Mondello Park

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Mondello Park opened in 1968 on a 1.28km layout, was stretched the following year and got its current International circuit in September 1998. It's owned by the Birrane family and is the only FIA-licensed track in the Republic, so it has seen BTCC, British GT, British Superbikes and EuroBOSS over the years. The setting is flat Kildare countryside rather than anything dramatic, but the International lap has plenty going on.

For track days, Trackdays.ie is the circuit's official partner and runs well over 100 dates a year, mostly open pit lane on the International circuit with tuition and lunch thrown in. Some days use the shorter National loop. Pretty much any roadworthy car is welcome, and there are hire cars for first-timers. Bikes get dates too. With three hairpins and a good mix of fast and slow stuff, it suits novices and regulars alike, and it's an easy weekend away from the UK via Dublin.

A lap of Mondello Park

Layout: International, 3.621 km (2.25 miles)

Mondello's corners are mostly known by number, though Turn 1 is now sponsored as Castrol Corner. The start straight runs under the bridge and over a small crest, and the braking point for Turn 1 sits just after that crest. Turn 1 is a tight hairpin, so it's big braking and second or even first gear depending on the car. In a road car you can let it run out wide on the exit, but you need to be back across to the right in time for Turn 2.

Turn 2 is a left with adverse camber, and it's flat or nearly flat in most track day cars if you've got the exit of the hairpin right. Then comes a straight into the braking for Turn 4. Be patient with the brakes here and make sure you hit the apex, because it's very easy to turn in too early, run wide and ruin the exit. The straight curves right into Turn 5, which leads straight into a left. Turn in early for the left, where the line is cleanest and has the most grip.

Turn 6 is a fast right on a downhill approach. Use all the road on the way in and carry as much speed as you can, because it leads onto the uphill straight where you hit your highest speed of the lap. The braking for Turn 7 is downhill, which makes it easy to brake too early or too late. Use the full width on the exit to open up Turn 8, and the uphill exit helps you put the power down.

Turns 9 and 10 are esses with flat kerbs. Straight-line them as much as you can and you'll have a good run to the Turn 11 hairpin, a left where you want to stay tight to a long apex. Turn 12 is a fast left that catches people out. It's easy to run too wide on the way in and end up on the kerb before you've turned. The final hairpin takes you past the pit wall and back onto the straight.

Track day tips

• The braking for Turn 1 comes just after a crest under the bridge. Pick a marker and build up rather than diving in on your first lap.
• Turn 4 is where people lose time. Don't turn in early, wait for the apex and get a clean exit.
• On open pit lane days the International circuit takes up to 36 cars at once, so pick your moments and use the pit lane to find space.
• Irish weather is changeable at any time of year. Pack wet tyres or at least a spare set of wheels if you've got them.
• Prices are in euros. Expect roughly 299 to 499 euros for a full day in your own car, with coaching extra.
• If you're coming from the UK, check your insurance and breakdown cover for the Republic before you load the trailer.

Getting there

Mondello is at Caragh near Naas in County Kildare, off the R409 and about 48km from Dublin city centre. From the UK, the easy way is the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin Port, then the M50 and the M7 south-west towards Naas, which is a straightforward run of under an hour in normal traffic. Dublin Airport is the nearest airport if you're flying in for a hire-car day. Naas and Newbridge both have hotels within a short drive of the circuit.