Doggy people mourn Jerome O’Donovan

THE Grim Reaper just keeps on taking good people from us, the latest being Jerome O’Donovan, of Abbeydorney, a wonderful sportsman who particularly identified himself with greyhounds, racehorses and, of course, hurling.

This was a man who was between the posts when Kerry won the All-Ireland junior hurling title in 1961, the first All-Ireland hurling title in any grade to be won by the Kingdom since the famous All-Ireland senior victory in 1891, and that distinction, it has to be said, rested very lightly on his shoulders.

His passion for the doggy game and for the horseracing game was absolute and nothing gave him greater pleasure than pulling off a victory in either of those sports – a remarkable 16 in horseracing at 11 different venues with the syndicate to which he was attached.

In the doggy game he was particularly identified this year with the flying machine they call Lenson Rocky (formerly Keen Move), which he sold for serious money after clocking a phenomenal 28.12 in the first round of the GMHD juvenile classic at Tralee Track in mid-February. As it so happened, Lenson Rocky won at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night - the very day of his funeral.

It was always a real pleasure to meet the man at Tralee Track or anywhere, and it is sad that nobody will ever have that pleasure again.

Deepest sympathy goes to his son, James; James’ mother, Kay; brothers, Michael and Frank; sisters, Teresa, Kathleen and Geraldine, and extended family.