Record crowds enjoy mane event
Alanna Hurney and Mary Sheridan cheer on Dinoblue to win the The Hanlon Concrete Irish EBF Glencarraig Lady Francis Flood Mares Steeplechase (Grade 2) Photo: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
THE greatest Punchestown Festival of all time!
What a week that. This year’s sun-kissed Punchestown Festival was one for the ages as it enjoyed its biggest festival its date.
The weather played its part enticing an all-time record-breaking overall attendance of 136,651 and the atmosphere was as vibrant and lively as ever!
Attendance figures were up on all five days of the national hunt racing festival, with Ladies Day on Friday attracting the greatest numbers when 42,138 attendees turned out in their finery for the annual social and sporting highlight of the season.
The festival finale, Ballymore Family Day on Saturday saw 33,158 junior racegoers, families, socialisers and racing fans descend on the track compared with 25,396 on the same day last year.
Conor O’Neill, CEO Punchestown said on Saturday: “The glorious weather ensured another beano festival here at Punchestown! Whether you’re 5 or 95 there has been something for everyone here at Punchestown this week and that’s what it’s all about!
“People make Punchestown and we’re so grateful to our sponsors, many stakeholders and everyone who came along to support us! This afternoon I’m most proud of our remarkable team, their unwavering commitment and hard work has been rewarded, and I’m delighted for everyone who played a part in making it such a great success!” All champions for the 2024/2025 Irish National Hunt season were announced at Punchestown this afternoon. The Champion Conditional title was an extremely close contest with Tiernan Power Roche and John Shinnick fighting it out right up to the final day of the festival. Tiernan Power Roche came out on top to join Champion Owner JP McManus, Trainer Willie Mullins, Jockey Paul Townend, Lady Amateur Jody Townend, Amateur Patrick Mullins, and Mr Martin Heydon TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine on the podium.
And off the track there were plenty of winners too including Ciara Denvir from Belfast who won the Bollinger Best Dressed Competition while Maria Osbourn from Kildare was one of the finalists.. Her prize, a ‘money can’t buy trip for two’ to Paris, the Champagne Region, Reims and the Bollinger Estate and a year’s supply of Champagne Bollinger.
The BritVic Fruit Shoot Inter School Art Competition concluded the off-track competitions at Punchestown this week. The popular initiative boasted entries from no less than 17 local schools including from Naas, Kilcullen, Ballymore Eustance, Ballyshannon and Two-Mile House. The senior art competition was won by 6th Class, Room 2 of St. Corban’s BNS. Lily Monohan of Ms. Hanly’s 2nd Class at Caragh NS won the juniors category, with Isabelle Nixon from Rathmore NS and Donnacha Dooling from Ballymore securing second and third prizes consecutively.
Children of all ages flocked to meet the stars of the turf, as jockeys signed autographs, took lots of selfies and chatted with junior racegoers and their families, on the final day of the busy Irish National Hunt Season at Punchestown.
The total attendance for the week was 136,651 compared with 118,318 in 2024 an increase of 15 per cent. The 2026 Punchestown Festival will take place Tuesday 28 April – Saturday 2 May. Until next year.
