Bellewstown

Bellewstown is a village located 8 km south of Drogheda, on the Hill of Crockafotha in County Meath in Ireland.

It takes its name from the Anglo-Irish Bellew family, who were the dominant local landowners from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century.

Bellewstown village
Amenities in Bellewstown include a primary school, Catholic church, pub, GAA grounds, racecourse, and golf course.

Bellewstown Races
In 1780, George Tandy, a former mayor of Drogheda and brother of James Napper Tandy, persuaded King George III to sponsor a race at Bellewstown. The race was called His Majesty's Plate and was valued at £100.

The tradition of summer horse racing at Bellewstown Racecourse dates back centuries. The first record of racing here appears in the August edition of the Dublin Gazette and the Weekly Courier in 1726. There was originally a cricket ground in the middle of the race track. Racing continues to occur on an annual basis, taking place during the course of the summer. Until relatively recently there was just one meeting a year at Bellewstown over three days in July. There are currently four meetings a year, comprising one day in April, three days in July, three days in August and two days in September. The track is a one-mile and one-furlong left-handed course, featuring both flat and hurdle racing.

Race Distances - Flat 5 furlongs, 1 mile, 1 and a half miles, 1 mile 6 furlongs and 2 miles 1 furlong.

National Hunt - all Hurdles races - 2 miles 1 furlong, 2 miles 4 furlongs and 3 miles.

No Steeplechases are held at the course.

Associations
One of the many pen names used by poet James Clarence Mangan was 'P.V. M'Guffin, Bellewstown'.