Latest news with #AintreeGrandNational
The Journal
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
JP McManus has 'highly emotional' meeting with Limerick Council over Rugby Expo 'gift' snub
BILLIONAIRE HORSE RACING mogul JP McManus fought back tears at a highly charged meeting with Limerick City and County Council after it snubbed his offer of the debt-free €30million International Rugby Experience (IRE) and a €1.2million donation. McManus sought the private meeting with council executives and elected representatives to ask why the local authority turned down his offer. Reliable sources said an apology was offered to McManus and his family at the closed meeting, but that the gift was no longer on the table 'as things stand' but that it could yet be salvaged, they said. McManus has disputed the manner in which the gift was presented to councillors and told executives of his 'hurt' over the controversy. In 2001, the council presented McManus with the prestigious title of Honorary Freeman of Limerick. In 2011 the council included McManus's name in a medallion added to the mayoral chain, after he won the 2010 Aintree Grand National with his horse Don't Push It. In 2016 councillors held a Civic Reception for him for his 'outstanding contribution' to local communities. However, sources said the once close relationship has now soured over the IRE controversy. 'JP made a presentation to the chamber today and he got emotional as he spoke of his love of Limerick and he spoke about the fact that he was made a Freeman of the City by the council, and that it had been the proudest moment of his life,' said a source. 'It was highly emotional, he stopped talking and got choked up. A few councillors at the meeting were also wiping away tears.' The €30m building was renovated and fitted out for the expo. McManus told the closed meeting he was 'mystified' and 'disheartened' at the Council's declining of his debt-free gift. 'He was offering the people of Limerick city and county this gift – the IRE and €1.2million funding – through the council, and he found it mystifying and disheartening and how it was turned down. 'He said he was very disappointed that the heads of terms of agreement were not honoured. He saw it as a gentleman's agreement. 'So the offer is no longer on the table as things stand, but I would hope there can be a positive outcome,' another source said. Advertisement Sources claimed that councillors expressed 'embarrassment' at the controversy however a number of councillors who attended the meeting declined to comment to waiting reporters who were not allowed inside. Limerick City and County Council also declined to comment, citing the meeting was held behind closed doors. Afterwards, McManus would not be drawn on the outcome of the meeting, he simply waved at journalists after he was asked 'did you get a deal?' The €30million sports attraction closed last December after just 12 months in operation, with the loss of 50 jobs. Earlier this week councillors apologised to McManus for the debacle. Outgoing District Cathaoirleach and Fianna Fáil Councillor Kieran O'Hanlon said prior to the meeting: 'I'm extremely disappointed and annoyed at the way the whole thing was handled. 'We have one of the biggest gifts coming to us from the greatest person Limerick ever had – JP McManus. Not only did we refuse it, but we insulted the McManus family in the process. 'I would like to apologise to JP McManus on behalf of the councillors for the way it was handled,' O'Hanlon also told the Limerick Post newspaper. Speaking on his way into today's meeting former Limerick mayor, Councillor Michael Collins, said councillors were 'not happy with the way things have happened with the IRE, and today is about JP setting the record straight'. 'It has been very disappointing for the McManus family because they have been very good to Limerick down through the years,' Collins said. Ahead of today's meeting, Limerick's first-ever directly elected mayor John Moran, who could not attend as he was abroad, said he had recently held meetings with McManus. He said he hoped there would be 'further open and constructive dialogue…to find a sustainable solution to secure the future' of the IRE building. The IRE said it delivered an estimated €7.8million boost to the local economy in its first year. Last year the Council said it was 'disappointed' with the IRE's decision to close its doors, and that it had made 'every effort' to secure the deal. The Council said it would have had to find 'substantial operational and capital funding' to continue running the Experience. Prior to today's meeting, a counter offer from Mayor Moran to utilise €300,000 of his Mayoral Fund to help keep the facility open for the next three years was rejected by the IRE. IRE chief executive Barry Hannon previously claimed that costings presented to councillors were 'over-inflated and were not included in the heads of agreement' which he said both parties had agreed in principal in August 2023. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
17-06-2025
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
