Some of the earliest video footage of Irish point-to-point racing exists within the British Pathé archive and it stretches right back to the early 20th Century.
One of the earliest video files of the sport features the 1921 Louth Hunt point-to-point which took place at Dundalk.
For Ireland, 1921 saw the culmination of the Irish War of Independence and it is during this time that the footage is from.
The 74-second clip includes footage from the betting ring, as a number of bookmakers are on their pitches taking bets from customers, followed by a number of shots from in and around the public enclosures.
There are also two different action shots of the point-to-point racing itself, the first shows crowds gathered on a bank as the horses and riders approach. The obstacles have changed dramatically over the years and in these races, we see horses navigating an up bank with a large ditch also to be cleared on the landing side.
Unlike the coloured silks sported by riders that we are familiar with modern point-to-pointing, the 1920’s footage shows the riders competing in traditional hunting attire.
