Apart from the welfare of his family, he had only one ambition and that was to breed, or help others to breed, a quality horse.

The passing of Liam this month has left a void not only in Templemore and the county of Tipperary, but worldwide. It will never be the same when the hounds meet in Killea and hunt his wonderful valley without Liam driving like mad to get in front and shut – yes, shut – the gates and give the field a crack at his hedges.

Local breeders will miss the chance to chat and take advice from a truly knowledgeable stallion master. Buyers of foals will miss the confidence that buying an animal at the sales bred by him brings for future sales. Visitors from all over Europe will miss the chance to go to the farm and buy a foal privately before they go to public auction.

He seldom missed a visit to Ballinasloe Fair to sell and to look at quality horses in the raw. Liam strove for quality and both he and his brother Sean were convinced that “the passport does not jump the fence”.

They worked all their lives to breed a better horse and among those that they joined forces to produce was the great Tubber Rebel. An Olympic horse for Sweden with Dag Albert, he is still competing at the very highest level.

Although Liam bred a lot of eventers, he never missed a chance to visit Millstreet and there he would watch with pride horses and ponies he had bred or were perhaps by one of his stallions. There would be few around the show jumping rings he did not know and even fewer who did not know him.

He and devoted daughter Agie, as well as foaling all their own mares, would have a constant flow of mares visiting their stallions. They always stood a good, big Irish Draught; the present incumbent being Killea Hill View, a homebred who has progeny competing in Britain and America. There are also Connemaras of great quality and always a good Irish cob keeping to the rule of breeding better from the best at an affordable price.

Liam farmed cattle and sheep, with the help of wife Teresa, Agie and contractor son Donal, on a large but not intensive farm which left plenty of space for wildlife and his beloved mares who spend almost all of the year on the hill.

He was a truly hard-working man, but he always had time to talk, to advise and to amuse. To sit in the farmhouse with Liam and his beloved wife Teresa, who would ply you with food and tea, you would be entertained with stories of ‘the old days’. He’d tell tales of people long gone, but not forgotten by Liam, who had brought the Irish horse to prominence. They have been joined now by another – a very nice man.

We will miss you, Liam.