JOE Crowley will be laid to rest today (Saturday) after 12pm Requiem Mass in St Nicholas’ Church, Tullahought, Co Kilkenny. He passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, two days after his 91st birthday.

He will be remembered not only for his considerable achievements as a trainer but for his exceptional judgement of bloodstock and for establishing what is now one of the most powerful training establishments in the world at Piltown.

The facility at Owning, with its steep uphill gallop, is where Crowley’s daughter Annemarie and her husband Aidan O’Brien launched their record-breaking training careers. They both won training titles while based in Piltown and Frances Crowley also trained a Grade 1 winner there.

The yard is currently home to Joe Crowley’s grandson Joseph O’Brien who has already prepared the winners of an Irish Derby, Breeders’ Cup and Melbourne Cup on the hill.

Joe Crowley was also a very successful breeder, producing prolific winner Spindrifter in 1978 and he was co-breeder of the multiple Group 1 winner Rock Of Gibraltar in 1999. Among the many top-class jumps horses he traded were Gold Cup winner Bregawn and Cheltenham Festival winner Urubande.

Bregawn was his first winner, landing a Punchestown bumper in January 1979 with Mr John Sleator on board.

His first big success as a trainer came in 1985 when he saddled Ravaro to win the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh. Ravaro won 15 races in total. Towards the end of his training days he topped that achievement when turning out Hairy Molly to win the Grade 1 Cheltenham Bumper in 2006 at odds of 33/1.

Despite not having a trainer’s licence during the years when Annemarie, Aidan and Frances were operating from the yard, Crowley’s colours of orange with a blue hoop have remained prominent in Irish racing for decades.

Joe Crowley, pictured in 1995

In the 1990s he bred and raced the prolific Bayrouge, winner of 15 races, including a Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. Another Punchestown Grade 1 winner, Glenstal Flagship, also carried his colours.

After a 10-year break, he renewed his licence in 2003 and trained well over 100 winners before saddling his final runners in 2009.

In 2011 he received a Contribution to the Industry Award from the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association at their annual awards lunch. His extended family were present on that special day to see him and his wife Sarah receive a standing ovation.

He is survived by his wife, daughters Annemarie, Breda, Teresa, Frances, Angela and Monika, sister Margaret, sons-in-law Aidan, Trevor, Ronan, Pat, Kevin and Frank, and 17 grandchildren.

Those grandchildren already include two champion jockeys in Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien, ensuring that Joe Crowley’s legacy will live on in Irish racing for many more years.