WELL-known and respected Kildare breeder and businessman Noel Cawley sadly passed away on Thursday following an illness.

One of Ireland’s most prolific sport horse breeders and supporters of the industry, Noel grew up in Moygara, Co Sligo where his love for all things horses and agriculture was nurtured. He graduated from the University College Galway with a first class honours degree in Science and got a scholarship with Guinness to do a PhD in UCD before going on to do a post-doctorate programme at the University of California in Berkeley.

He joined the Irish Dairy Board in 1974 and spent some 32 years with the company, 17 of them as chief executive, until his retirement in 2006. During an interview with The Irish Field in 2017, Noel said it was during those years that he most appreciated his evenings in the fields with his beloved mares. During his time as CEO of the Dairy Board, he oversaw the successful Kerrygold sponsorship of the Dublin Horse Show for 14 years.

Following his retirement, he became chairman of Teagasc in 2008, a role he held for 10 years and thoroughly enjoyed, and played a vital role in the creation of the Reaching New Heights document. He was appointed the first chairman of the Irish Horse Board co-operative when it was established in 1993. He is also former chair of the International Dairy Federation Ireland and was on the board and council of the RDS.

He was without doubt happiest at home at Newpark Lodge Stud in Eadestown, Co Kildare with his wife Anita, daughters Lisa and Claire, sons-in-law and his grandchildren. He took huge pride in his family and especially Lisa’s great interest in the breeding operation.

Top horses

Dr Cawley has a long and hugely successful relationship with Greg Broderick and Ballypatrick Stables to this day. Among his top horses through the years were multiple Grand Prix-winning mares Golden Exchange and Rincarina who both retired to stud at his farm. One of his favourite mares, Noel rated Rincarina’s win as a six-year-old in Dubin as one of his best days with horses. Her daughter Laurina (by Stakkato Gold) won the five-year-old championship at Dublin last year and, on Wednesday she qualified for the six-year-olds at this year’s show.

Also qualifying on Wednesday was the five-year-old mare Luisa (Luidam – Lexy Lady, by Flexible) who, at the 2021 RDS National Championships, landed a first ever three-year-old loose jumping final for the Cawley family, and BP Casablanca (Casall - Cruise Leaf, by Cruising).

He bred the Nations Cup horses Touchable, Mullaghdrin Touch the Stars and Mullaghdrin Gold Rain, all out of the mare Irco Rain (Irco Mena), and Ballypatrick Flamenco among many other good horses.

Noel and Lisa Cawley with Balltpatrick Flamenco and Darragh Ryan after winning the Irish Breeders' Classic at Barnadown \ Laurence Dunne jumpinaction.net

Funeral arrangements

Reposing at the George Mullins Funeral Home, Kilcullen Road, Naas (Eircode W91 CD0K) tomorrow (Sunday) from 3pm to 6pm with prayers at 5.30pm. Funeral on Monday with Requiem Mass at 10am in The Church of Our Lady and St. David, Naas and afterwards to Eadestown Cemetery.

Everyone at The Irish Field sends deepest condolences to the Cawley family.

TRIBUTES

Teagasc Chairman, Liam Herlihy: “Noel was a person of the highest integrity, who made a lifetime’s contribution to farming and the agriculture sector in Ireland, leaving a lasting legacy through his role as CEO of the Irish Dairy Board until 2006, as Chairman of the Irish Horse Board, and also as chair of the Government-established Seafood Strategy Review and Implementation Group. We are most grateful for his contribution as chair of the Teagasc board over a 10-year period. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Anita and all the Cawley family.”

Royal Dublin Society: “We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Noel Cawley. He was a leading light in our industry for over thirty years. His support of the RDS and the Dublin Horse Show over that time was immense and he was recognised with Honorary Life Membership of the Society in 1998. He served on the RDS Council, Board of Management and Equestrian Committee and was instrumental in Kerrygold’s synonymous sponsorship of the show, from 1989 to 2002. His lifelong passion for horses, and impact on Irish sport horse breeding was remarkable, breeding multiple top performers both nationally and internationally.