‘I'm retired so I've to find a new job' – Watch Rachael Blackmore like you've never seen her before in Ascot preview
RACHAEL Blackmore joked she's trying to figure out her next job while previewing the Royal Ascot Festival. The 35-year-old is fresh off 2 Asked about what she considers 'power dressing' to be she cited her red ensemble Credit: @blackmorerachael 2 Blackmore repeated that winning the Aintree Grand National was the greatest moment in her storied career Credit: Sportsfile She touched upon being at a real crossroads while partaking in a hilarious rapid-fire Q&A session ahead of Asked what's the next thing in life that she wants to achieve, the Tipperary trailblazer laughed: "I'm retired so to find a new job." Other amusing nuggets from this different sort of 'time trial' from the types which she's used to included her saying in place of giving a pep talk to one to of her horses, she used to go with a simple pat. She also named The Notorious BIG' Old Thing Back as he go-to pre-race song to get herself pumped up while she opted for "Stairs" when quizzed on what she considers to be the best possible horse name. Read More On Irish Sport The 2025 Royal Ascot Festival will run from today, Tuesday June 17 until Saturday. There's a As usual, Tuesday will see it broadcast from 1.30pm-5.30pm. That means everyone can avail of the free streaming platform provided by the Virgin Media Player. Most read in Horse Racing Heatwave alert Organisers have The Berkshire track missed most of last weekend's thunderstorms and grounds workers have been busy watering the track in the meantime. Jim Delahunt's FREE horse racing tips - Royal Ascot Preview - Tuesday and Wednesday's action With a heatwave of temperatures around 30C set to come into play it doesn't look like any rain will fall this week. And, as of Tuesday morning, that caused the ground to change from good, good to firm in places, to officially good to firm, good in places. The first of five day's top class racing kicks off at 2.30pm today with a blockbuster Queen Anne over a mile. And by then it is expected the ground will be good to firm all over. Punters flocking to the track can expect to sip a Pimm's or two under some dazzling sunsets, with the mercury going from a max of 26C on Tuesday to 29C by Friday. But it could push above the 30C barrier by Saturday, with much of the UK lined up for the hottest weather of the year so far. The Met Office forecast for Tuesday predicts 'another fine and very warm day, with plenty of sunshine and light winds'. And for the rest of the week the forecast reads: "Fine and increasingly hot through this period, with temperatures climbing by both day and night while winds remain light." Hot air from Portugal - the Azores High - will sweep over Britain, sending the mercury soaring. Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: "High pressure is building across the south of the UK and shifting the jet stream further north of the UK - that sets the scene for the rest of the week."
Irish Examiner
13-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Stepping it out at €610k Ledbury in Conna with nod to super hoofers Flatley & Monty's Pass
SUPER hoofers — human and animal — have ties with Ledbury, a gallopingly good split-level property in Conna. Ledbury's connections with speed and stamina are as follows: The Waterford joiner that built the staircase in Castlehyde for Lord of the Dance's Michael Flatley, also made the staircase at Ledbury; the horse that won the 2003 Aintree Grand National, Monty's Pass, trained in the yard next door. Staircase at Ledbury Amidst all this fancy footwork, it was inevitable that some of it would rub off on Ledbury which comes with its own stable yard and four loose boxes, each fitted with automatic drinkers, rubber matting and feed mangers. Four stables ready for new occupants There's a grass arena too, and a large feed and tack room (also for use as a covered hay barn) and there's a water supply to three drinking troughs in the fields around the house, where horses or ponies can graze to their hock's content. It's the kind of set-up you'd envisage as the dream buy for a family of horsey types. Ledbury didn't start out with its best hoof forward. In 1979, the year it was built, it was no more than an over-basement bungalow, owned by agricultural advisor John Anthony, who used the basement for offices. He sold it in 2012 to a UK-based couple, Jo and Patrick Clarke, who relocated from Derbyshire, after falling for the pretty Bride Valley village of Conna. The Clarke's took the bit between the teeth and re-ordered the house completely, upgrading every element, installing the new staircase, and ultimately delivering a high-end home, with a commendable B3 energy rating, and enough space (3,700 sq ft) for an entire yard of stable hands. In time, the house and three acres of grounds outgrew the Clarke's and they put it on the market in 2016 — whereupon it was spotted by a family looking to move out of a semi-d in Midleton's Broomfield to a detached home in the countryside. 