Civic honour granted to superstar Rachael Blackmore

The highest civic honour Tipperary can offer has been bestowed on sporting superstar Rachael Blackmore.
Tipperary County Council accorded a virtual civic reception to the Killenaule jockey last Thursday evening from the civic chamber in Clonmel.
It was attended by Rachael and her proud parents, Charles and Eimir, who as a family were humbled and moved by the decision taken by the council to grant the civic honour. The virtual ceremony not only captured the formal granting of the civic honour but provided a wonderful insight into the life of the jockey and her historic achievements this year.

MAGICAL
It told a magical story of family, community, a fierce determination to succeed and of dreams coming true.
Host Paul Collins of Ballywire Media brought Rachael on a This is Your Life journey as those watching the live stream heard stories about Rachael from her early years up to the present day from family, friends, neighbours and people in the horse racing industry.
As the Grand National was shown Rachael provided a marvellous sense of what was going through her head as she navigated Minella Times to victory in the Grand National at Aintree. She also took the viewers through her five wins in Cheltenham where she secured the leading jockey accolade and rode Honeysuckle to victory in the Champion Hurdle.
Speaking to the audience linked up to the virtual ceremony Rachael thanked everybody who sent her letters and messages of congratulations.

‘AMAZING’
“When I came back to Killenaule it was amazing to see pictures in the houses and the banners of congratulations in the streets.
“It means so much. You can really feel how it affected people.
“It is the people that make it so, so special,” she said. Rachael said she was privileged to do a job she loves. She said her first memory of horse racing was watching the Grand National as a young girl of seven or eight in a friend’s house where they were doing a sweepstake.
“We are steeped in horse racing,” Rachael told the audience and said she was surrounded by it growing up.
“There was never any other path I was going to go down,” said the jockey.
In the formal part of the ceremony, the then Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Cllr Michael Smith, said he was honoured to propose according the civic reception to Rachael on behalf of the citizens of Tipperary.
It was granted, said Cllr Smith, in recognition of her historic achievements in Cheltenham and Aintree and for bringing so much honour to her native county.
Cllr Smith said the tributes paid during the ceremony by councillors and everybody else who featured were all deserved.
Handing over the scroll recording the civic honour, Cllr Smith said: “Rachael you have lifted the spirits and hearts of everybody in the darkest of times.” Joe MacGrath, CEO of Tipperary County Council said he was honoured to be in the chamber for such an event and to reflect with Rachael on her remarkable achievements earlier this year.
The county manager said it was very clear that Rachael was so rooted in her community of Killenaule and in her county of Tipperary.
“It is an honour to be able to thank you for what you have achieved.
“You gave people huge hope, a ray of light,” Mr MacGrath said.

The highest civic honour Tipperary can offer has been bestowed on sporting superstar Rachael Blackmore.
Tipperary County Council accorded a virtual civic reception to the Killenaule jockey last Thursday evening from the civic chamber in Clonmel.
It was attended by Rachael and her proud parents, Charles and Eimir, who as a family were humbled and moved by the decision taken by the council to grant the civic honour. The virtual ceremony not only captured the formal granting of the civic honour but provided a wonderful insight into the life of the jockey and her historic achievements this year.

MAGICAL
It told a magical story of family, community, a fierce determination to succeed and of dreams coming true.
Host Paul Collins of Ballywire Media brought Rachael on a This is Your Life journey as those watching the live stream heard stories about Rachael from her early years up to the present day from family, friends, neighbours and people in the horse racing industry.
As the Grand National was shown Rachael provided a marvellous sense of what was going through her head as she navigated Minella Times to victory in the Grand National at Aintree. She also took the viewers through her five wins in Cheltenham where she secured the leading jockey accolade and rode Honeysuckle to victory in the Champion Hurdle.
Speaking to the audience linked up to the virtual ceremony Rachael thanked everybody who sent her letters and messages of congratulations.