“One of Noel’s proudest moments came in 2021 when he won the Three-Year-Old Loose Performance class with Luisa and he was leading breeder at the RDS National Equestrian Championships during the pandemic. Three of Noel’s home-breds qualified for the Dublin Horse Show the day before he passed away. We are most grateful for his contribution and extend our deepest sympathy to his wife, Anita, daughters Lisa and Claire and his extended family.”

Horse Sport Ireland chairman Michael Dowling: “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Dr Noel Cawley over the past 40 years including during his tenure leading the Irish Dairy Board and his chairmanship of Teagasc. Throughout his life, Noel was always passionate about his horses and his family. He used every opportunity possible to promote Irish equine breeding, including the very successful and famed Kerrygold sponsorship of the Dublin Horse Show by the Irish Dairy Board. The association between Kerrygold and the RDS was something Noel was always very proud of. In more recent years, Noel was so passionate, energetic and proud of the young sport horses that he was now breeding with his daughter Lisa. On behalf of the Board of HSI, I offer my deepest sympathies to Noel’s wife Anita, his daughters Lisa and Claire and to his brother John along with Noel’s family and wide circle of friends.”

Horse Sport Ireland CEO Denis Duggan: “I’ve had the honour to get to know Noel during my tenure as CEO over the past 18 months. His command of equine genetics, his energy and passion for horses and his desire to always seek to improve the overall equine herd through the application of science was inspiring. Noel had a brilliant mind and was a staunch supporter of the Irish sport horse industry, both personally and professionally. He led in many aspects of the agrifood-sector and his reach spans beyond horses – however sport horses were never off his mind.”

Friend and neighbour Joe Reynolds: “We had a great friendship that was grounded in horses, ponies and business. His defining quality was his superb intellect and his enormous integrity. Noel was an extraordinary man, he could make sense of complex things - high level international trade, EU legislation – that lots of people struggled with. Yet he would come home and muck out the stables in the evening, the horses were a release for him. Noel was passionate about the Irish Sport Horse industry and wanted to see it go in the right direction. He will be missed”.

Greg Broderick: “The first horse I had from Noel was Rincarina and we had great days with her. When she won the six-year-old championship in Dublin, he was fit to burst with pride. Dublin is like the holy ground for us and every year Noel’s enthusiasm to have the horses qualified was hugely evident. Over the years we had great success at the horse show. Noel was leading breeder of the show in 2021 and that was another proud day. Noel was the most loyal owner you could possibly ask for but along with that, he gave me so much advice on general life, how to manage the yard and business better and just how to improve as a person in general. The more you go through life you realise how few and far between people like Noel are and I’m so thankful to have had him with us in Ballypatrick. I offer deepest sympathies to Lisa, Joe, Anita and Claire. May he rest in peace and hopefully we can make him proud with more of his home-breds in Dublin this year.

Irish Horse Board Chairman, Tiernan Gill: “Noel was a great ambassador for the sport horse industry and a wonderful breeder who established his own successful performance line. Originally from neighbouring Sligo, he was a great friend and mentor to me over the years and we owe him a great debt of gratitude for his drive and passion in the establishing the Irish Horse Board Co-op to further the interests of Irish breeders and producers on the World stage. The IHB Board passes on its deepest sympathies to Anita, and all the Cawley family. May he Rest in Peace.”

Irish Horse Board Director General, Alison Corbally: “All at the IHB are very saddened to learn of the passing of Noel, who was appointed as the first Chairman of the breeders Co-operative. Noel, who by then was a very successful breeder and producer of sport horses, as well as CEO of the Irish Dairy Board, combined his great passion for the sport horse sector with his astounding business acumen, to quickly build the structures of the Irish Horse Board to represent and further the interests of Irish sport horse breeders and producers. The legacy of a strong representative body that he built, will continue to serve the interests of its Irish breeders in the years ahead.”