Wexford GAA supporters chairman Arthur Quinn thanked Bolger for the opportunity of gathering so many together on the night to celebrate what has been an exceptional life, and he wished him many more years of success. Supporters Club PRO Maria Nolan presented a bouquet of flowers to Jackie, before calling on Alan Corcoran to present Jim with the Big Red Book and say: “Jim Bolger – This is your life.’’

2008

Guy Williams recalled Cheltenham, 1958, when the Irish came, saw and conquered

WHO could have guessed that 1958 was to be a year of almost unbroken triumph for Irish horses?

Certainly not those hardy pilgrims taking the boat to Holyhead en route to the Cheltenham Festival. What with the previous Saturday’s meetings being lost to snow, and Monday’s meeting at nearby Worcester flooded off, the omens were not good.

Peter Towers-Clark described the tension in the build-up to Cheltenham 1958 in the Bloodstock Breeders’ Review. ‘‘The thermometer on the Monday never rose all day above freezing point, and hard or keen frosts were experienced that night everywhere. Despite the announcement that there was no snow on the course, and that the fences and the turns had been protected, there seemed little hope of racing as we retired to bed that night.

‘‘The 8 o’clock bulletin on the BBC opened on the Tuesday with long accounts of the appalling weather experienced all over the country during the previous 24 hours. Then, amazingly, came a statement from the clerk of the course that there was every prospect of racing. Incredulously we all made our way to Prestbury Park, still more in hope than confidence.

‘‘The thermometer showed a bare few degrees above freezing point, and an examination of the going made it abundantly clear that it would be a very tricky decision which the stewards had to make. An examination at 11am brought forth the announcement that a further inspection would be made at 1pm.

“Then, at 1.15pm, it was stated that the programme would be started half-an-hour late. As if to greet this announcement, snow immediately started to fall, but the programme was carried through unaffected. Indeed the powers of weather prognostication shown by the stewards bordered on the incredible, for every decision they made throughout the meeting proved correct.’’

With no luck in the opening three races, the Grand Annual was a different issue. Charlie Weld’s Gallerio was sent off favourite to draw first Irish blood under Liam Brennan. He weakened two out, only for the irrepressible Francis Shortt to sweep to success on Clem Magnier’s well-backed Top Twenty.

Another matter

Those in the know had an hour to celebrate as the Kim Muir Challenge Cup contained no Irish runner. The closing Birdlip Hurdle - also a handicap – was another matter entirely. Clem Magnier saddled Springsilver for his sister-in-law, Mrs M.F. Magnier. Bobby Beasley rode. Springsilver swooped over the last to win by a length.

Curiously, he hadn’t troubled the judge in six attempts since winning at Limerick Junction in October. Some questioned the wisdom of letting Irish horses into English handicaps at all.

Well-armed now, the Irish ploughed into Vincent O’Brien’s Admiral Stuart in the opening Gloucestershire Hurdle on the Wednesday. As so often, the ever-dependable T.P. Burns delivered, earning a unique compliment from MV. ‘‘You rode him well, Tommy. He’s a very slow horse.’’

With Pat Taaffe side-lined from a fall the previous day, his brother Toss proved a most adequate deputy on Tom Dreaper’s Fortria in the Cotswold Chase, carrying the colours of owner-breeder Alec Craigie.

In the National Hunt Chase, the faithful could take shelter from the snow showers, before playing up their winnings on Sentina, Fortria’s full-brother. Representing the same trainer-rider team, Sentina was owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster and sought to repeat his success of 12 months previously.

Despite carrying 16lb more, Sentina never gave his rapturous supporters a moment’s concern, winning by six lengths.

Irish allegiance

The ‘getting out stakes’ on that middle day was the second division of the Gloucestershire Hurdle. Irish allegiance was divided, but in the end Vincent O’Brien’s Prudent King (T.P. Burns), was sent off favourite. Burns brought Prudent King fast and late to get up by half a length. Six up, and a day to go.

Bloodied but unbowed after the third day opener, the faithful went in with their heads down for Dan Moore’s Quita Que, backed down to odds-on in the Cathcart Challenge Cup. Ridden by ‘Bunny’ Cox, Doreen Brand’s Roman-nosed stalwart duly delivered, and won by a distance.

With no Irish runners in either the Gold Cup or the Foxhunters’ Challenge Cup, there was an interlude until the County Handicap Hurdle. Patriotic punters plumped for one of the three Irish runners – Joe Osborne’s Friendly Boy, ridden by Liam Brennan. Once again money talked as Brennan produced Friendly Boy to settle matters up that punishing climb.

Festival record

Eight up - an all-time Irish Cheltenham Festival record. Inevitably, that wholesale Irish plunder - specifically four of the five handicaps they contested - did not escape comment by the racing press. Many wrote that an alteration to the rules might be beneficial. As one wrote months later: ‘‘The apparent improvement made by some of these horses over their Irish form did not pass without comment.

“None wish to make our racing parochial, but this disproportionate run of success did appear to offer grounds for bringing the Rule into line with Rule 52 under Jockey Club Rules, under which horses must either have run three times in England or, in the case of our more valuable events, have taken part in their own country in races of a certain minimum value.”

Sixty-five years on and some of those old arguments continue, particularly round Cheltenham Festival time.