The Irish love their horse racing, and one of the best places any horseracing fan - Irish or otherwise - can go to sample the Sport of Kings is Dublin. A day at the races is an excellent day out, even for non-fans of the sport, due to the atmosphere the sport generates.

There are five racecourses situated in and around Dublin, hosting both National Hunt and Flat race meetings, so no matter what time of year you visit the city, you're almost assured to find a race meeting taking place at one of the tracks.

The Curragh is one of the oldest racecourses in the Emerald Isle and the name ‘Curragh' is actually the Gaelic name for racecourse. Situated around 30 miles from Dublin in County Kildare, there is a train and bus service to the track on racedays. The Curragh is a high-profile track and hosts the majority of the major Flat races on the Irish racing calendar, including the Irish classics.

Fairyhouse, situated about 12 miles from Dublin in County Meath, hosts the Irish Grand National and has been racing since 1848. The track has had racing luminaries such as Arkle, Desert Orchid, Captain Christy, Persian War and more recently Istabraq and Florida Pearl among its visitors. It continues to attract the best horses across Ireland and the rest of the UK to compete over the near- two-mile course.

Leopardstown racecourse is home to 22 race meetings throughout the year, with both National Hunt and Flat race meetings on the agenda. Leopardstown is actually situated within the city environs, around 12 miles from the city-centre. The course has staged racing since 1888 and like Fairyhouse attracts some of the racing game's biggest names thanks to a host of high-profile meetings, including the Lexus Chase, Irish Champion Hurdle and Irish Hennessy Gold Cup over the sticks, and the Irish Champion Stakes and many of the Irish Classic Trials over the Flat.

Naas racecourse can be found some 25 miles from Dublin city, in County Kildare. Perhaps less well-known than its more famous neighbours, Naas is nevertheless a high quality racecourse and is another to mix both National Hunt and Flat racing throughout its calendar.

Punchestown is also situated in County Kildare, around a 30 minute drive from Dublin city and is one of the best known racecourses in the British Isles. Punchestown is exclusively a National Hunt track and is often considered the spiritual home of Irish National Hunt racing. The course has been racing since 1824 and has consistently attracted the best racehorses to compete, with the highlight being the five-day Punchestown festival, held in late-April.

Despite numbering in the hundreds, it won't be surprising to learn that hotels in Dublin are often in high demand whenever horseracing comes to the region, but with five top racecourses in proximity to the city it should be possible to find accommodation for the race meeting of your choice.

And of course, you'll be able to spend your winnings garnered from your day at the races in the wide selection of bars and restaurants that can be found throughout Dublin's streets.

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