On Monday, the Summer Festival kicks off at the Galway Races in Ballybrit Racecourse. First started in 1869, the seven-day festival is the longest of all race meetings in Ireland and one of the country’s most enduring occasions.
More than 150,000 people attended the event in 2010, when the total prize fund for its 51 races amounted to €1.6 million. But for those without any horse-racing expertise to flaunt, the festival remains an occasion of head-turning style and celeb-spotting.
Pints may be more popular than champagne this year, and there may be fewer helicopters transporting punters, but turning out in style is still the focus. This year’s fashion competitions include Most Appropriately Dressed Lady (Monday), Most Stylish Lady in Red (Saturday) and the Mad Hatter contest (Sunday). The most highly coveted prize, however, is for the Best Dressed Lady (Thursday). The winner will receive a diamond solitaire pendant valued at €8,500, a shopping spree worth €1,500 in Anthony Ryans, Galway, and €1,000 in cash. She will also receive a corporate-hospitality package for the Galway Races festival in October, which includes dinner, a champagne reception and a Lancôme gift hamper worth more than €500.
The busiest days of the festival are Wednesday, when the Galway Plate is held, and Thursday, when the Galway Hurdle and Ladies’ Day take place. Sunday is family day, with admission to the racecourse free for under-14s and family entertainment included.