The Curragh

The Curragh is a plain in County Kildare Ireland. The Military College, Curragh Camp is located there, where members of the Irish Army undergo training. The Camp was the location of a military detention centre where civil war prisoners and, later, members and suspected members of Sinn Féin and the Irish Republican Army were interned on various occasions between the 1920s and the 1950s. The plain is very flat, and is composed of a sandy soil formed after an esker desposited a sand load.

As the soil is sandy it has excellent drainage characteristics. This makes it a popular location for training racehorses, and the Curragh Race Track is located there. The Irish Derby Stakes are held there annually during which Iarnród Éireann trains halt at a seasonal station near the track.