60 Years at the Races: Seamus Macken Reflects on a Lifetime at Ballinrobe

If you’ve ever been to Ballinrobe Races, chances are you’ve seen Seamus Macken — welcoming buses with a smile and guiding racegoers to their parking spots. On race mornings, he steps into the office with his trademark question: “Are you expecting many buses?” — a simple ask that gives him a sense of the evening ahead. This year, Seamus marks an extraordinary milestone: 60 years of service to Ballinrobe Racecourse.

Seamus’s journey with the racecourse began in 1965 when he was just 15 years old. Living just across the road, the course was practically in his backyard — and in many ways, it became his second home. “Myself and my brother Brendan used to come up the night before the races to look at the horses arriving,” Seamus recalls. “The railway had closed back then, so the horses arrived in trucks the night before. We’d have great joy calling up to see them.”

At that time, Ballinrobe hosted just two race meetings a year, both on Thursdays. “There was a great buzz around the town. People came on foot or by bike — I remember them walking across the fields from Roxboro, down Rathredmond and across the road to the course.”

His first job came by chance. “Tom Cameron was here at the time. His job was to tighten girths and take up the hurdles. One day he was short on help and I got the job. That’s how it all started. I got paid 15 shillings, I remember.”

From there, Seamus became a regular fixture at the racecourse, doing everything from helping with hurdles to filling the track — a process that once took a full month. “Myself, Paddy Maye and Tommie Joyce would be at it with an ass and cart. We’d sieve the clay by hand and mix it with grass seed. The ass was clever — she knew exactly where to walk so the cart wouldn’t get stuck. There was no machinery, just a few shovels and buckets.”

Despite the passion and pride in the work, those early years weren’t easy. “By the late ’60s and ’70s, the facilities were starting to age. There was very little money going around, and we had to make do. We’d reuse what we could — I remember burning rust off hinges in the fire before putting them back up.”

Seamus also took on work in the nine-hole golf course that used to sit in the middle of the racetrack. “I started in 1968 cutting the fairways,” he said. “There were no fancy mowers, just the basics. Back then, the track would only be cut a few days before racing — I remember once we had to rake clumps of grass off the track for two full days just to make it ready for racing.”

In those days, a race meeting had just six races — two chases, two hurdles, and two flat races. Seamus accompanied by Paddy Maye and Tommie Joyce would sleep on site the night before to keep an eye on the horses. “We’d sit in a small canteen with a fire and keep an eye on things. Even the Tote employee would arrive in his truck and sleep there overnight — he’d bring a bed with him and play a round of golf in the morning before the racing started.”

Ballinrobe wasn’t just about the races — it was the heartbeat of the town. “There were race dances in the Maple Hall and the Town Hall, with a carnival in Cornmarket. They were massive days. Along with the agricultural show, they were the busiest days in Ballinrobe.”

In 1983, Seamus also began working at Ballinrobe Mart, and in 1995, when the golf course moved to Cloonacastle, he followed — only retiring from the course there in the past year. But he never stepped away from Ballinrobe Races.

The 1970s, ’80s and into the early ’90s were a tough period for Ballinrobe Racecourse, with the ever- present threat of closure hanging over it. Seamus recalls, “It was a real struggle to keep things going at times, but the committee fought hard to keep it alive. They never gave up.” Through constant fundraising and innovation from the committee, they managed to carry out yearly essential repairs and maintenance, despite limited resources.

It wasn’t until the early 1990s that momentum began to shift, with a fresh push toward larger developments and long-term planning. A major turning point came with the expansion of the Ballinrobe Racecourse Committee and the election of Jimmy Tierney (RIP) as secretary — a role he would later transition into full-time management. “That changed everything,” Seamus recalls. “The expansion of the committee gave new energy and vision. The first big development was the new grandstand, and to be honest, if it wasn’t for the committee at that time, none of us would probably be here today. That stand was the beginning of what we have now.”

From there, the transformation continued, first under Jimmy Tierney and then under current manager John Flannelly. “You wouldn’t recognise it now compared to the track back in the ’70s,” Seamus says. “The range of machinery needed today is incredible — tractors, mowers, specialised rollers — it’s a far cry from the days of the ass and cart or the old Cambridge roller.”

Even the layout and welcome have evolved. “The main entrance has changed three times in my lifetime,” Seamus notes, “and now racegoers come in to this really impressive setup. It’s a whole different experience.” Drawing on his wider experience in community life, Seamus reflects: “I’ve been involved with Ballinrobe Golf Club and the GAA Club too, and with any good organisation, it comes down to local people coming together with a common goal. That’s when real progress happens.”

Today, you’ll find him in the car park, helping to park the ever-growing line of buses. “Up until about 15 years ago, there were very few buses. Now, it’s a constant flow on race day. I love meeting the bus drivers — I’ve gotten to know them well. They’d do anything for you. Those interactions bring me great joy.”

Looking back, Seamus says his greatest pride has been watching Ballinrobe Racecourse evolve. “It’s totally transformed. The facilities are second to none now. Days like when Lester Piggott visited in 1991 were highlights, and meeting the trainers and jockeys is always a pleasure — but nothing beats a packed race day with a great crowd. That’s what it’s all about.”

After 60 years, Seamus has only ever missed one meeting — and that was to get his appendix out. “That’s not a bad achievement,” he laughs.

And as he considers winding down his time at the racecourse, he has just one hope: “That Ballinrobe continues to thrive and draw big crowds. Another Friday evening meeting wouldn’t be too bad either!”

Through six decades of change — from ass and cart to modern grandstands — Seamus Macken has seen it all. And through every change, he’s been a constant, embodying the spirit, dedication, and community that make Ballinrobe Racecourse so special.