It opened in 1868, a horse racing venue with a flat race type located on the beach at Laytown, County Meath, Ireland. Laytown is a small seaside resort on the cast coast of Ireland, 29 miles north of Dublin. To reach the course, turn off the Nl Dublin-Belfast road at Julianstown

It is unique among the Irish racing calendar as it is the only race event run on a beach under the Rules of Racing. It is assumed that the rowing competition took place on the high tide and the racing when the tide receded. Initially, the races were a sideshow to the regatta and were only organized when the combination of high and low tides allowed the racing on the beach at the conclusion of the rowing events. The races take place on the strand for one day every September.

The committee, led by current Chairman Joe Collins, oversees the organization of the yearly race-meeting alongside manager Kevin Coleman. In 1875, the card at Laytown included a bicycle race where gentlemen rode penny farthings along the strand. Until 1995, racing was run at distances between five furlongs and two miles with a U-shaped turn at Bettystown, where the horses made a sweeping return before heading back to the Laytown finish. Then until 2015, meeting races commenced via a flag start, but stalls have now been introduced.