*Pat Curtin (right) with his godson Ciaran McMahon (left).
It’s with a heavy heart that I put this piece together on the sudden passing of Pat Curtin one of the most successful Clare men ever to be involved with greyhounds.
By Michael Maher
As I lay on my bed in The Galway Clinic on Monday morning in the last few hours of my week long stay there, I scan trough Talking Dogs for bits and pieces of information for my column where the name Pat Curtin comes up before my eyes.
As I read through it I say to myself this cannot be true as I try to get my head around it my phone rings its Anne Hehir, Noel’s Mam who confirms the terrible news. I met Pat on just a few occasions and spoke to him on the occasion when I organised the fundraiser for the Clare Hurlers at the Limerick Track in 2013 when he was more than happy to sponsor a race. My Brother Johnie also kept a few Greyhounds for him some years ago.
A hugely popular figure, he was also an incredibly talented man with a greyhound and tasted plenty of success both on the track and up the field.
From a training point of view, he will be best remembered for expertly steering Shelbourne Aston to Champion Stakes and Derby glory in 2008, landing one of the greatest gambles of all time in the latter. The brilliant brindle, who he owned with his great ally Noel Hehir of Inagh and their close friends Paul and Margaret Montgomery, produced one of the most astonishing displays in the Derby final, coming from last place to snatch victory off Slip The Lark in the final stride.
He wasn’t the only star that Pat would train on the track. Caz Diamond captured the Golden Jacket around Galway in 2007, while he also trained the sensationally fast Kereight King to reach the Derby decider in 2013, only to withdraw the dog after he picked up an injury in the semis.
He was also one of the most prominent names in coursing circles, tasting success up the field with the likes of Boavista and Windfarm amongst many others.
Pat was born into greyhounds with his late father John always keeping a few, both coursing and track. He was actually born, and spent his first few years, in Letterkenny but as he said himself, his father “did the right thing” and moved the family to Clare when Pat was seven years of age.
It would be his home for the next ten years before he moved to London where he began work in the plant hire industry. He often told stories of his time in the UK where the greyhound bug never left him. He had dogs with his great friend John Mullins and managed to win some big prizes with the likes of Ballydaly Score and Shanaway Gold.
During his time in the UK he became friends with legendary jockey Tony McCoy who in-turn introduced him to footballer turned actor Vinnie Jones and former Arsenal star Ray Parlour. He became good friends with Jones and Parlour and got the duo involved in a few greyhounds but the call of home was strong. Pat returned to Ireland in early 2004, settling into the Ballygodoon Stud in Monard, Co. Tipperary.
Soon after he got his hands on Winters Pub in Dundrum in the then newly opened Dundrum Town Centre. Pat relied on his sister Bridget to make it possible for him to keep his involvement in both the greyhounds and the pub game, stating in the 2009 Irish Greyhound Review that, “I try to be there [Ballygodoon] as much as possible but when Bridget is there, everything is done properly and it works well.”
Pat remains reposed in St Marys Church , Mullagh on Wednesday evening, burial takes place today Thursday 20th in Clohanes Cemetery after funeral mass. He is survived by Joanne and their five children, Caitlin, Conor, Charlotte, Cillian and Ciara, siblings, Geraldine Rose, Thomas, John, Jude, Bridget, Elizabeth and Ann, brothers-in-law Paul, Joe and Pat, sisters-in-law Mary, Colette and Claire, nephews, nieces, extended family, cherished friends and all his greyhound sporting family. Pre-deceased by his father John and mother Elizabeth (Betty).
