MANY of our readers will be saddened to hear of the death of Margaret McLoone, mother of our regular correspondent Margie and of Kate, Ann and Johnny. She was predeceased by her husband Dinny and son Michael.

She is also survived by her much loved grandchildren Mike and Emma together with their partners Angela and Shane; her sister Nessie, brother Denis, sisters-in-law Aileen and Geraldine and all her family and friends.

Margaret (nee Bergin) passed away at the age of 94. From a very young age, Margaret loved all animals but especially horses.

She was a member of the Meath Pony Club and show jumped at Dublin and was a life member of the RDS.

With her late friend Dot Counihan, she went racing every Saturday, was a member of most tracks in Dublin, Meath and Kildare, loved the flat as much as National Hunt racing.

With Dot, and then her sister Nessie (a one-time book reviewer for The Irish Field) and late sister Dodo, she went to Cheltenham every year for about 35 years. They usually took the ferry then were able to go to auction houses en route and the meeting at Stratford

She was also at one stage secretary for the Fingal Harriers point-to-point and held a permit to train for many years. She had one track winner, Kirower, a 1977 Master Buck gelding which won a bumper at Down Royal under Michael Halford.

Her funeral mass was on Friday morning at 11am in St. Maur’s Church, Rush where she left in a final farewell to the Frank Sinatra song Come Fly With Me. May she rest in peace.