FORMER trainer Frank Ennis passed away in the early hours on Friday in Naas General Hospital. He was in his early 70s and had been living with Parkinson’s Disease for a number of years.

Originally from Castletown-Geoghegan in Co Westmeath, he worked for the late Paddy Sleator and rode winners before taking out his trainer’s licence. He was based on the Curragh for all his career and lived in Ballysax for the past 30 years.

He saddled Confuchias to win Group 3 races at Leopardstown and the Curragh in 2006 and 2007. The horse was owned by Annette O’Callaghan and Ennis also enjoyed the patronage of Dermot and Perle O’Rourke.

The O’Rourkes owned Ferneley, which Ennis trained to win the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes in 2008. Although he mainly trained on the flat, he had a Grade 3 winner over jumps in 2003 with novice hurdler Rupununi.

Scottish Memories and Miss Childrey won listed races for him, as did Barack in 2011, his final big winner before failing health prompted him to retire in 2012. Inourhearts was a very speedy filly he trained to win the Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh in 2000.

At a lower level, he was very proud of his achievement in training Saint Island to win four races in a row in the summer of 1981. Michael Halford, who rode Saint Island and many other winners for Ennis, said: “I won three on that horse. When he won his maiden hurdle at Navan, he had future Cheltenham winners Miller Hill and Bobsline in behind.

“Frank was a great friend of mine, a wonderful horseman, as good as I ever came across. He was a hard-working man – he did the starting stalls and drove horseboxes as well – and he always made the best of the horses he had.”

His friend and neighbour Vincent Finegan said: “Frank lived life to the full from start to finish. He was a very capable trainer, a hard worker and a great story-teller. His final years were tough – he actually received the last rites three years ago. His wife Anne and family took great care of him. It was second to none.”

He is survived by his wife Ann and their four children Serena, Vanessa, Patrick and Francis. He is reposing at his family home from 3pm on Sunday with Rosary at 7pm. Removal on Monday to arrive at St Brigid’s Church, the Curragh, for Requiem Mass at 1pm. Burial afterwards in Holy Cross Cemetery, Suncroft.

The funeral Mass will be live-streamed on the St. Brigid’s Church Facebook page.