Having most recently featured the Ward Union point-to-point in 1930 and 1932, we move on seven years to the 1937 South County Dublin point-to-point, which is the latest video archive footage within the British Pathe library.
Although the South County Dublin hunt no longer host racing, their last fixture taking place at Naas Racecourse in 2004, they have played host to big crowds in the past.
This fixture took place at Monastery Hill in the south west of Dublin, in the area now covered by the built up area of Clondalkin not far from Newlands Cross or the Red Cow, and it hosted their point-to-point until they moved to another course at Oldbawn in Tallaght in the following years.
This is the first of the point-to-point footage to feature riders in silks as opposed to the traditional hunting attire had they had worn in the video footage of point-to-point meetings from the previous decade.
Described as ‘one of Ireland’s most popular meetings’ at the time, it is not hard to believe why, as the footage shows large crowds arriving, both on foot and in cars, with the betting ring and parade ring equally packed, for races that included the maiden plate and the open heavyweight.
The natural obstacles of drop banks, ditches and stone walls are not as evident in the footage from Monastery Hill, with hedges that are cleanly jumped making up the jumps that are shown, whilst the element of the crowds still roaming around the course remains, as many spectators continue to cross the home straight as the horses approach and go by them.
