Local woman writes history of Ireland"s love

Anne Holland"s latest book The Grand National: The Irish at Aintree is a celebration of the Emerald Isle"s contribution to the great race in which she discovered that Mullingar has played no small part.The book is her sixteenth effort as an author and her previous volumes are on similar subjects: her 'great loves', horses and hunting.Anne moved to Westmeath six years ago from Wiltshire and has made her home just outside the small village of Rathconrath where she has 'plenty of company' in form of her beloved horses,Anne who is not herself from a 'horsey family' has ridden the Aintree course on Grand National day and says that weekly riding lessons in school holidays meant that she 'never outgrew the pony mad stage'.Although she has ridden and trained horses for most of her life, Anne has remained a 'keen amateur' and still keeps a hunting horse and several foals on her lands.'Believe it or not I have actually lived in quieter places than Rathconrath,' she said. 'I am originally from Tunbridge Wells in the South of England and have always lived in the country, hence my love of horses and hunting.'I have been holidaying in Ireland since I was 10 and my family always came to either Cork or Kerry and then six years ago I made the move and I have to say that I absolutely love Westmeath. I love the people and the countryside and of course the great hunting.'Last week Anne went to Punchestown to see War of Attrition run his first race in two years and was delighted to see the Gold Cup winner receive a round of applause as he ran the final stretch of the course.'To get a horse back to fitness after two years away is really something for the trainer and it was lovely to see him back on form. My latest book is really about celebrating the contribution that the Irish have made to one of the most famous races in the world.'Irish horses have played a part in the National since it started back in 1839 and writing the book was spurred on by the great success that Ireland has had in the race over the last six years and of course last year"s winner Comply or Die was trained by a Mullingar man Martin Dibbs.'But the connection with Mullingar goes back much further than that. Quare Times was bred at Gaybrook and won in 1953; as was Mr Watt which won in 1958, so Mullingar is a very horsey town indeed,' she laughed.'This book is an historical work as well and it was very interesting to find that names of horses can be traced to the political situation of the day. For example there was a very famous horse who won back in 1847 called Matthew after Matt Talbot who founded the abstinence movement. The book looks at the stories behind the horses and what was going on historically at the time of the race.'The book is lavishly-illustrated and examines the Irish presence at Aintree from the festival"s earliest years; Irish horses, jockeys, trainers and breeders who have always been a prominent feature of the big race day.'No two horses have ever been trained alike for Aintree and no two stories have ever been the same,' said Anne.'There are many stories behind these horses: for example a winner"s stuffed head was once found in Beecher"s Brook and there are sad tales, too, such as that of Troytown.'One Irish winner, Workman, saw his owner"s employees lifting doors off their hinges to make an impromptu dance floor. The great-grandson of the owner of the 1903 winner, Drumcree, was met by chance by the author while on a coach to a musical event in Austria.'And the look on Willie Mullins" face as his son, Patrick, told me how he climbed out of the second floor dormitory window in order to reach Aintree for Hedgehunter"s win is I will not forget.'The book is currently widely avaiable in all good book shops and is priced at €29.99. (ISBN 978-1-84717-074-3 PRICE €29.99.FORMAT Hardback 260x197mm).