'My wife Laura always had an eye out for a detached home with more room and when she saw Ledbury, she absolutely fell for it,' says current owner, Henry Switzer, who bought the property, next door to the yard of horse trainer Jimmy Mangan (Monty's Pass) in 2017. Although their kids are more focused on swimming pools than stables, the couple themselves knew a thing or two about horses. Laura had been involved in eventing and Henry had found himself 'of all places, on one of the German national studs outside Munich, while I was trying to become a sound engineer'. They put Ledbury to good use as a sanctuary for mistreated ponies, taking referrals from My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue. 'They were ponies that had been mistreated, so getting them to trust humans again— that was so, so rewarding,' Henry says. 'Like people, some horses are difficult and some are easy,' he adds. The Switzers also fostered a few lurchers and kept hens. 'What the house represented for us was freedom – to move around, to have animals, room for the kids to roam. It was very much a lifestyle choice for us,' Henry says. Among the loveliest features is the acre of landscaped gardens and the various patio and terrace areas that overlook them. The star of the show though is the first-floor roof top garden terrace, with spectacular views to the Galtee and Knockmealdown mountains. The same views — spanning four counties — are served up to the sunroom, which opens onto the terrace, as does the first floor living room. Sensibly, the main daytime accommodation is upstairs — including the kitchen (with AGA) and family room. The kitchen at Ledbury Six bedrooms are spread across the two floors, with one in use as a library. The main downstairs bedroom has French doors to a patio and there's a conservatory to the rear. Rear terrace Henry says he will 'miss the views the most', but that it's time to move on as their kids' needs have changed. Adrianna Hegarty of Hegarty Properties is selling the five-bed Conna home with double garage and brings it to market with an AMV of €610,000. 'It's been redesigned and renovated to a very high spec and orientated to make the most of the spectacular views,' the agent says. She adds that it 'will excite families with an interest in horses, as well as fishing enthusiasts' as both the rivers Blackwater and Bride are nearby. Moreover the layout could easily accommodate guest accommodation or Airbnb, Ms Hegarty says. Conna village is within walking distance of Ledbury, the town of Midleton is a 20-minute drive, Fermoy is 10 minutes away, there's handy access to the Dublin motorway and Shannon Airport is 30 minutes by car. VERDICT: Quality home on beautiful grounds, ideal for horsey types. Successful bidder gains entry to the Winner's Enclosure.
Irish Independent
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘It will be a very different life to the one I had previously' - Rachael Blackmore on what awaits after retiring as a jockey
Blackmore joined a select crew of jockeys to have completed the championship set at the Cotswolds when guiding Bob Olinger to Stayers' Hurdle success two months ago, in what turned out to be her last Festival winner. The 35-year-old exited the Gloucestershire track the next day for what would be her last time as a jockey having brought the curtain down on her glittering career last week. "When I was leaving the weighing room at Cheltenham on Friday this year, for the first time I just had a little thought in my head, 'Will I be back here next season?'" Blackmore told Betfair in an exclusive interview. "It was the first time that thought had ever crept into my head. I didn't know. Part of me thought I would be back, part of me thought I wouldn't. "I just said to myself leave it [the decision] until June and get to the jockey's break. I'd think about it all then." The Tipperary native, who became the first female jockey to land the Aintree Grand National aboard Minella Times in 2021, didn't even get to June with a winner aboard Ma Belle Etoile at Cork expediting her decision. When you know, you know and Blackmore reckoned that the time to hang up her saddle had arrived. "I was going to Cork the other day and I thought, 'If this one wins then maybe that's the time to call it'. She won and, the following morning, I fully decided that was it," she said. Blackmore forged a bond with equine stars like Honeysuckle, A Plus Tard, Bob Olinger and Captain Guinness and her association with Henry de Bromhead brought her to racing's pinnacle. "I love horses. They have given me the best days of my life and I have been so lucky to be involved with some of the best ones," the Killenaule native said. "You can really want to ride a Cheltenham winner but you are not going to do it if you don't get on horses that are capable of doing that." As for the next chapter, Blackmore has already penned a children's book but she will take time out before deciding what lies ahead. "Even though retiring was probably a feeling inside me that I had kind of dampened down, it wasn't part of a massive plan to retire," she said. "There is nothing set up but I am very lucky that I can take a few weeks and decide what might be next. It will be a very different life to the one I had previously."
