Click above to play a recording of the opening ceremony . .

At the official opening of Ireland's first and only all weather horse racing and greyhound track, Minister Dermot Ahern said that Dundalk's day has come.  The 'Polytrack' provides Dundalk with the opportunity to compete with other established racetracks around the country and will be able to offer punters racing events for both horse and dog throughout the year. 

It was a great day for all who attended with drummers and singers and a leisurely family atmosphere not to mention great horse racing.  Its going to be a great success and as Minister Ahern put it - "Dundalk is set to become the leisure capital of Ireland".

Dundalk Racecourse covers approximately 159 acres, extending from the Dundalk inner relief road to the west, and the tidal estuary of the Black Water and Dundalk Bay to the east. There has been a tradition of racing at Dundalk for over 100 years – horse racing since 1889 and greyhound racing since 1930. However, by the late 1990’s the facilities at Dundalk racecourse was in need of major redevelopment and substantial investment in order to sustain and develop racing at Dundalk. In 1999, Dundalk Race Company PLC and Dundealgan Greyhound Racing Company Limited merged to form Dundalk Racing (1999).