History of the Laytown Races launched in time for big race day
THE official launch of a brand new book cele- brating 150 years of the Laytown Strand races took place at the Glenside Hotel.
Trainer and broadcaster Ted Walsh and racing commentator Des Scahill did a marvellous job entertaining the audience with affable reminiscences about various mishaps at Laytown.
They were joined on stage on the night by the two people responsible for the book, racing enthusiast John Kirwan and historian Fiona Ahern, and by Joe Collins, chairman of Laytown Race Committee.
Joe welcomed the enormous crowd, mainly Laytown residents and racing people, many of whose stories about Laytown Races featured in the book.
Also present were the Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Laytown resident Tom Kelly and his wife Helena, the Mayor of Drogheda, Frank Godfrey, M.E.P. Mairead McGuinness and Minister Helen McEntee, and several local councillors.
Also in evidence were several members of the legendary Laytown racing family of Delanys.
It was also good to see Laytown Manager Kevin Coleman, who is recovering from a recent severe illness, taking part.
The launch of the book was also the launch of the celebrations marking 150 years of official racing on the strand at Laytown.
This year’s racing takes place on Thursday 6th September, starting around 3 p.m. and the committee is hoping for a marvellous turn-out on the day.
Laytown Strand Races – Celebrating 150 Years is a beautiful publication, with contributions from many of the people who have owned or trained or raced horses at Laytown and with many amazing photographs taken at Laytown over the years.
John Kirwan also included a section in the book on local families involved in racing on the beach in the first half of the twentieth century, plus a full round-up of every race meeting held at Laytown since 1945.
In her short address, co-author Fiona Ahern thanked Laytown photographer Pat Burns especially for the wonderful black and white photographs which he has taken at Laytown over the past twenty-five years and which add immensely to the book.
This beautiful hardback book, which costs only €20, is available from Paul Kerbey of Laytown Race Committee, tel. 087-6484804 and there is also a list of places where it is available on the Laytown Strand Races website, www.laytownstrandraces.ie.