MANY well-known faces from Irish racing travelled to Listowel in Co Kerry this week for the funeral of racing photographer Liam Healy Snr.

Founder of Healy Racing, Liam died peacefully on Monday in Tralee Hospital after a long illness. He was 71.

Among the items brought to the altar by family members during his funeral were a camera, his racing colours and a copy of The Irish Field, the first newspaper to publish his pictures.

Fr Brian Dalton, a friend for over 50 years, described Liam as “a true gentleman and a lovely person who loved to help others.” He invited the Healy family to take comfort in the knowledge that Liam was reunited with his wife Joan, who died when their children Pat, Liam, Cathy and Lisa were very young.

Fr Dalton gave a special mention to Lisa who he said had been a great care-giver for her father in recent years.

In her eulogy Cathy Healy said her father’s motto was: “Do what you love and love what you do.” He took his own advice when, in the early 1970s, he decided to work full-time at his hobby, photography.

Over the following 41 years it is estimated he travelled two million miles visiting the racecourses of Ireland. “But he always came back to Listowel every evening with a bag of fruit and chocolate for us,” remembered Cathy.

Liam never got over Joan’s death, but the arrival of six grandchildren helped and he was blessed with good friends. He was also very proud to have been honoured with various awards over the years from the Irish Stablestaff Association, the point-to-point community and the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners.