Tributes paid to Luke Mullins, uncle of Willie and former Galway manager

John Moloney, former manager of Galway racecourse, on Saturday paid tribute to his predecessor Captain Luke Mullins, who died suddenly on Friday at the age of 97.

Moloney said: “Luke became manager at Galway in 1971 after retiring from the Irish Army and oversaw a lot of development at the racecourse including turning the festival – which used to be a two-day affair – into a six-day meeting during his time as manager.

“During his time at Ballybrit, he certainly brought Galway forward until his retirement and when I took over the role in 1989 he was a great help to me in my early days in the job."

Mullins, uncle to Irish champion trainer Willie, enjoyed a major success as an owner when Negrada, trained by his brother, Paddy, and ridden by Sean Treacy, landed one of the festival’s major prizes, the Galway Hurdle.

"He had a terrific interest in racing and loved his time in Galway where he was very popular," Moloney added.

Trainer and former champion jump jockey Tony Mullins, a nephew of Mullins, said: “Negrada winning the Galway Hurdle meant a lot to Luke. He was a great character and had a broad knowledge of horses and racing.”

Mullins, who joined the Defence Forces in 1941, later served overseas in Cyprus with the Armoured Car Group of 9th Infantry Group (1967-68).