RTÉ News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Rachael Blackmore: It wasn't a massive plan, it just felt like the right time
Just a week after announcing her retirement as a jockey, Rachael Blackmore says it wasn't part of a "massive plan" and that the timing just "felt right." The Tipperary rider announced her retirement last week after a glittering 16-year career, in which she became the first female jockey to win the Aintree Grand National in 2021 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022 - won aboard Minella Times and A Plus Tard respectively. Blackmore rode a total of 18 winners at Cheltenham over the course of her career and also became the first woman to be leading jockey at the festival in 2022. Reflecting in the wake of her retirement and the tributes which followed, Blackmore spoke to Ruby Walsh and Damien O'Meara on RTÉ 2fm's Game On, admitting she was "blown away" by the response to the news. "It wasn't a massive plan. I never knew how that day would come. But it did come," Blackmore said of her decision to retire. "It just felt right in that moment. It felt like the right time. "I'm so blown away by the response. Obviously, I knew it would be a news story in some shape. The amount of coverage in the newspapers. The amount of articles. "The amount of people that have written to me and rang me and sent me messages. People that you might pass and you know them but you don't have their numbers. But they've gone out of their way to get my number and send me a message. I'm just so blown away by that." Asked to cite her most memorable victory, Blackmore first plumped for her final win aboard Honeysuckle in the 2023 Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham, though acknowledged that few things in racing could top the joy of a Grand National victory. "I think coming back into the winners' enclosure on Honeysuckle on her last race was a phenomenal feeling. "Even visually, I hope I'll never forget what it looked like. It was just black with people. There was no space anywhere. "It was different. It didn't feel like it was just about me riding a winner. It wasn't about that. It was about loads of other things. It was a very special moment. "I don't know would I love to live it again because it was sad as well. But it was a standout moment. "Obviously, winning the Grand National was just phenomenal. You just don't feel joy like that instantaneously when you cross the line. I've never felt such a kick of joy straight away. "You ride winners in Cheltenham and you feel relief because there's pressure and so on. But the Grand National is just joy straight away. "I was very lucky when I got linked up with Henry DeBromhead. He had a serious yard of horses. "It just elevated my career to a whole new level. You need to get the bounce of the ball essentially and I feel like I got that. "There's so many good riders in the weighing room and there's only a certain amount of races in a day. There can only be seven jockeys or whatever ride a winner in a day. You have to be getting on the right horses to achieve these things." On her future plans, the 35-year old said she was taking her time before deciding what to pursue next but stressed that she felt lucky to be retiring on her own terms. "I wish I knew. I never thought about what I'd do when I'd finish. Because I felt so lucky to be in the position I was. I just wanted to focus on what I was doing. I'm very lucky that I can take a few weeks and try and figure everything out. "I'm so lucky I got to finish when I wanted to. Physically I'm fine. I could go out and ride in the morning if I wanted to. My body is good. "I've had my injuries, I've had my breaks. But I had very good people looking after me. I'm well patched up now. "I was very lucky throughout my career in that sense. I didn't come off too badly on the injury side of it. Every jockey has their falls and I got my share of them. But they could always have been a lot worse."
