Getting Wet In Galway – 22/23 October 2011
Rather than travel straight
through Dublin I thought it might be fun to have a night in the capital before
taking the train across the country to Galway.
I had stayed at the Camden Court Hotel before and chose to stay there
again as it is well located just a short walk from St Stephen’s Green. A double
room was the same price as a single so I opted for the former and was rewarded
with something resembling a suite (with three beds!) up on the fifth floor. In
addition to the excellent accommodation there is a leisure centre with a large
swimming pool and the breakfast is first class. Highly recommended.
Next morning it was the long walk
down to Heuston station to catch the train to Galway. Unlike Dublin this train
arrives right in the city centre and within a two-minute stroll you are in Eyre
Square. Unfortunately my hotel was not in the centre but a 20-minute walk away.
It was worth it though. The Carlton Hotel is up on the Dublin Road. As I
approached it I thought I’d done it wrong. At first it resembled one of those
Eastern bloc hotels built in the ‘60s. It’s a very large complex with a huge
leisure centre.

The 20-metre swimming pool at the Carlton Hotel, Galway
The key to a reservation here is
to ask for a room in the new block. These are superb. I had booked myself a
three-for-two nights’ deal so I was effectively paying only £40 a night
including full Irish breakfast. I doubt that you would get in at three times
this rate during the summer festival. This is a mass-market hotel and not
surprisingly there were masses of people! Not a problem though provided you
chose your times carefully for visits to breakfast and the pool.
Friday night I made my way into
town for a nice meal at Maxwell’s. Warm goats cheese salad (lovely flavours
including beetroot) followed by their signature dish - fish pie washed down
with a carafe of Sauvignon Blanc.
The pool was not too busy before
breakfast. There was plenty of opportunity for getting wet inside these hotels
but what about outside? No problem there as I was about to experience the
wettest weekend I’d ever encountered in the Emerald Isle!
I braved the wet weather, walking
to Eyre Square to take the “special” race bus. Unfortunately there was no sign
of it and bus drivers seemed oblivious to its existence. I was advised to take
a number nine which went all around the houses (and, annoyingly, right past my
hotel).
How strange it was walking into a
near empty track. The contrast with the summer festival could not be more
evident. It did make for great viewing though despite the constant rain. The
ground was already heavy and getting wetter by the minute.
On to the betting: a mixed day,
moderate racing. I opposed the odds-on chance Jenari in the first, but not with
the winner. Reasonable pick up in the next with easy winner Letter Of Credit,
2/1 (£3.20 tote).

Letter Of Credit: was in the money
No joy in the third but then
followed the money in the fourth with Best Served Cold. Opened 14/1 in the ring
and backed into 8/1. Paid £9.50 on the tote. This was beaten two out. Finished
like a sprinter on the run-in and won easily at the death. It was a 2m4f hurdle
in heavy ground. He will get three miles and beyond on this evidence.
Definitely one to watch.
Remaining three races were
losers. The bumper queen Nina Carberry won the last by ten lengths on a 9/4
chance. Paid poorly on the tote of course. Punters were happy but not this one.
Still I had kept my nose in front with two decent winners on the day.
Saturday night it was into town
again for eats and drinks: Da Tang Noodle House, which you’ll find in Middle
Street. I started with the Hong Dong Soup and followed up with a chicken and
prawn stir-fry accompanied by a half-bottle of Pino Grigio. Another good find
and one for the notebook.
On Sunday I was able to catch the
number nine bus from a stop adjacent to my hotel. This was just as well as the
rain had not relented. I was surprised to learn that racing was going ahead.
Not many people at the track – even less than Saturday – despite a free entry
promotion thanks to the tote go racing club (15 euro saved!).
It was an afternoon of
seconditis. Not that my selections were narrowly beaten – the dreadful ground
conditions led to tired horses finishing well strung out. I think the low point
of the afternoon came when I ordered a coffee and was sold a cookie ten days
past its sell-by date! My money was quickly refunded though.
The suitably named Pond Cottage
won the penultimate race at 50/1. No I wasn’t on! By the time we got to the
last I was wet through. My profits from Saturday had gone and I’d slipped into
the red for the two days’ betting. I was beginning to think I should have left
early and gone to a music session I’d seen advertised in Galway. The last was a
bumper though and I had a good record in these often taking on short-priced
favourites.
What better opportunity did I
need? The bumper queen Nina on an odds-on chance for Charlie Swan. Head down I
piled into Valleymount – showing around 7/2 and Bridgets Pet a 6/1 chance. It
was 10/1 bar the three with Nina’s mount Sands Cove a 4/5 poke. I even played
my two in a reverse forecast. What joy as Bridgets Pet storms up the run in to
beat Valleymount 11 lengths with Nina a further six lengths back in third.

A mud splattered Joe Burns dismounts from the victorious
Bridgets Pet
The exacta paid a respectable
24.40. The winner returned a disappointing £5.90 so the Nina factor had not
been as strong as I thought it would be.
Nevertheless a small overall profit had been
achieved and that had looked highly unlikely half an hour ago. It was time for
that music session in Galway. The pub was called Garavan’s. They have a
facebook page so it’s worth taking a look.
It’s a very traditional place and
despite its central location I think I was the only tourist in there. The
Sunday session was in full swing by the time I got there. They did not seem to mind me
taking off various articles of clothing and drying them on a radiator –
including wet socks!
Having enjoyed some excellent
music it was off to the Thai Garden a pleasant restaurant down on the
waterfront.
Monday I took the train back to
Dublin and the rain followed me there. The capital was suddenly under a serious
amount of water and I think I was fortunate to get an Aircoach back to the
airport and fly out on time. The next day I learnt that not long after I left
the traffic had come to a stand still in the centre.
As someone once said, it always
rains in Ireland.
But as my father was fond of
saying: it never rains in a pub!
October 2011
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