Spectator Sports

Greyhound Racing

The hounds race year-round every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the newly redeveloped Galway Greyhound Track, College Road, off Eyre Square (tel. 091/562273). Doors open 7pm and admission is €10 adults, €5 seniors and students, and €.50 children.

Horse Racing

This is one of the most famous racetracks in Europe -- the subject of fable and song -- and when (in July, Sept, and Oct) horses pound the track at the Galway Racecourse, Ballybrit (tel. 091/753870; www.galwayraces.com), less than 3km (2 miles) east of town, it's an event known simply as the Galway Races. It brings in horse lovers and high rollers from around the country, and is well worth catching. Admission is around €20 to €40 (€2 kids under 14), depending on the event and day of the week.

The Galway Races -- Galway horses are famous for their speed, small size, and beauty, so it's no surprise that the races here are the best in Ireland and among the best in Europe. There are records of organized horse racing in Galway as far back as the 13th century, and in 1764 there was a well-known 5-day race at Knockbarron near Loughrea. Almost a century later, the Galway Racecourse opened officially. To this day, races in Galway are extremely popular, and people come from around the country to experience the frivolity (music is usually performed around the racecourse), the pomp (women are known to get dressed to the nines), and the exhilaration of the race itself. Tickets aren't expensive and it's a truly Irish event well worth catching if you happen to be in town when the races are on. See www.galwayraces.com for more details.