Listowel hoping to cash in on cultural festival as it prepares for full return

Listowel chairman Pat Healy is hoping to tap into the influx of people who will descend on the town for the popular Writers' Week cultural gala, as the Kerry venue prepares to operate at full capacity for the first time since its 2019 harvest festival at this weekend's June bank holiday meeting.

Crowds did return to the festival last year, but due to government restrictions at the time only 2,000 were permitted to attend daily.

The course can look forward to operating at full throttle for the first time in almost three years when racing returns on Saturday. The fixture became a three-day meeting for the first time last year and attracted 3,048 racegoers when it was last run as a two-day meeting in 2019.

As part of a welcome back initiative, the entrance fee on the opening day will be just €10.

The Listowel Writers’ Week festival, Ireland’s oldest literary and arts festival, runs until Sunday, and Healy says the organisers and the racecourse are working together to try to encourage more people to go racing.

Healy said: “The meeting will mix in well with Writers’ Week. There’s a great buzz around the town and we’re expecting a big crowd. Some Writers’ Week people would never go racing, but we’re hoping to get some to come."

Listowel chairman Pat HealyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Listowel, which hosts ten meetings a year, is renowned for large crowds, and Healy said the absence of paying customers during the pandemic made for a sterile experience.

“A day’s racing without crowds is very boring for everyone involved, and we’re no different," he said. "We’re hoping there'll be plenty of punters for the bookmakers and I’m sure there'll be a great atmosphere."

Many races over the weekend have been named in honour of late racing figures – such as Pat Smullen and JT McNamara – as well as many well-known personalities from the area such as novelist and playwright John B Keane.

“We’re really looking forward to it," added Healy. "We’ve named a good few races in memory of people who have passed. Some after people from racing and some after local characters who have passed away too."

The going at Listowel on Thursday was good on the Flat course and good, good to firm in places on the jumps course, where watering will continue over the coming days.

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