Galway Races!!

UL2008

2 weeks to go!

cactus86

am i the only one who cant stand them?

Tugboats

Guys with cheap suits and even cheaper women on their arm putting a euro each way on an odds on favourite. Whats not to like!:)

Tony Almeida

Tugboats wrote: »

Guys with cheap suits and even cheaper women on their arm putting a euro each way on an odds on favourite. Whats not to like!:)

Maja

cactus86 wrote: »

am i the only one who cant stand them?

No

amiable

Maja wrote: »

No

Why don't you like them?

amiable

Tugboats wrote: »

Guys with cheap suits and even cheaper women on their arm putting a euro each way on an odds on favourite. Whats not to like!:)

I have seen that but i've also seen nice people enjoying themselves there and other people have quite sizeable bets there

gaeilgegrinds1

Most Galwegians I know just think it's a tough week of work if in an industry busy that week or a week away if they're not! I'll be away.

amiable

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

Most Galwegians I know just think it's a tough week of work if in an industry busy that week or a week away if they're not! I'll be away.

Each to their own my friend.
I have really fond memories of the races and i love the buzz around the city during them. I went to Spain a couple of years ago during the races just for a change and because i got a bargain but it felt weird being away that year.

Carolyyn

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

Most Galwegians I know just think it's a tough week of work if in an industry busy that week or a week away if they're not! I'll be away.

I agree, I live near enough to the races and would want to avoid a lot of them heading that direction ! I know lots of people enjoy the races but some of the lads "up from the country" remind me of buck lepping cattle that have just been let out after the winter. Maybe it's their only outing for the year and they cut completely loose, same as my Dad's loves the National Ploughing!

biko

Wall to wall drunks:

LowOdour

My favourite day is thursday when i come out of work to see hoards of 14 year old drunk youths, with their shirt and ties, clinging on to their cans of cider....a site to behold!

Other than that its a load fo ****e....people still want to show how flash they are....even if they are swaping the helicopters for the bus!

mike65

Stick a tenner e/w on every Weld horse esp first two days and you should be well up!

Zzippy

mike65 wrote: »

Stick a tenner e/w on every Weld horse esp first two days and you should be well up!

When he has 2 or 3 runners in some races that's not a great strategy!

muppetkiller

However you view the Races , it's brilliant for Galways Economy.
I love Horse Racing but to be honest the racing is pretty poor quality but the craic is brilliant (weather provided).
And there's always a great vibe in the town.

I really wish they'd make more of an effort to make it more of a festival like the Ocean Race though. Live bands in Eyre Square with Lots of food stalls etc...

mike65

Zzippy wrote: »

When he has 2 or 3 runners in some races that's not a great strategy!

Well if he is mob handed it won't work true, unless the odds are long enough.

Wanders off to do some prep work...

johnnyfruitcake

Any idea what accomodation is going for this year? looking to book a house or apartment for 4 days?

ronnie3585

biko wrote: »

Wall to wall drunks:

...but easy sex.

Which is nice.

Maja

amiable wrote: »

Why don't you like them?

-few reasons:

*horses (I dont think they enjoy it at all - have seen one few years ago with leg open fracture - horror)

*it's a gambling - dont like the idea of it at all.

*the whole background of it is just such a kitsch.

Its just a cheap enteintainment thats it.

(there are bigger horse races in town when I come from and nobody cares really (just some really interested people) and thats because there is more interesting things to do (for young people) that going to horse races!)

:cool:

Maja

ronnie3585 wrote: »

...but easy sex.

Which is nice.

-easy sex is not a sex at all..

Placebo Effect

Maja wrote: »

-few reasons:

*horses (I dont think they enjoy it at all - have seen one few years ago with leg open fracture - horror)

*it's a gambling - dont like the idea of it at all.

*the whole background of it is just such a kitsch.

Its just a cheap enteintainment thats it.

(there are bigger horse races in town when I come from and nobody cares really (just some really interested people) and thats because there is more interesting things to do (for young people) that going to horse races!)

:cool:

Where are you from? Cheltenham?

padi89

Monday to Wednesday are great days at the track and the atmosphere is town is good. Thursday is a nightmare (never enjoyed it) and town is like a metal hospital. Fri, Sat, Sun are a bit meh at the track the atmosphere is gone at that stage but town is still pretty good but the D4s have arrived fr the long weekend :pac:
Can't say i agree with gailgegrinds about galwegians not liking it, its the one week of the year i get to see an awful lot of old faces from school.

Not all locals dislike it. I go once a year usually, sometimes twice.
I wear a shirt rather than a tshirt to minimise the risk of sunburn.

