Culleenamore is the peaceful, calm, sandy and extremely tidal strand at the south side of the half-promontory of Leath Ros.

Culleenamore is a diverse animal habitat and also a seal sanctuary. The oyster beds at Culleenamore are said to be the oldest in the county and the exquisite oysters were a staple in the diet of the people in the area. Buried under the soil and sand are huge mounds of oyster shells. The sides of some of these banks close to the shore have been worn away to reveal piles of shells antiquarians call Kitchen-middens. These remarkable artifacts show ancient people gathered oysters along the shore at Culleenamore then cooked and ate them at these sheltered spots behind the ‘sandy fields’ thousands of years ago.

Go Strandhill - Culleenamore History

Horseracing at Culleenamore dates back to the early 1800s and it is possible the tradition originated much earlier. As well as being one of the most beautiful locations in Ireland for such an event, the surrounding sand hills formed a natural grandstand for spectators who could see a race perfectly from start to finish.

The races were more or less successfully held, with a few lapses, up until 1954. But in recent decades owing to the popularity of the Culleenamore course, racing has been revived again by the local people and the excellent community spirit of modern Coolera.

source: Seamus McGoldrick