Galway Races chief executive Michael Moloney has revealed that just 1,000 spectators will be allowed to attend each day of the festival this year.
Moloney has described the news as "extremely disappointing" with organisers submitting plans to allow 5,000 per day to be welcomed to Ballybrit for the seven-day festival.
Over 125,000 spectators had been in attendance in 2019 but last year Galway Race Committee made the difficult but unavoidable decision that the festival would not take place as an event open to the general public due to the global pandemic.
This year's meeting kicks off on Monday, July 26 with the first of seven races taking place at 4.10pm.
“We got news last night that we will be able to host 1,000 spectators...we know given the support we have gotten over the last few weeks that this will be extremely disappointing news to all our fans who were looking forward to coming back to Ballybrit this year,” Mr Moloney said in a video on Twitter.
“On the upside, it is 7,000 more people than we had this time last year and for those that do manage to get to Ballybrit, we’re delighted we’ll have owners back and a small bit of the public on top of that,” he continued.
The 1,000-spectator limit is in line with crowds at the Irish Derby in the Curragh in late June, but larger crowds have been permitted in recent weeks at various sporting venues.
Up to 18,000 fans are allowed in to watch the Leinster senior hurling final between Dublin and Kilkenny on Saturday.
A similar crowd number is permitted for the last four of the Leinster Senior Football Championship this Sunday as Dublin face Meath and Kildare take on Westmeath.
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