THE equestrian fraternity in North County Dublin and Louth have been saddened by the sudden and unexpected passing of Fionna FitzGerald-Lyons, who played an active role in hunting, eventing, showing and the Pony Club.

Although Fionna was a very private person, she looked forward to meeting all her friends at the annual equestrian events particularly the Dublin Horse Show, Balmoral Show and her trips to Burghley, Badminton, and a particular memory was at Blair Castle in Scotland, when supporting her daughter Lesley-Anne, who was on the Irish Junior Eventing Team. She was already planning her next winter skiing holidays in Corona in Italy.

Fionna grew up in Bedford House, once the old rectory in Balbriggan. Her father, Dermot, who was a medical doctor and researcher, had such a career influence on his children that they all followed careers in the caring and childcare professions.

Life in Fionna’s home was always about family first, especially the recent addition of her granddaughter Sadie to the family, then her dogs and horses, and when she married her husband John, the number of horses increased and there was a standing order every week for The Irish Field and Horse & Hound, which would be read from cover to cover.

She made sure her children were all mounted on the most suitable ponies, which gave them the confidence to go on later to become competent riders. She had exceptionally high standards of dress code appropriate to the discipline, and horses and ponies could not leave the yard unless they were perfectly groomed and all the tack was gleaming. She carried these standards through to her involvement in The Louth Pony Club, where she also served as District Commissioner.

The gallery of photos that adorn the walls of the family home are a permanent reminder of all the many happy occasions in life and in sport. All the members of the family, her husband John and their children Lesley-Anne, Alex, Joshua and Ross, hunted over the years with the Fingal Harriers and the Louth Foxhounds, an environment they used to polish their horses for the show ring. There are other photos of Fionna being presented with rosettes at Balmoral Show and the Dublin Horse Show on her horses Gentleman Bear, Gentle Bear and Quality Street, and of John’s favourite hunter, Saint.

But she would often admit that her greatest fault was, after putting so much work into preparing her horses for the show ring, she found it very difficult to allow herself to sell them on, and consequently the horses benefitted as many found a good home under Fionna’s care in their retirement.

Fionna will be sadly missed by her family and her wide circle of friends. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Lesley-Anne and sons Alex, Joshua and Ross and her granddaughter Sadie, also by her mother Terri, her brothers Shane and David, in laws, relations and a wide circle of friends.

A humanist ceremony of remembrance in honour of Fionna was held at Dardistown Crematorium last Monday.

– Noel Mullins