Its status as a Cheltenham and Dublin Racing Festival trial means the big yards send serious horses: Willie Mullins and Paul Townend have exceptional records here, past Kinloch Brae winners Don Cossack and Sizing John went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Allaho won the race three times before his Ryanair Chase wins.

The other winter cards

If the January Sunday does not suit, the February card headlined by the Michael Purcell and the March card with the Pierce Molony both offer proper graded racing and act as Cheltenham pointers, with smaller crowds. Earlier in the winter, Listed contests headline the November and December fixtures: the Boreen Belle Mares Novice Hurdle runs on the final weekend before Christmas, with Honeysuckle, later a dual Champion Hurdle winner, heading its roll of honour. The John Meagher Memorial Chase is staged in November, and there are Flat races in late October. For an unhurried, low-key day, an ordinary Thursday fixture gives you thinner crowds and a relaxed atmosphere. Dates can move, so check the current fixture list before you commit.

Dress code and what to wear

There is no formal dress code at Thurles, and no premium enclosure with its own rules to dress up for. Wear what you like; the sensible advice is to dress for the weather.

That weather is the thing to plan around. Thurles races only in winter, from October to March, so warm and waterproof clothing is advisable for every fixture. A proper coat, a hat and gloves on a raw January afternoon will do far more for your day than anything smart, and layers let you adjust as the afternoon goes on.

Footwear matters too. A wet winter meeting at a rural turf course can leave the ground underfoot soft and muddy, so sturdy waterproof shoes or boots beat anything you would mind getting dirty. Leave the heels at home. The tone of the place is unfussy and practical; put warmth and waterproofing first and you will fit right in.

Watching from home

The day-to-day home of Thurles racing is Racing TV. Thurles sits within the Racecourse Media Group arrangement covering the Irish racecourses, so its fixtures are broadcast on Racing TV, whether that is a routine Thursday card or the graded winter contests.

There has been one notable exception. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Thurles was screened on Britain's free-to-air ITV when British racing was postponed. That was a one-off, so do not expect Thurles fixtures on free-to-air television as a matter of course.

For catching up afterwards, replays and results are available through Racing TV, the Racing Post, Sporting Life and At The Races on Sky Sports Racing, which also carry the form if you want to look back over a card.

Tips for a first visit

A first day at Thurles is easy to get right because the course does not overcomplicate things.

Dress for winter and pick your footwear well. Every fixture is in the cold months, so warm, waterproof layers and sturdy shoes for soft ground will do more for your day than anything smart.

Decide how you are getting there before you go. Driving means free parking at the track, close to the entrance. Otherwise the train to Thurles station puts you about a mile away, with a free raceday shuttle to the course; confirm the shuttle is running for your fixture.

Bring cash as well as a card. Tickets are bought at the turnstiles on the day, and for the bars, catering and a bet it is worth having some cash alongside a card.

Build your trip around the right card. For the biggest day, aim for the mid-January Sunday with the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase; for a quieter afternoon, an ordinary Thursday fixture. See the best days to go.

Get there in good time. Allow time to park, get through the turnstiles and find your feet before the first race, particularly on the busier graded days.

Use the Horse & Jockey Hotel if you want more comfort. The on-course catering does the basics; the Horse & Jockey, about five minutes away on the N8, is the well-known base for a meal or a stay either side of the racing.

A word on betting. Anything you read here is descriptive, not advice. A bet is part of the entertainment of a day out, not a way to make money: over time the bookmakers' margin wins and backing favourites does not show a profit. Set a budget you are happy to lose and stop when you reach it. If betting stops being fun, help is available through GamCare and the National Gambling Helpline.