Irish National Stud
Encyclopedia
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse breeding facility based at Tully, Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It was formally established by incorporation on 11 April 1946 under the National Stud Act, 1945 and is owned by the Irish Government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
.
History
The Japanese Gardens at Tully were created between the years 1906-1910. Devised by Colonel William Hall-Walker (later Lord Wavertree)William Walker, 1st Baron Wavertree
William Hall Walker, 1st Baron Wavertree was a British businessman, politician, art collector, and an important figure in Thoroughbred racehorse breeding.-Background:...
, a wealthy Scotsman of a famous brewery family and laid out by Japanese craftsman Tassa Eida and his son Minoru.
Tassa Eida, his wife and two sons, Minoru and Kaiji, lived at Curragh House, which is now the Racing Apprentice Centre of Education. The name Minoru which means 'light of my eye' or the 'favourite one' was chosen by Colonel Hall-Walker for his favourite Tully-bred colt. Tassa remained at Tully until 1911 when he and his family moved to London England to create another garden.
When leased to King Edward VII for his racing career the colt Minoru carried the royal colours to victory in the Derby of 1909 to joyous cheers of "Good Old Teddy!" Eida died in 1912 on his intended return journey to Japan and no more was heard of him or his family until Brian Eida, a son of Minoru, turned up as a tourist in the late 1980s to admire the work of his grandfather Tassa.
In 1915, Colonel Hall-Walker departed to England, presenting his entire Tully property to "The Nation." His Stud Farm became the British National Stud and the Japanese Gardens entered a period of relative obscurity until 1945. In that year (Tully properties having returned to the Irish Government in 1943) the Irish National Stud Company was formed. In the following year, 1946, after a gap of 34 years, the Japanese Gardens got a horticultural supervisor.
The Japanese Gardens
The Gardens, planned to symbolise the 'Life of Man', are now of international renown and are acclaimed as the finest Japanese Gardens in Europe.The gardens at Tully are a living monument to the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures in a Western setting. The symbolism of life the garden portrays traces the journey of a soul from Oblivion to Eternity and the human experience of its embodiment as it journeys by paths of its own choice through life. Typical ambitions toward education, marriage, or a contemplative or carefree life, achievement, happy old age and a gateway to Eternity are portrayed. Furthermore as an example of Japanese Gardening of its period, it is perfect - a Japanese Garden with a hint of Anglicisation about it, was precisely the type of garden being made in Japan at that time.
St. Fiachra's Garden
To celebrate the Millennium, this garden was opened in 1999 and commemorates the Patron Saint of Gardeners St. Fiachra or FiacreFiacre
Saint Fiacre was born in Ireland in the seventh century. is an ancient pre-Christian name from Ireland. The meaning is uncertain, but the name may mean "battle king", or it may be a derivative of the word "raven"...
.
The Horse Museum
The horse museum at the Irish National Stud has on display the skeleton of ArkleArkle
Arkle was a famous Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. A bay gelding by Archive out of Bright Cherry, his grandsire was the unbeaten flat racehorse and prepotent sire Nearco. Arkle was bred at Ballymacoll Stud, County Meath by Mrs. Mary Alison Baker of Malahow House, near Naul, County Dublin...
.
Governance
All shares in the stud's holding company are vested in the Minister for Finance of Ireland, aside from nominal shareholdings provided to directors. The directors are appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, including the Chairperson.Leading breeder Chryss Goulandris
Chryss Goulandris
Chryss Goulandris, Lady O'Reilly , also known as Christina or Chryssanthie, is one of the richest women associated with Ireland, and holds both USA and Greek citizenship, she owns a major horse breeding operation located in Ireland, France and other countries and has been Chairperson of the Irish...
, Lady O'Reilly, has been Chairperson since 1998.
See also
- List of Acts of the Oireachtas
- National Stud Act, 1945
- National Stud Act, 1953
- National Stud Act, 1969
- National Stud Act, 1976
- National Stud (Amendment) Act, 1993
- National Stud (Amendment) Act, 2000
- Royal ChargerRoyal ChargerRoyal Charger was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was successful in racing but even more so as a sire. He was the son of the very important sire Nearco.-Racing career:As a three-year-old, Royal Charger finished third in the 2000 Guineas...
- The National StudThe National StudThe National Stud is a United Kingdom Thoroughbred horse breeding farm located two miles from Newmarket. The Stud originated in 1916 as a result of a gift by William Hall Walker of the entire bloodstock of his stud farm in Tully, Kildare town in County Kildare, Ireland...
(EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
)