Yesterday I was telling someone about tips for horses and told them about the time Jimmy Mooney went to the Thurles Races with my father and mother about 30 years ago. Jimmy was from The Horse & Jockey near Thurles and a horse from Eddie O Grady's stable was running in the next race. My mother knew that O Grady's stables were near the Horse & Jockey and persuaded Jimmy Mooney to ask Eddie O Grady if the horse had a chance. Jimmy did not know Eddie personally but as the horses left the parade ring he edged over near to where Eddie O Grady was standing and asked him if the horse had any chance. Eddie replied that he would have a better chance himself. He went and told my mother that O Grady's horse had no chance.
The race started and O Grady's horse took off and led by about twenty lengths from start to finish. Consternation.Some weeks later Jimmy Mooney was home and met one of the workers from O Grady's stable and asked him about the horse. He told Jimmy that every year the stable ran a couple of horses for the stablehands to bet on and this was one of those horses.
Coincidence that  yesterday at the Galway Races the same Eddie O Grady produced the winner of The Galway Plate at 10 / 1 and two other winners as well.
The Inland Waterways Association announced at their AGM that The Royal Canal will be reopened from Dublin to Ballymahon next year and all the way to the Shannon in just over two years time. Some low bridges at Ballymahon and Abbeyshrule have to removed hopefully by 2006.
The news this morning told of the death of Irish Olympic athlete Bob Tisdall in Australia aged 89 years. Ronnie Delaney recounted that he had a world record time for the Hurdles but it was not ratified as he knocked down one hurdle. Bob met Ronnie and the other Olymic team members in Rome and brought them out to a beach for a day where Ronnie says he competed with the best in running and jumping practice. May he rest in peace.