I GREW up in Templeogue, Dublin, where my family home still is, and attended St Pius X National School and Our Lady’s School before graduating from UCD with a B.A. (Hons) in English and History. From school, I dreamed of doing the Irish National Stud course as I was obsessed with horses but it was not on the cards at the time.
1. How did you first get into journalism as a career?
Post-UCD, I started a post-graduate journalism course at UCG before taking up an internship at The Drogheda Independent. I was offered a staff job in their Swords office, The Fingal Independent, part of the Independent Newspapers plc group. Working my way up to assistant editor, after seven very busy years in north County Dublin, I emigrated to the USA on a green card visa.
2. Did you always want to be a journalist?
The twin passions for me were always all animals, particularly horses, and journalism. Both seemed fairly unattainable at first, not being from either a newspaper family or a horsey one! However, everything is possible if you work hard enough at it.
3. Journalistic mentor(s)?
Paul Murphy (retired) editor of The Drogheda Independent and Martin Brennan (retired) news editor of the Evening Herald. Both were demanding, fair, great men for a good story, and workaholics. We all got on like a house on fire.
4. Best advice you were given?
In the equine world – ‘Never stand behind a horse’. In the journalism world – ‘Never stand aside when wrongs are being said and done’.
5. What did you do in America?
I spent three hectic years working in Ohio and Kentucky at my twin loves of horses and journalism. My first job was in a riding school and dressage facility in Ohio. I learned a lot there, the regime was tough and keeping staff even tougher. I remember one big hefty guy climbing out the window of the men’s restroom after just three hours on the job, never to be seen again!
The next stop was News Editor of The Daily Globe in Shelby, Ohio and yes, the title triggered a lot of ‘Clark Kent in a phonebox’-type jokes.
I knew my parents, May and Barry, had arrived to see me when I got calls at my desk from the local Mayor’s office to say that ‘out-of-towners’ who could ‘only be your parents’ were steadily making their way through the snow towards the paper’s offices!
Working at a therapeutic riding school in Mansfield, Ohio, was a great experience. Therapeutic Riding is akin to our riding for the disabled and the benefits to the adults and children alike are enormous. From the back of a horse, you’re taller than anyone else for a start – the children in particular loved that feeling!
My last year in America, I spent living and working on Darby Dan Farm – a big thoroughbred stud in Lexington, Kentucky. It was non-stop horses 24/7. I also took care of and exercised some racehorses at the nearby Paris Pike Training Grounds. I completed the Equine Science and Stud Management course at the Kentucky Horse Park. It was a year of breaking in 12 wild mustangs from the open range, delivering close to 100 foals and breaking in the yearlings at Darby Dan, plus working the flagship Keeneland September Sales.
6. Any equine qualifications?
I hold a Diploma in Equine Stud Management and Equine Science from the Kentucky Horse Park; a Certificate in Equine Science from Limerick University; BHS Stage 1 (HK) (Riding); BHS Stage 2 (HK); BHS Road Safety Cert; Equine AI Technician certificate; Horse Sport Ireland Introduction to Coaching cert; Turf Club Trainer’s Permit course certificate.
7. Midwest America to Middle Abbey Street – worlds apart?
From Lexington, I came back to a roaring Celtic Tiger in full swing – Dublin was absolutely booming at the time. The Irish Independent HQ on Middle Abbey Street was flying, advertising - property in particular - was pouring through the doors. I was not home long before the phone rang and it was Independent Newspapers asking me to take on some shifts. It rolled on from there. After a mad busy two years, I was offered a staff job there and I took it.
Working across their main titles of The Evening Herald, the Irish Independent and the Sunday Independent, I remained part of their main news reporting team for well over the next decade. It was extremely busy, exciting – sometimes awful – with the very nature of whatever was happening on any given day.
8. Most memorable news stories you worked on?
The best stories are the ones that stay unwritten as you cannot get them past the legal team!
