The first Irish Sweeps Derby from the Curragh Racecourse goes out live on television
The Irish Derby became the Irish Sweeps Derby in 1962 and also one of the richest horse races in the world. Telefís Éireann covered the Derby from the Curragh. The race was also taken live by the BBC and recorded by the ABC network in the USA.
The Derby was the most complicated outside broadcast Telefís Éireann had undertaken. Seven cameras were used to cover the race including a mobile radio camera hired from the BBC. Sound engineers had to make arrangements for separate commentaries by Telefís Éireann and the BBC for the same pictures.
Micheal O’Hehir and Louis Gunning covered the race for Telefís Éireann and Peter O’Sullivan and Clive Graham for the BBC. Shown here are scenes from the Curragh and the final stages as Tambourine II wins the big race.
This clip shows the finish of the Irish Derby in 1962 and is taken from the programme 'The Curragh of Kildare', a sports special broadcast the night before the 1976 Irish Sweeps Derby. The programme looked back at the Curragh and the Irish Derby.
The RTÉ Guide wrote of the programme,
In the 'Curragh of Kildare' on Friday night, Michael O'Hehir - himself a living part of the racecourse's tradition - will recount much of the history of this famous piece of ground, scene of so many famous events in Irish racing history.
'The Curragh of Kildare', broadcast on 25 June 1976.
