Laytown

Republic of Ireland, Ireland

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Laytown is a small coastal village in County Meath, Ireland, on the R150 regional road just north of the Boyne Estuary and about 38 km north of Dublin, set along one of the country’s long, scenic Irish‑Sea beachfronts shared with the nearby villages of Mornington, Bettystown, and Donacarney.

It has a traditional seaside‑village feel with a working‑class and commuter‑suburb character, serving as a residential base for people who work in Dublin and rely on the nearby railway line and M1 motorway.

The town is most famous for the Laytown Races, an annual horse‑racing‑on‑the‑sands meeting held on the beach in early September, which is one of the rare places in Europe where beach racing still takes place. Beyond racing, Laytown is known for its long sandy beach, the nearby River Nanny estuary, and a quiet, largely residential atmosphere that blends local community life with weekend and holiday visitors.