There’s plenty of tragic stories – missing people cases – that seem to stay with you forever in one shape or form. One that everyone nearly can relate to would be covering the Joe O’Reilly murder trial and Catherine Scully’s murder trial – the so-called ‘Black Widow’ trial. You learn a lot about human nature down at the Four Courts, maybe more than you want to know.
9. You joined The Irish Field?
After I left the The Irish Independent, I worked one sales season with Miss Pat O’Kelly’s top Kilcarn Stud near Navan. I helped prepare her horses for the Goffs Orby Sale, working with father and son, Seamus and Stuart Lanney, and Paddy Plunkett in 2008.
I joined The Agricultural Trust, which publishes The Irish Field,the Irish Farmers Journal and Irish Country Magazine, in November 2008. Succeeding Caitriona Morrissey (née Murphy), I was appointed editor of Irish Horse World in 2016 by Journal editor Justin McCarthy. Leo Powell, editor of The Irish Field, has proved a great support and trusted advisor.
10. Describe a ‘typical’ week?
2020 has been anything but typical! I’m extremely proud of the way the entire team across all departments stepped up to the plate and produced excellent issues each week for readers of both papers during this extraordinary year for us all. With the pandemic, in came remote working. Now in its 150th milestone year, The Irish Field is a very busy place. You are always making plans, commissioning copy, handling queries, writing reports. The press deadline is Friday. To get the paper out, we have a huge amount of interaction with our top production team of Domhnall Dervan, Niall Connolly and Anthony Murphy throughout each day of the week.
11. The Irish Horse World editorial team you lead?
Ultra-talented Galway journalist Judith Faherty has made a fantastic name for herself since joining the paper on staff five years ago. Judith gives 100% to the job and is a pleasure to work with. Rachel Moriarty, who edits Horse Sense, is a great support on the digital side but everyone across all departments plays a vital role in the paper. On our side of the house, our main equestrian contributors are the best in the business: Margie McLoone, Sally Parkyn, yourself Susan, Emer Bermingham, Roisin Sheridan, Noel Mullins and Dickie Power, Ruth Loney and Louise Parkes. Photographically, the main contributors are Laurence Dunne, the Equus Pix team; Catherine Power, Siobhan English, Tadhg Ryan, Louise O’Brien, Lorraine O’Sullivan and Radka Preislerova. We have great relationships with the top photographers on the international circuit.
12. Favourite sporting moment?
Team Ireland winning the Aga Khan is always very special in the stunning RDS main arena.
13. What are the biggest challenges facing the sport horse sector?
Always the ‘poor relation’ of the Irish equine industry, the industry will remain at a crossroads without greater Central Exchequer funding. Brexit poses massive challenges while Covid-19 has rattled the very freedoms we all took for granted.
14. Best part of the job?
The combination of non-stop horses and journalism all rolled into one! This industry has become more professional in recent years and is moving in the right direction.
15. Least favourite part of the job?
Any job that deals with the public has its challenges and mine is no different that way. There’s rude and ruthless people in every walk of life.
16. Animal welfare is an important issue for you?
Yes it is. How a society treats its vulnerable people and its animals speaks volumes about it. Every civilised society must hold itself to certain standards. When it comes to horse sport, the eyes of the world are upon us and we have to be up to that mark. We have to be our own greatest critic in this area to ensure that all-important social licence for animal-based sports. There is no two ways about that.
17. Social media – yes or no?
No, I can do the basics but Judith and Rachel can thankfully run rings around me here! Social media is wonderful for business promotion and marketing. I think that is its true power and use.
18. You’ve won the Euromillions jackpot – what would you do?
Hmmm...that could be a very long list! I’d set up a Foundation to help make a difference to the lives of people and animals that really need it and take it from there.
19. Favourite getaway corner?
Thatcher Alan Grimes is currently doing a terrific job re-thatching my pre-famine times cottage in Co Westmeath so that’s very exciting.
20. Any big ticket items on the bucket list?
Plenty, but that’s another chapter!