PIERCE Molony will be laid to rest this morning after a private family funeral mass in Thurles.

The owner of Thurles Racecourse died in the early hours of Wednesday morning after a long illness bravely fought. He was 65 and passed away peacefully in a Dublin hospital surrounded by his family.

One of his final requests was that racing at Thurles would go ahead last Thursday and his wish was respected. Jockeys wore black armbands and a minute’s silence was observed.

The only privately-owned racecourse in Ireland, Thurles has been in the Molony family for four generations. Pierce had managed the racecourse for 40 years before handing much of the responsibility over to his daughter Kate in recent times.

Kate is married to jockey Robbie Moran while another daughter, Ann-Marie, is married to jockey-trainer John Cullen. Pierce’s wife Riona and their other daughters Patricia (married to Jack Griffin) and Helen (married to Urlingford publican Michael Doyle) are all involved in running the racecourse.

Jockey Barry Geraghty said: “Pierce was such a fun person to be with, whether on the racecourse or in Cheltenham or on a night out. We had plenty of great days with him and he’ll be sadly missed.”

Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer described Pierce as “a gentleman to his finger tips and a friend to many. It was an honour to know him.”

Stewards’ secretary Peter Matthews added: “Pierce was a gentleman and had great pride in the racecourse. He was very proud that his family was involved in running it and keeping on the family tradition. He was great fun, always laughing and smiling. His enthusiasm for the place was clear when the new judge’s box and commentary area was renovated last year and Pierce insisted on climbing all the way up, despite being quite ill. The daily record of the rainfall that fell at the racecourse, that he kept for many years and was posted beside the racecourse in the weighroom, is also testament to his dedication.”

Bookmakers Noel Cummins and Jimmy Hayes were full of praise for Molony, with Cummins commenting: “I didn’t know him well but found him very easy to deal with when I was in the Bookmakers Association. He was always interested in improving things in the ring and was very approachable. He was a great National Hunt man and definitely had the best interests of racing at heart.”

Trainer Robert Tyner said: “He was very helpful and a proper gentleman in every way. I remember we were schooling one day where we weren’t supposed to be and he forgave me after a week. Not many people would do that.”

While the funeral is private today, the family has asked that donations be made to Friends of St James’s Hospital, Dublin.