'We're over the moon' - a great week for Listowel with attendances up on 2019

Listowel's harvest festival attracted more spectators than in 2019, bucking a notable drop in attendances at Irish racecourses this year and leaving officials at the track thrilled.

The course's chairman Pat Healy hailed the "amazing turnout" after approximately 92,000 people flocked to the Kerry venue through the week, up from 89,072 in 2019, the last full year without crowd restrictions related to Covid-19.

Busselton prevailed in a thrilling Kerry National in front of more than 25,000 racegoers on Wednesday, 27,232 watched on for ladies' day on Friday, while Saturday's figure of 11,053 was a record for that day.

The success of the harvest festival, which concluded on Saturday, comes against the backdrop of racecourse attendances across Ireland dropping by 8.8 per cent in the first half of 2022.

Healy said: "We're over the moon. The weather gods shone down on us, which is always a great start.

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

"I'm thrilled for our committee, staff and the town of Listowel itself. Everyone puts their shoulder to the wheel when it comes to the harvest festival, it's a real community effort. Everybody put their heart and soul into it and the turnout was amazing."

First staged in 1858, the community feel that surrounds the festival is one of the major pull factors according to Healy.

He added: "I think it's the last real community race meeting in Ireland. People who leave Listowel for work and whatever else all come home for it, they make a holiday out of it. Everybody in the community embraces it, which is important, you need that.

"We've a special community in Listowel. We have a fantastic tidy towns committee and the town looked brilliant. When you have all those people working hard to make the harvest festival a success, it just makes me so happy and proud. It couldn't have gone better."

Many would take the chance to celebrate what was a very successful week, but Healy and his team are already planning for next year.

"There are one or two tweaks we have to look at to keep raising the bar, and we're already looking ahead to the 2023 harvest festival," he said.

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