Listowel Races are fast approaching over the horizon, 7 days where the North Kerry town is brought to a standstill for the world famous festival. Can local trainer Eoin Mc Carthy pick up from last year when he won several races and kept the local punters happy as well as his owners.
Listowel is a sight to behold over the 7 days and brings everyone together and all business owners are all singing from the same hymn sheet which makes things work well. You get people coming to Listowel from all walks of life.
Many people return year on year and stay in the same place, do the same thing, eat the same food and that familiarity is what makes the Harvest Festival so special.
The Race Company works hard for the year leading into the Whit meeting in June and then the big one over the week in September.
Pat “Cash” Healy is a massive driver as the spokesperson for the Race Company and he does his bit to put in the reminders of the famed Festival when he appears at other meetings like Galway in the months preceding Listowel on TV.
Gerry Hannon the famed commentator who is another Listowel local who learned his trade in Listowel as well as other tracks is another local man who will be on home soil for the week to bring his dulcet tones to the commentary box on the “Island”.
Ger Mulvihill, who is the social media man for the Race Company will ramp up his preparations and keep the Festival visible on all of the social media sites as he has done over the past year.
He does this through interviews, features on local yards, the people behind the scenes who make it all happen. He will be up the walls in the build-up as well as race week.
It is a special week for this author as I can see another Race week fast approaching. I really enjoy the week and will go racing from Monday to the Friday. Good walking shoes will be required as I will be on my feet and moving for the 5 days I hope to travel.
It is great to be reacquainted with those I meet on a yearly basis as well as meeting new people who are down for a few days or the whole week from different places all over Ireland and further afield as is the case most years.
Sunday to Tuesday will be when most locals will venture to the track and then from Tuesday evening to Saturday it will be locals and many others who will be there for Kerry National Day on the Wednesday and Ladies Day on Friday.
John B Keane was spot on when he summed up Listowel Race week as a “State of Mind” because the few days take on a world of their own and best laid plans are often changed to fit in around a day at the Races.
To those who will go to the Races this year, enjoy yourselves and to those who may be in two minds and waiting for the weather reports I would urge you to pencil it in and then just let yourself go and take your day at the Races in your stride.
A word for TG4 who will broadcast the Festival on TV and that will bring the festivities to a broader audience as well as those here at home.
I wish all in the Race Company the very best for the Harvest Festival of 2026 taking place from Sunday the 20th to Saturday 26th of September…..