Internet Connemara Pony Gallery, Issue 4, 1.7.1999

Clifden 1954 1st place Stallion Class, shown by A. Faherty Clifden 1956 1st place Stallion Class, shown by A. Faherty Clifden 1958 1st place Stallion Class, shown by J. Little Clifden 1960 1st place Stallion Class, shown by P. Kyne Clifden 1963 2nd place Stallion Class, shown by M. Little Clifden 1964 3rd place Stallion Class, shown by M. Little

MAC DARA No. 91 (G4) was bred among the sand dunes at Dolan from Dolan Rose 1132 who was by Lavalley Star 25. She was registered as blue grey, but her son by Dun Lorenzo followed the coat of his sire and was dun. Foaled in 1949, he was bought by the Society as a yearling and cost them 25 guineas. He won the Society Show stallion class on three occasions, in 1954, 1956 and 1958, the years Carna Bobby was not eligible. He surpassed all previous records by remaining on the stallion list from 1952 to 1972, twenty full years. I find the Society's 'placing' of Mac Dara hard to understand. From 1952 to 1956 he was at Moyard; in 1957 he moved to Joseph Little at Bunowen. His sire Dun Lorenzo was with Josie Conroy just "over the wall" as it were and they stood next door for Dun Lorenzo's last three seasons on the list. In 1960 he moved to Peter Kyne at Knockranny where he spent four years. In 1963 he returned to Joseph Little for a further four years; to Carna for one year only in 1967, back to Bunowen in 1968 (to Josie not the Litties this time) and finally back to Peter Kyne for his last four seasons. What a pity he did not visit Glentrasna, Gowla, or Rosmuc, spend more time in Carna or even have a spell in Oughterard. So many of his years were spent in the Ballyconneely district. He spent two years after leaving Connemara in semi-retirement with Jimmy Jones in Carlow. Many of Mac Dara's best progeny were registered after the period under review in this chapter. Some of the names I have chosen will be familiar to you -- Ripple 1708, Flash Judy 2154, Queen of the Hills 2449, Clonkeehan Tiger Lily 2580 and Abbeyleix Nora 2591. As in Carna Bobby's case, many of his most important sons were sired later in his life.

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