Book recalls ploughing legend Thady

THE life and times of Thady Kelleher of Dromalour, Kanturk — one of the legendary exponents of the ancient art of ploughing with horses — have been recorded in a book by his sister.

Sheila Foley of Killowen, Newmarket, author of “Star of the Plough”, said she decided after Thady’s sudden death in 2004 to write the book on his ploughing achievements and the memories he left behind.

“He worked all his life with the soil and had a gra for horses. He loved tradition and heritage,” she recalled.

Thady Kelleher captured the Irish senior horse ploughing title on four occasions, twice won the international championship, in effect the world title, and had some forty county awards to his credit.

National Ploughing Association managing director Anna May McHugh, who launched the book at a function in Kanturk, said the publication celebrates a ploughing legend.

A pleasant man with a lovely smile, Mr Kelleher’s great contribution to ploughing and to the success of the national ploughing championships will never be forgotten, she said.

Mrs McHugh said Thady Kelleher was held in high esteem by his fellow competitors and that his passing had left a vacancy that would be hard to replace.

Former Agriculture and Food Minister Joe Walsh sang Thady Kelleher’s praises in a special message published on the back cover of the seventy-five page book, noting that, “He showed precision and skill in equal measure.”