Tipperary Racecourse

Tipperary is a left-handed, flat turf oval of about one mile two furlongs (roughly nine furlongs round), with sharp, fairly tight bends. It is widely described as a speed track: front-runners and handy types are well suited and leaders are hard to peg back up the short home straight. A separate five-furlong sprint course, reckoned among the fastest in Ireland, joins the main track at the head of the straight. On the round course the draw matters little on firm ground, but when conditions soften high-drawn runners (stand side) are favoured. Over jumps it is a galloping, quick track. A new all-weather surface is being added alongside the turf.

The first recorded meeting in the area was on 27 March 1848 at the Barronstown course. Racing moved to the present site at Limerick Junction in September 1916, and the track was known as Limerick Junction Racecourse until it was renamed Tipperary in 1986. It is owned and operated by Horse Racing Ireland and stages both Flat and National Hunt racing. In December 2025 the course closed for a roughly €32M redevelopment to build an all-weather surface (Ireland's second after Dundalk, with the turf track retained); construction runs through 2026-27 with reopening targeted for around October 2027.

Tipperary is a minor, mainly summer dual-purpose track rather than a festival venue, but it does stage some pattern racing. Its highlight is the October "Super Sunday" mixed card, which features the Group 3 Concorde Stakes and the Grade 2 Tipperary Hurdle, supported by Grade 3 novice hurdle and novice chase contests. The Group 3 Fairy Bridge Stakes (Flat) is also run here. Outside these, the bulk of the fixtures are ordinary Flat and National Hunt cards; there is no famous festival meeting.

The course is at Limerick Junction, Co. Tipperary, roughly two miles (about 3km) from Tipperary Town. Its standout feature is rail access: it is adjacent to Limerick Junction railway station, with the entrance only a few minutes' walk away, making it one of the few Irish courses reachable directly by train. By road it sits between Limerick and Tipperary Town off the main routes, with on-site parking. It is a modest, rural country track with a relaxed local atmosphere rather than a major-venue feel. Note: closed during the all-weather redevelopment until around October 2027.