Dog community mourns death of Michael Barrett
KERRY has lost a real legend of the doggy game in Michael F Barrett, of Listowel, who died on Saturday last.
Michael held the distinction of winning the first ever Champion Stakes at the National Coursing Meeting in 1973 with Dashing Newdown, a 40/1 outsider, and he was there in Powerstown Park on the final day of this year’s national meeting to relive the memory of that great victory.
Michael Barrett, of course, achieved many other victories of note in a very illustrious doggy career, on both track and field, and he combined it all with a very successful business career, principally as owner of Listowel Motor Works, which held the agency for Toyota and Morris cars and Ford tractors.
Among his track stars was Yellow Bud, which won five sweepstake finals in succession for him, including the Irish Laurels, the Guinness Trophy and the Tipperary Cup. Autumn Berry was another of his shining lights, holding the remarkable distinction of winning nineteen open races at different tracks and being the sprint record-holder at the old Ballybunion track.
The dam of Autumn Berry, Autumn Rose, produced two other fliers for him in Autumn Joker and Autumn Chief and, indeed, such was the prolificacy of his success on the coursing field that he won a total of twelve trial stakes, including a remarkable four-in-arow at Glin.
He took particular pride in victories achieved by greyhounds which he trained himself, notably Gurtinard (winner of the all-aged cup at the Listowel coursing meeting) and Fealeview Lundy (winner of the Austin Stacks 550 Sweepstake at Tralee Track).
Michael Barrett also contributed hugely to the doggy game in an official capacity, being chairman of Listowel Coursing Club for more than twenty years and being, among other things, the Munster representative on the ICC executive as well as being chairman of the Kerry Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association for a period.
Golf was also a big passion for him going back the years and he was captain of Ballybunion Golf Club in 1970 and 1971 and president in 1990 and 1991. Indeed, in 1970, he personally secured a loan which enabled the Ballybunion club to build a new clubhouse.
On his own land in Listowel, Michael Barrett built a lovely nine-hole golf course, which unfortunately Kerry rota.
The captain of Ballybunion Golf Club in 2000, the famous Tom Watson, paid probably the greatest tribute of all to Michael Barrett by naming a son after him – Michael Barrett Watson. Such a gesture needs absolutely no elaboration.
A truly dynamic figure has gone from our midst through his death and the sympathy of all who knew Michael Barrett, or who knew of him, will go to his wife, Lillie, daughters Monica, Caroline, Martina and Georgina, sons Michael, John and Albert, brothers and sisters and extended family. is no longer on the