BERNARD Byrne was one of those charismatic individuals that lit up the collecting ring with his rapid-fire wit and kindly advice, and his recent loss has left a blank space in the sport horse and racing worlds.

A renowned young horse producer, hurling fan, film stuntman and avid horse racing follower, he was also part of a successful treble act consisting of himself, wife Claire (Devlin) and daughter Alicia, on the Irish and UK show circuits.

Bernard was the quintessential ‘proud dad’ after one of Alicia’s numerous wins, usually with the Connemara legend that is Blackwood Fernando. Equally, he was the first to congratulate others and his ability to crack a joke with an owner or rider and to lift their day when things went wrong endeared him to many.

A Wicklow man through and through, Bernard played hurling with the local Enniskerry team and was a member of the winning county final team in 1980. He attended many local matches and point-to-points, having trained several winners, always keeping tabs on both ones he had broken in and the local runners.

Breaking in a youngster typically took Bernard four to six weeks, but he went at a pace that suited each horse and spent many days driving them in long reins along the local road.

“Many locals would stop to have a chat with him, while teaching the horses patience to stand. He went to Cheltenham once, but due to the commitments in the yard, he couldn’t make it a regular trip. However, he never missed a big race and watched all of them on TV, both national hunt and flat,” said Alicia.

Bernard would have been touched to have known that winning trainer Willie Murphy, of Ballycurragh Stud, paid tribute to him on Racing TV after Clonmeen won the Tote, Never Beaten By SP Handicap Chase at Punchestown. The Stowaway gelding, one of many broken in by Bernard, won for Kiltegan owner-breeder Stephen Campion on New Year’s Eve.

That was less than a fortnight after Bernard’s family and wide circle of friends gathered for his Funeral Mass in The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Enniskerry, celebrated by his cousin, Fr Pat Byrne.

Alicia paid a special tribute to Bernard in her eulogy at the Mass; “It is impossible to put into words how much dad meant to myself and mum. I have been so privileged to have him by my side for the last 30 years. He has been my biggest supporter and, most importantly, teacher and inspiration. Unfortunately, I still had so much to learn from him. His loss will forever leave a gaping hole in both our hearts.

“However, we are not the only ones; dad’s larger-than-life personality and never-ending kindness meant that he touched the hearts of so many people. The messages of support over the last couple of days have been overwhelming, especially with the wonderful memories you all have of him. I have heard his voice over and over through your memories of his special greeting or nickname for you – it was rare for anyone to escape his quick wit and sense of humour.”

Alicia described how her parents met while they were both working in Seamus McGrath’s yard in Sandyford, where Bernard’s skill in breaking in yearlings was renowned.

“It was here that he met mum; he worked hard to catch her attention early on, although he would still deny it to this day.

“In later years, he turned his attention to producing Connemaras and Irish Draughts for the showring. He enjoyed all the big shows: Dublin, Clifden, Balmoral and, more recently, the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). He was always incredibly proud of all the big wins, but HOYS really made him speechless.

A ‘proud dad moment’ after Blackwood Fernando (Fred) and Alicia won the Connemara High Performance championship at Clifden in 2022 \ Susan Finnerty

“Dad was truly a joy to watch working with horses; a natural horseman. He showed every horse kindness, love and patience. However, I have to mention his all-time favourite: Fred (or Blackwood Fernando). Most of you know how incredible Fred is, but he was always dad’s pride and joy. I’m sure he will probably miss him as much as we will.”

Alicia and the then 24-year-old Blackwood Fernando made their HOYS debut in 2021, winning one of the Mountain & Moorland working hunter sections. Last February, in her Best of Both Worlds feature, the school teacher described how the HOYS atmosphere got to even the normally unfazed ‘Fred’, saying: “He knew it was different. Outside the ring, he is a big softie and walking from the stables up to the arena, he was worried without dad by his side, so he would stop and wait for him to catch up!”

In her eulogy to their talisman, Alicia continued: “I will be forever grateful for the time we spent together travelling the country for shows and putting in all the hard work behind the scenes. We couldn’t have done all this without mum holding down the fort at home.

“Dad’s kindness and patience didn’t stop with horses. He loved people and always aimed to do everything he could to help anyone in need. He particularly loved encouraging young riders at shows – and many older ones too. I could go on forever about how wonderful he was to us all.

“He also had so many fantastic memories of working in the film industry as a stuntman. These films will always be incredible for us to look back on and see him in action once more.”

The Irish R.M, Into The West, Braveheart, Michael Collins, Far and Away, King Arthur, Scarlet, Durango and Ella Enchanted are amongst Bernard’s film credits. In Durango, he doubled for Brenda Fricker. “They called him Bernadette on set and he was a great lookalike,” joked Alicia.

Some of Bernard’s good friends from the film and hunting circles - Derek Hamilton, Ray Doyle and Philippe Zone - formed a guard of honour on horseback at Bernard’s funeral, while Philip Lazenby blew the hunting horn at the graveside.

“Mum and myself would like to thank our neighbours, who are always there to help. Thank you to Fr Pat Byrne and Nicole Brown for the beautiful ceremony and music, our friends and family, who supported us on Saturday night and for all the beautiful words and tributes that were made. You make us proud, nearly as proud as dad made us.”

Alicia also expressed their thanks to the Loughlinstown and St Vincent’s hospital staff and ambulance crew for looking after Bernard.

“It is extremely difficult to sum up dad’s life in a few words, he was definitely one of a kind and he packed so many amazing things into life. They broke the mould when they made you, dad - we will all miss you.”

To Bernard’s family, relatives and many friends, we extend our deepest sympathies.