Race Tracks in Ireland
This page covers the Republic of Ireland only; Northern Ireland's circuits (Kirkistown, Bishopscourt, Nutts Corner and the North West 200 course) belong to the United Kingdom guide. The Republic has just one permanent race circuit, Mondello Park in County Kildare, which carries almost the entire national programme of car racing, karting, rallycross and track days. Beyond Mondello, Irish motorsport is dominated by closed-public-road racing: Phoenix Park's historic Dublin street circuit and a small calendar of motorcycle road races — Skerries 100, Kells, Walderstown and Athea — that run on ordinary rural roads for one weekend a year, insurance and permitting allowing. Karting has two well-established outdoor circuits, at Whiteriver Park in County Louth and Pallas Karting in County Galway, while national-level motocross runs at Gormanston in County Meath and Doon Moto Parc in County Galway. There is no permanent drag strip or hillclimb course in the Republic; sprint and hillclimb events use closed public roads instead. It's a small but tightly run scene, with Motorsport Ireland and Motorcycling Ireland sanctioning almost everything on this page.
14 venues listed across 6 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in Ireland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mondello Park | Caragh, County Kildare | 3.621 km | Ireland's only permanent, internationally licensed circuit (FIA Grade 4), built in 1968 after the Dunboyne road races closed; runs International (3.621 km), National (1.86 km) and Short/Rallycross layouts. |
Rallycross in Ireland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mondello Park Rallycross Circuit | Caragh, County Kildare | — | Dedicated short rallycross layout within the Mondello Park complex, used for the Irish Rallycross Championship. |
Motocross and off-road in Ireland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gormanston Motopark | Gormanston, County Meath | — | North Dublin Motocross Club's long-established national-level motocross track, affiliated to Motorcycling Ireland. |
| Doon Moto Parc | Ballinasloe, County Galway | — | Irish Championship-level motocross facility with a sand-based track and cross-country enduro loop. |
Karting in Ireland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteriver Park | Collon, County Louth | 0.9 km | Purpose-built 900m outdoor kart circuit in the Boyne Valley, home to some of the fastest hire karts in Ireland. |
| Pallas Karting | Loughrea, County Galway | 2.2 km | Tarmac outdoor kart track opened 1997 with beginner, advanced and rally-format layouts; has hosted the national karting championships annually since 1999. |
Street circuits and temporary in Ireland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix ParkDormant | Dublin | — | Historic closed-road circuit within Dublin's Phoenix Park, used for car and motorcycle racing since the early 1900s; today revived only for occasional demonstration and club events. |
| Skerries 100Dormant | Skerries / Loughshinny, County Dublin | — | Historic closed-public-road motorcycle race dating to the 1940s; returned in July 2026 after a four-year insurance-driven hiatus but was abandoned mid-meeting following a fatal accident, leaving its future uncertain. |
| Kells Road RacesSeasonal | Kells, County Meath | — | Closed-public-road motorcycle race that returned to the Irish road racing calendar in 2026. |
| Walderstown Race of the SouthSeasonal | Walderstown, County Westmeath | — | Closed-public-road motorcycle meeting run by the Fore club, part of the 2026 Irish road racing calendar. |
| South West 100 (Athea)Seasonal | Athea, County Limerick | — | Closed-public-road motorcycle road race in west Limerick, typically the closing round of the Irish road racing season. |
| FaugheenDormant | Faugheen, County Tipperary | — | Long-running road racing club near its 25th anniversary; ran a closed-road motorcycle sprint rather than a full road race in 2026 after losing its calendar slot. |
Closed and historic in Ireland
| Venue | Town | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DunboyneClosed | Dunboyne, County Meath | — | Closed public-road racing circuit, closed in 1966 after safety concerns; its closure directly led to the building of Mondello Park. |
| The CurraghClosed | The Curragh, County Kildare | — | Roads on and around the Curragh army camp hosted early motor races including the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup eliminating trials; the Curragh itself is now Ireland's principal horse racing venue, not a motorsport circuit. |
Race tracks near the big cities in Ireland
Near Dublin
- Phoenix Park · about 15 min
- Mondello Park · about 50 min
- Skerries 100 · about 40 min
- Whiteriver Park · about 60 min
- Gormanston Motopark · about 45 min
Near Cork
- Mondello Park · about 150 min
Near Galway
- Pallas Karting · about 40 min
- Doon Moto Parc · about 35 min
Near Limerick
- South West 100 (Athea) · about 70 min
- Doon Moto Parc · about 60 min
Major race weekends in Ireland
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mondello Park International Trophy meetings | Mondello Park | throughout the season | Irish Formula Ford / touring cars |
| Skerries 100 | Skerries 100 | July (when running) | Irish road racing |
| Kells Road Races | Kells Road Races | June | Irish road racing |
| Walderstown Race of the South | Walderstown course | July | Irish road racing |
| South West 100 | Athea course | September | Irish road racing |
| Irish Rallycross Championship rounds | Mondello Park Rallycross Circuit | various | Rallycross |
| National Karting Championships | Pallas Karting | summer | Karting |
Track days and driving experiences in Ireland
Mondello Park runs the country's track day and driver-experience scene almost single-handed, with open-pitlane track days, racing-school sessions and manufacturer experience days most weekends through the season, typically €150-€350 for a half or full day depending on circuit layout and car class. Whiteriver Park and Pallas Karting both offer pay-to-drive hire karting for visitors without a competition licence, from roughly €25-€60 for a session. Competing in a road race, rallycross round or motocross meeting requires a Motorsport Ireland or Motorcycling Ireland licence.
Frequently asked questions
Does this list include horse racing tracks?+
No. This page covers only motorsport venues. Ireland's many horse and greyhound racing tracks, including the Curragh's main horse racing course, are a separate industry and not listed here.
Why isn't Kirkistown or Bishopscourt on this page?+
Those circuits, along with Nutts Corner and the North West 200 road course, are in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. They're covered on RaceTrackWorld's United Kingdom guide, not this Republic of Ireland page.
How many permanent race circuits does Ireland have?+
Just one: Mondello Park in County Kildare. Everything else on the Irish car and motorcycle calendar runs on closed public roads, purpose-built karting circuits, or motocross tracks.
Is there a permanent drag strip or hillclimb course in Ireland?+
No. Neither discipline has a dedicated permanent venue in the Republic; sprint and hillclimb events run on closed sections of public road instead.
Is Irish road racing still running?+
It returned in 2026 after a multi-year gap caused by rising insurance costs, with Kells, Skerries 100, Walderstown and Athea on the calendar, though a fatal accident at the 2026 Skerries meeting has left some future dates uncertain.
Is Phoenix Park still used for racing?+
Only occasionally. Dublin's historic Phoenix Park street circuit hosted regular car and motorcycle racing for much of the 20th century but is now used just for infrequent demonstration and club events.
Where can I go karting in Ireland?+
Whiteriver Park (County Louth) and Pallas Karting (County Galway) are the country's two main purpose-built outdoor kart circuits, alongside various indoor arcade karting venues in the cities.
Venue list checked against 11 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.
Ireland track guides on RaceTrackWorld
Mondello Park
Address: Mondello Park, Donore, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland Website: https://mondellopark.ie/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +353 45 860200 ...
Phoenix Park
Hotels Near Phoenix Park Track History Phoenix Park, nestled in the heart of Dublin, Ireland, is a sprawling oasis of natural beauty, historic monume...