I avoid Wednesday and Thursday and the Quay Street / High Street area.

If I do go to town after I don't drink so I don't have to put up with the queues at the bars and toilets.

snubbleste

Hopefully the Garda will crack down on revellers and adopt a zero tolerance approach just like what happened during Rag week to other adults who keep the economy in Galway going.

biko

I cannot wait, The lads in work are laughing at me as I have been more or less counting down since Christmas. I have been racing at least 6 of the 7 days for a lot of years now its my highlight of the year.

Racing then the craic on the streets in town after, bring it on!!!!!

Hopefully I will at least break even on the betting. Its an expensive week but in reality (with the benefit of being from Galway and not paying for accommodation) its no worse than paying for a holiday abroad and I know where id rather spend my money.

biko wrote: »

Wall to wall drunks:

Its images like this that make Galway such a legend of a place!!

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

Hopefully the Garda will crack down on revellers and adopt a zero tolerance approach just like what happened during Rag week to other adults who keep the economy in Galway going.

1. Rag Week is meant to be about charity, students who would be here at any rate, decide to drink for the week. Lots have showen disrespect towards the city, no surprising as they're not local or mature from the looks of things.

2. ''The Races'' brings 1000's of tourists to the area who otherwise wouldn't have ventured. Most of the tourists are mature and know how to behave themselves(bar the usual cans/bottles thrown around)

evil_seed

Placebo Effect wrote: »

Where are you from? Cheltenham?

they are all low grade races tbf. i.e bunch of nags. still wouldn't change it tho. its great craic on in town the whole week :cool:

Diabhal Beag

I only ever go on Ladies Day. One of the bitchiest competitions I have ever seen. Always laugh when they pick the contenders. They show them off and you can always hear the bitter losers criticise the poor women.

Basically drink is a must on Ladies Day.

evil_seed

evil_seed wrote: »

they are all low grade races tbf. i.e bunch of nags. still wouldn't change it tho. its great craic on in town the whole week :cool:

Exactly, the races themselves are pretty poor tbh. Mainly because it's a mixed card and all the best flat horses are over in Goodwood and it's off season for the hunt. You'd be hard pressed to know even one or two horses running in the big races.

Saw a page ripped from a magazine in a friends house last week, looked like an english lads magazine, it had the top 10 individual races in the world on it.
The plate was 3rd ahead, the Arc was down in 10th(can only remember the Arc but all the others after the plate were serious races as you can imagine.
You'd get better horses running in any feature race on TV at the weekend on C4

topper75

At its core it is a special thing. It stretches way back in tradition. Thoroughbreds thundering along in full flow mounted by jockeys in colourful silk is a peerless sight.

The festival is an anthropological wet dream - the best and worst of Irish life is visible side by side. I'll go on the Friday - throw on a few quid I can afford to say goodbye to - and ignore the showoffery and illmannered.

Kazooie

topper75 wrote: »

At its core it is a special thing. It stretches way back in tradition. Thoroughbreds thundering along in full flow mounted by jockeys in colourful silk is a peerless sight.

The festival is an anthropological wet dream - the best and worst of Irish life is visible side by side. I'll go on the Friday - throw on a few quid I can afford to say goodbye to - and ignore the showoffery and illmannered.

Well put. I used to dislike it but if you can ignore all the fake flashiness that goes with it it's an enjoyable day out. I plan on going at least one day.

Mshellster

Does anyone have any info or experiences to share regarding waitressing at the Galway Races? My younger sister got some work there for the week in the new stand and doesn't really know what to expect! Heard it's quite fancy, anyone waitress in the new stand before have any insight? Thanks

padi89

snubbleste wrote: »

Hopefully the Garda will crack down on revellers and adopt a zero tolerance approach just like what happened during Rag week to other adults who keep the economy in Galway going.

There is little if any trouble every single year of the races, arrest numbers are always very low for the amount of people around. The comparison with rag week is way off the scale.

cats.life

cactus86 wrote: »

am i the only one who cant stand them?

oh no your not, its only an excuse to go mad with drink and to keep the guards bizzzzzzey. hate the thought of galway races.

amiable

cats.life wrote: »

oh no your not, its only an excuse to go mad with drink and to keep the guards bizzzzzzey. hate the thought of galway races.

Well as i said before each to their own but i think the benefits outweigh the negatives in race week. Its great for the city in general.

evil_seed

padi89 wrote: »

There is little if any trouble every single year of the races, arrest numbers are always very low for the amount of people around. The comparison with rag week is way off the scale.

