What is the Curragh, and what can a visitor do there?
The Curragh is a great open plain of about 5,000 acres of unfenced common land, grassland since prehistory, and the centre of Irish horse racing. The racecourse on its edge runs all five Irish Classics, with the Irish Derby in late June the biggest day, and about 1,000 horses are in training around the plain, exercised on the gallops each morning. Sheep graze freely, as they have for centuries, and the Curragh Camp on the western side has held soldiers since 1856. For a visitor: go racing in season, walk the edges at dawn to watch the strings go out, drive across it slowly and mind the sheep, and call at the military museum in the camp.
Useful pages: Where to go · Ready-made itineraries · The Wild Atlantic Way road trip · Dublin · County Cork · County Kerry · County Galway · Northern Ireland · Portrush · Visiting Irish castles · Plan your journey · Heritage · Golf in Ireland · Ireland's cities · Ireland in the movies · Best hiking trails in Ireland · The Southwest in 5 Days · The Great Links golf itinerary · Quieter places
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