WITH harness racing running through his family for generations, it’s fitting Michael O’Mahony has helped shape the new Lyre Raceway.

The impressive new track will host its first outing with the Red John Memorial this weekend, and will mark the beginning of a new era for harness racing in West Cork.

For the Schull-based driver, he’s carrying on a family tradition.

‘I’d say all four of my grandparents’ families raced horses in West Cork years ago,’ he tells this week’s Star Sport Podcast.

‘They tell me my grandfather – the same name as myself – used to cycle from here with a horse behind him to race in Drimoleague on New Year's Day, then head on to Durrus and race there as well.

‘Later on those meetings were split over different days, but you’re talking about 100 years ago now. Even to think of cycling to Drimoleague today would be some stretch, never mind leading a horse behind you.

‘It was different times back then.’

These are exciting times for harness racing, and the new Lyre Raceway is a game-changer.

Work on the all-weather half-mile circuit began in April, with the Irish Harness Racing Association (IHRA) describing it as ‘a significant step forward for harness racing in Ireland’.

O’Mahony agrees. Build it and they will come – that is the plan.

Michael O'Mahony celebrates after driving Ayr Harbour to a victory in Manch this season. (Photo: Andy Gibson)

‘Yeah, this is huge. Obviously, it’s a massive boost for harness racing, not just in West Cork but around the country. It’s the first new track to be built in Ireland or the UK in over 30 years, so it’s a big achievement to have it here in West Cork,’ he says.

‘A lot of opportunities will come with having a hard track. The racing season will become longer.

‘Obviously, most horse racing sports are funded through betting and, with a proper all-weather track to race on, the Tote company or betting companies – and hopefully a Tote application is coming down the line for the Irish Harness Racing Association – we’d be able to generate funds for the sport through that.

‘It’ll help grow the sport with owners because there’ll be more prize money if more money comes into the sport. It all feeds off having a proper facility like the all-weather track in Lyre.’

There are big plans for this new home of harness racing. With a Sport Capital Programme funding of €350,000 underpinning this opening phase, the IHRA is thinking big.

The next phase will include purpose-built stabling, wash bays and horse walkers to attract trainers to operate full-time from this facility.

‘Planning has already been granted for a stable building and different things further down the line. Obviously, funding has to be organised for that,’ O’Mahony says.

‘The idea is that it could also become a training base for local trainers, so they’ll have better facilities to work from. That’ll help them progress with their horses as well.

‘It’s been very exciting working on this. There are about ten of us on a committee, most of us local here in West Cork, who’ve been involved since the project started in April, making group decisions as it’s progressed.

‘Every time you go to the track, there's something new happening. It’s looking pretty good, so hopefully come Saturday it’ll be all guns blazing.’

With a huge entry expected for the Red John Memorial this Saturday and Sunday, this is a show-stopping opening for the new track. There is an estimated €75,000 in prize-money up for grabs across the weekend.

The meet has been held every year since the passing of the popular ‘Red’ John O’Donovan from Leap in 2015.

‘It's quite fitting that this will be the opening meeting,’ O’Mahony says.

‘Everybody knew John very well and it will be brilliant to have his meeting as the first one at the track.

‘It means an awful lot to people in West Cork.

‘It's become probably the biggest meeting in Ireland over the last number of years.’

O’Mahony is hopeful he’ll drive a winner this weekend.

He’s enjoyed a good season so far, with wins on Ayr Harbour in the opening two events, followed by doubles at both Bishopsland and the Old Chapel Memorial Day held in Dunmanway.

‘We're chipping away nicely enough. We're getting a few winners,’ he says, modestly.

‘Everybody will want to be in the first race. Until the card comes out we don’t know who’ll be in it, but everybody would love to have their name on the wall and be able to say they won the first race at Lyre.’