Grown-Ups > Students :pac:

gaeilgegrinds1

I never said it wasn't great for the city, it's just a royal pain when you're trying to get anything done! I've made my fair share off it in the past, used to babysit in the Glenlo and my God did I make my fair share out it those years. Just when you are a bit settled I find it all a bit too much, one of the quieter days is always so much more enjoyable to me lately. Don't get me wrong, when I was younger I loved it. Tagann ciall le haois is dócha.

Arnold Layne

Its crap for the quality of horses running, but a good buzz all the same. I've always covered my losses with "Glorious" Goodwood thats on the same week in the UK. Ladbrokes is great to have onsite to be able to bet on both.

Fozzie Bear

I'm one of those who can't stand the races. I have lived in Galway since 1995 and have only every once attended. The company I work for sponsor races and all the staff get free tickets and dinner at the track. Still have not used the free tickets. Give them to friends or just don't take them. Granted horses are not not my thing and I have not got a clue about odds and laying bets much less how to read the form. But the crowds, traffic and general inconvenience for locals are what do my nut. Something as simple as getting out to Salthill for a walk on the prom or into town to do some shopping or the cinema become hellish ordeals. I also cannot abide the poser as*holes who like to flash the cash and brag about how much they won/lost on a horse while flying in and out by helicopter with some tango'd orange umpa-loompa blond bint wobbling along behind in high heels.

I used to go on holidays for the races when I lived in town, using up a weeks allocation. Thankfully living and working in Oranmore means I miss all that crap these days.

I can still see the benifits of the races to Galway and the fact that some peoples entire year is building up to that week. I don't want to see it banned (anymore) or anything. Its for one week of the year which I can deal with it.

padi89

Fozzie Bear wrote: »

But the crowds, traffic and general inconvenience for locals are what do my nut. Something as simple as getting out to Salthill for a walk on the prom or into town to do some shopping or the cinema become hellish ordeals.

In all fairness the traffic issues and crowds are only for two days on Wednesday and Thursday and are only on the east side. The other days are an awful lot quieter, at worst you will be slowed down at the entrance to the track for a few minutes but that's to be expected.

snubbleste

Road to be closed off.
Council approves idea put forward by vested interests motivated by profit (group of publicans).

A stage for musical entertainment is to be erected outside Monroe’s Tavern as Dominick Street closes to traffic from 7pm to 2am between July 29 and August 1. A glass exclusion zone will be enforced between Lower Dominick Street and Henry Street

It should take some of the pressure off the quay street area.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

It should take some of the pressure off the quay street area.

Quay street/cross street is the place to be race week though so will people go down there. Couldn't see myself going down there, then again I wouldn't normally venture down that side of town anyway.

snubbleste

Sasha Narrow Suntan wrote: »

Quay street/cross street is the place to be race week though so will people go down there. Couldn't see myself going down there, then again I wouldn't normally venture down that side of town anyway.

I thought the place to be was the Racecourse?

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

I thought the place to be was the Racecourse?

/shakes head.

Obviously and I will be at the racecourse everyday of the races, but I was obviously referring to going out after the races!

onemorechance

Maja wrote: »

-few reasons:

*horses (I dont think they enjoy it at all - have seen one few years ago with leg open fracture - horror)

*it's a gambling - dont like the idea of it at all.

*the whole background of it is just such a kitsch.

Its just a cheap enteintainment thats it.

(there are bigger horse races in town when I come from and nobody cares really (just some really interested people) and thats because there is more interesting things to do (for young people) that going to horse races!)

:cool:

In what way are they bigger in your home town of Poland?

Is there over a quarter of a million spectators over the race meet?

Is there over two million in prizes?

Or is it just that everything is bigger and better back in Poland!

And if you consider the Galway races as cheap entertainment, how expensive are the race meets in your home town of Poland?

snubbleste

Sasha Narrow Suntan wrote: »

/shakes head.
Obviously and I will be at the racecourse everyday of the races, but I was obviously referring to going out after the races!

Was not very obvious. Obviously.
Thought I saw an ad in the paper saying the place to be was the Clayton

onemorechance

snubbleste wrote: »

Was not very obvious. Obviously.
Thought I saw an ad in the paper saying the place to be was the Clayton

Was it an ad for the Clayton?

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

Was not very obvious. Obviously.

Fair enough I thought we were on the subject of town after the races rather than the races themselves.

civis_liberalis

Deleted User wrote: »

It should take some of the pressure off the quay street area.

The cops won't get a wink of sleep in the barracks though.

WallyGUFC

Anybody have any tips?:p