THE sudden death last month of Harold McGahern shook the world of the horse in Ireland as he was involved with equestrianism from the grassroots up to the highest level.

His funeral Mass was held on Friday, November 30th in St Mary’s Church, Granard which, perched high above the town, provided a view of the country over which Harold had so much enjoyed his hunting with the local Longford Harriers and packs further afield.

Harold’s passion for hunting, breeding and promoting the Irish horse was mentioned in his homily by parish priest Fr Simon Cadam, a well-known breeder himself.

Friends and representatives from all areas of equestrianism were represented at the Mass joining those from the local community who, too, had lost a true friend and larger than life character.

EULOGY

The difficult task of giving the eulogy fell to Harold’s eldest daughter, Joy, who really captured the essence of the man. The McGahern family, to whom we again extend our sympathy, kindly gave permission for the eulogy to be reproduced here in full while we also carry tributes from outside the family circle.

“Single-minded, persistent, driven and ambitious … these are qualities that Harold Francis McGahern not only held in high esteem but practiced every day during his time on this earth.

“He wore many hats in addition to the infamous RDS bowler. He was also a farmer, teacher, horse breeder, huntsman and prolific letter-writer. Our father set and expected only the highest standards, which even he struggled to achieve.

“This made him extremely difficult to work with, and almost impossible to work for. I’m sure everybody can empathise with one of these realities.

“He was a man of contradictions, demanding total reverence or irreverence – depending on his position in the hierarchy.

“However, his straight-talking was still valued and welcomed – or maybe it was because most of us mere mortals needed a dictionary to decipher the fine print he so cleverly weaved into what he was actually saying. He had a brilliant mind, a caustic wit and a rasping tongue.

“Dedication and an insatiable ambition not just to succeed but to achieve in style, he put an indelible mark on the quality of everything he touched. Daddy was recognised as a formidable judge of bloodstock, for his encyclopaedic equestrian knowledge and his generosity with his time, energy and resources. His lifelong passion was to elevate the status and prestige of the Irish horse, which he doggedly pursued on local, national and international levels.

TEACHING

“Daddy’s first teaching position was in 1972 at Temple Michael vocational school in Longford. There then followed over 40 years at Ard Scoil Phadraig. It was an almost certainty that his students were highly-educated in the fields of Ag Science, horse pedigree and cattle prices. The fact that they were supposed to be learning Maths and Science was a minor technicality.

“He went above and beyond in terms of his teaching responsibilities; students were provided with extra-curricular activities such as lunchtime excursions to Rincoola to move cattle, and the highly coveted weekend tutorials – mucking out stables and wheelbarrowing silage. He was ahead of his time in innovating new teaching technologies, such as using a carbon neutral horse-powered hydraulic PTO fuel tank, or, in his case. a wheelbarrow.

“Timekeeping was not his strong point but luckily Mam was also on hand to provide cover for first class after lunch on those very rare occasions.

“He was a keen advocate for expanding his students’ horizons with cultural outings to Balmoral, Dublin and Paris, which just so happened to coincide with agricultural shows at these venues.

INFLUENCE

“As a family we recognise the influence he had on so many young and aspiring horsemen and women. The Pony Club in Rincoola was a focal point for us. As Daddy threw open the doors to small armies of kids, Mam was at his side watering and feeding them. We are heartened to hear that these summers were the source of as much fun for others as they were for us.

“He enjoyed nothing more than hearing about the successes of those who graduated from his tutelage in the field across the road.

“Daddy had a vision and a sense of history and responsibility that was invested in Rincoola.

“From Norma down to Rincoola Abu, the sense of generational legacy was core.

“There was no other way of life for him. Working the land that had been in his family for generations was a huge badge of honour that he wore with pride. Without fail, he’d be down the yard from morning to night, mucking out stables, checking cattle and walking the fields. Rincoola was his haven, his sanctuary, his home, his whole world.

“Thank you all for being here today and for your kind words and stories over the last few tough days. On behalf of all the McGahern family,

“I would like to say in parting, as he himself would so often cheekily proclaim: Touché, Kick On and Tally Ho.”