'A wonderful woman who lived a wonderful life' - Irish racing's great matriarch Maureen Mullins dies aged 94

Irish racing was united in mourning on Wednesday following the death of its great matriarch Maureen Mullins at 94 years of age after a short illness.

Along with her late husband Paddy, a multiple champion trainer who saddled Dawn Run to complete the unique Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup double, Mullins leaves behind an indelible legacy through the remarkable exploits of their children and grandchildren. She was the mother of perennial champion trainer Willie and former champion jockey Tony, and grandmother to record-breaking amateur rider Patrick, multiple Grade 1-winning jockey Danny, Grand National-winning rider David and Grand National-winning trainer Emmet, weaving an astonishing web of dynastic influence over the sport in both Ireland and Britain.

Speaking following her death at her Doninga home in Goresbridge, County Kilkenny on Wednesday morning, her son Tony said: "She died peacefully at home and I suppose that's all we can all hope for. And she had a full life – she missed nothing. It is always a shock but it is nice that she didn't suffer for long."

Maureen Mullins had been one of the most familiar faces on a racecourse for the best part of seven decades having been a key cog in her husband’s long and distinguished training career. More recently, she could be seen frequently attending the track accompanying her children and grandchildren, and she was still undertaking some official duties only a few weeks ago.

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"She cut the ribbon to open the new weighing room at Gowran Park in January and a couple of days after she came down with pneumonia or a flu, and she was in the house since," Tony said. "She was moving around with some assistance up to a few days ago so it was relatively peaceful, and people have been great here."

As well as Tony and Willie – her eldest son – Maureen was mother to Tom, George and Sandra. And her grandchildren have continued the phenomenal family tradition in some style. Patrick, Danny, David, Charlie, Fiona and Emmet have all ridden winners, and in 2022, Emmet emulated his uncle Willie, who landed the 2005 Grand National with Hedgehunter, by plundering the Aintree showpiece with the novice Noble Yeats, six years after cousin David won the race on Rule The World for Mouse Morris.

Maureen Mullins pictured with Aidan O'BrienCredit: Caroline Norris

On Tuesday, Charlie partnered Coco Masterpiece to victory in the bumper for Willie at Thurles, which Maureen didn't miss. 

"In her husband's time, she was a leader around here," Tony said. "She continued her massive interest in racing right up to the very last day. Would you believe, she had €20 win on Charlie in the bumper yesterday – that was her last bet. 

"She was interested right up to the very end. Charlie winning the bumper at Thurles was one of the last things she was aware of, and she said to me before, 'If I can't ever go racing again, what's the point?'. She was able to get out there right to the end which is what she wanted. There is no doubt that, even in her last couple of weeks of sickness, she wanted to know the results every single day, and she was most proud of Willie and Danny's great day in Leopardstown last week. That definitely had her in great humour that night."

Mullins was always recognised as being one of the driving forces behind the success of her husband, who died in 2010, and she excelled in many facets in the sport, including as an owner and breeder. She also rode a winner at her local Gowran Park on board Razzo Forte in a race for wives and daughters of trainers in 1982.

"Maureen Mullins was the face of Irish racing for a lot of us from early on," said former broadcaster and trainer Ted Walsh. "When I was very young, around 11 or 12, and going racing, Maureen and Paddy would be there too with the Jeep and trailer.

"I knew her all my life and she was the same age as my parents. She was Mrs Mullins to me for about 25 years and then she became Maureen.

"I used to enjoy sitting beside her at different functions as she was a great woman with a brilliant knowledge of the game. She lived a great life and she saw her own husband rise through the ranks to become the great trainer that he was and she was very much part of the team. She then saw her own children and grandchildren go on to great success. She was a wonderful woman who led a wonderful life."

As an owner-breeder, Mullins won a number of prestigious Flat handicaps including the Irish Cambridgeshire with I’m Ready in 1979 and Girl In Blue who landed the Irish Lincoln in 1984. Willie steered Pargan to success in his mother’s colours in the GPT Amateur Handicap at Galway in 1985, while Grabel, who she co-owned, was ridden by her son Tony to an extraordinary success in the Dueling Grounds International Hurdle in 1990, the richest jump race ever held in North America.

Kilcruit: owned and bred by Maureen MullinsCredit: Patrick McCann

More recently, she bred and owned Kilcruit, who was named after the village in which she spent her formative years in County Carlow. The Stowaway gelding began his career trained by Tony prior to being sold to race for Willie after finishing runner-up in a Clonmel bumper, and went on to land the Grade 1 bumper at Punchestown in 2021.

Her five children all rode winners on the track and four have been in the winner's enclosure as trainers, while George operates a world-renowned horse transport business.

Much like her husband when he was in his pomp, Willie now exerts an inordinate influence over the jumps scene. He has been champion jumps trainer in Ireland every year since the 2008-09 season and has amassed 94 Cheltenham Festival successes, while Tony and Tom are also both Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival-winning handlers, as is her grandson Emmet.

Mullins will repose at her son George's home in Closutton, Bagenalstown, County Carlow, R21 W725 on Thursday from 3pm to 8pm, with her funeral mass at 12pm on Friday in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Goresbridge, followed by burial in the new cemetery. Family flowers only and donations can be made to the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund.