Spotlight On: Liam Carroll

Spotlight On: Liam Carroll

Role: Dungarvan Farmers point-to-point secretary

Area: Clonea, Co. Waterford.

This week we caught up with Liam Carroll, who has been a point-to-point secretary at Dungarvan for over 25 years, he tells us about how he got involved with point-to-points, his role as a point-to-point secretary and how point-to-points have changed over the years.

How did you get involved in point-to-pointing?

I started off helping John Kiely build the fences for the point-to-point back in 1970 when I was only 16, back then all the hunts built their own fences, so I am involved now nearly 50 years. I remember we would start building the fences on Stephens day and work right through until just before the point-to-point started.

On the day of the point-to-point my first job was collecting money at the gate, I spent 20 years on the gate before I got offered a promotion and so I moved into the role of chairman and eventually I moved onto being the point-to-point secretary. I have been a point-to-point secretary now for over 25 years and I love the role.

Can you explain your role as point-to-point secretary?

We have a great committee, and everybody pulls together to make sure it all happens on the day. I work quite closely with Tommy, John and Breda Kiely.

My role involves ensuring that everything is in order for the smooth running of the point-to-point on the day. Beforehand I organize things such as sponsorship, to booking doctors and an ambulance, to making sure that we have enough committee members, the list is endless.

On the day of the point-to-point, I am the first point of contact for all committee members and I make sure that things such as the cups are presented to each winner of the race to resolving any issues we may face on the day. I also try and meet with all our sponsors and thank them for their continued support as we really appreciate it.

I have found in recent years the committee member numbers are down and we especially lack the involvement of a younger generation. We would love to see younger people get involved as it is a great committee to be part of, so anybody thinking about getting involved please don’t hesitate to contact us.

What is the biggest change you have noticed point-to-pointing?

The professionalism is by far the biggest change, both on and off the track. The four-year-old maidens are gone so professional now. It’s very impressive how they get the young horses ready to run so well first time out.

There is no such thing as a typical hunt horse anymore, even with the hunt races there is a huge difference. A hunt race back then used to have an older type of horse from seven-year-old and upwards but not anymore, they are all younger horses even in the confined, it’s all gone very professional.

I also think that the involvement of hunts in the organizing of the point-to-points has changed over the years. I feel in another couple of years you won’t need a hunt to organize a point-to-point, it will just be committees who organize them.

Do you have an interest in horses outside of point-to-pointing?

I always would have kept a couple of point-to-pointers, track horses and mares over the years. Clodagh’s Pet and Clodagh’s Choice were two mares that I had myself. I have a mare at home at the moment that is a half-sister to a good horse Joseph O’Brien has, Us And Them, so it’s great to be able to breed out of a mare with a good pedigree.

I am not involved in the training side of point-to-pointers and track horses as much since I retired, but I still am involved through syndicates, in particular, The National Stud syndicate. I love going racing in my spare time, it is a great interest to have.  

Can you tell me about one of your racing memories?

My family are all very involved in horses but one of my fondest memories would have to be when we won our first point-to-point with Clodagh’s Pet at Bartlemy.

My daughter is called Clodagh, so that’s where all my horses’ names came from and we brought the cup home to my father Michael and he got very emotional, he said to me all we ever won was a rosette at Dungarvan, he was proud as punch. We all went to the local pub that night and filled the cup up with drink, it was a great day.

What might readers be surprised to know about you?

I am a member of the local golf club at Dungarvan. I am also quite involved with the GAA club at Stradbally, anything that involves sport, I love to be a part of. I retired five years ago and since then I have been helping out in the local school and church, and I often wonder how I ever had time to go to work as I am so busy now. I love being part of the local community and I try and get involved wherever I can.

What do you do outside of racing?

I am retired now, but before I retired, I worked with the Department of Agriculture for 42 years. I was the district superintendent in Cork, Kerry, Waterford and Kilkenny and I oversaw anything to do with grants for environmental schemes. I loved it, I fell into Department of Agriculture by an accident after college, a vacancy came up there and I decided to go for it, and I got the job and the rest is history.