It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July.

The first Epsom Derby winner to achieve victory in the Irish version was Orby, trained in Ireland by Fred McCabe, in 1907.

[citation needed] The Irish Derby became a major international race in 1962, when its prize money was substantially increased.

The event began to regularly attract the winners of the Epsom Derby, and Santa Claus became the second horse to win both races in 1964.

[citation needed] A total of nineteen horses have now completed the English-Irish Derby double, and the most recent was Auguste Rodin in 2023.