Why Cahir O'Sullivan left an indelible imprint on the sport he loved

Around 20 years ago I sat beside Cahir O'Sullivan at a celebratory racing dinner. He was a couple of years into his retirement, having served as the Turf Club's chief executive between 1976 and 1999.

Last week, on hearing that O'Sullivan had died at the age of 86, I tried to piece together half-remembered fragments of that conversation, and a smattering of detail from other encounters with a man whose qualities of integrity and intelligence, allied to a formidable work ethic, exerted a profound influence on the Irish racing scene.

At that dinner, I asked O'Sullivan about the changes that had taken place in racing administration during his tenure.