‘AMAZING’
“When I came back to Killenaule it was amazing to see pictures in the houses and the banners of congratulations in the streets.
“It means so much. You can really feel how it affected people.
“It is the people that make it so, so special,” she said. Rachael said she was privileged to do a job she loves. She said her first memory of horse racing was watching the Grand National as a young girl of seven or eight in a friend’s house where they were doing a sweepstake.
“We are steeped in horse racing,” Rachael told the audience and said she was surrounded by it growing up.
“There was never any other path I was going to go down,” said the jockey.
In the formal part of the ceremony, the then Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Cllr Michael Smith, said he was honoured to propose according the civic reception to Rachael on behalf of the citizens of Tipperary.
It was granted, said Cllr Smith, in recognition of her historic achievements in Cheltenham and Aintree and for bringing so much honour to her native county.
Cllr Smith said the tributes paid during the ceremony by councillors and everybody else who featured were all deserved.
Handing over the scroll recording the civic honour, Cllr Smith said: “Rachael you have lifted the spirits and hearts of everybody in the darkest of times.” Joe MacGrath, CEO of Tipperary County Council said he was honoured to be in the chamber for such an event and to reflect with Rachael on her remarkable achievements earlier this year.
The county manager said it was very clear that Rachael was so rooted in her community of Killenaule and in her county of Tipperary.
“It is an honour to be able to thank you for what you have achieved.
“You gave people huge hope, a ray of light,” Mr MacGrath said.

The highest civic honour Tipperary can offer has been bestowed on sporting superstar Rachael Blackmore.
Tipperary County Council accorded a virtual civic reception to the Killenaule jockey last Thursday evening from the civic chamber in Clonmel.
It was attended by Rachael and her proud parents, Charles and Eimir, who as a family were humbled and moved by the decision taken by the council to grant the civic honour. The virtual ceremony not only captured the formal granting of the civic honour but provided a wonderful insight into the life of the jockey and her historic achievements this year.

MAGICAL
It told a magical story of family, community, a fierce determination to succeed and of dreams coming true.
Host Paul Collins of Ballywire Media brought Rachael on a This is Your Life journey as those watching the live stream heard stories about Rachael from her early years up to the present day from family, friends, neighbours and people in the horse racing industry.
As the Grand National was shown Rachael provided a marvellous sense of what was going through her head as she navigated Minella Times to victory in the Grand National at Aintree. She also took the viewers through her five wins in Cheltenham where she secured the leading jockey accolade and rode Honeysuckle to victory in the Champion Hurdle.
Speaking to the audience linked up to the virtual ceremony Rachael thanked everybody who sent her letters and messages of congratulations.

‘AMAZING’
“When I came back to Killenaule it was amazing to see pictures in the houses and the banners of congratulations in the streets.
“It means so much. You can really feel how it affected people.
“It is the people that make it so, so special,” she said. Rachael said she was privileged to do a job she loves. She said her first memory of horse racing was watching the Grand National as a young girl of seven or eight in a friend’s house where they were doing a sweepstake.
“We are steeped in horse racing,” Rachael told the audience and said she was surrounded by it growing up.
“There was never any other path I was going to go down,” said the jockey.
In the formal part of the ceremony, the then Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Cllr Michael Smith, said he was honoured to propose according the civic reception to Rachael on behalf of the citizens of Tipperary.
It was granted, said Cllr Smith, in recognition of her historic achievements in Cheltenham and Aintree and for bringing so much honour to her native county.
Cllr Smith said the tributes paid during the ceremony by councillors and everybody else who featured were all deserved.
Handing over the scroll recording the civic honour, Cllr Smith said: “Rachael you have lifted the spirits and hearts of everybody in the darkest of times.” Joe MacGrath, CEO of Tipperary County Council said he was honoured to be in the chamber for such an event and to reflect with Rachael on her remarkable achievements earlier this year.
The county manager said it was very clear that Rachael was so rooted in her community of Killenaule and in her county of Tipperary.
“It is an honour to be able to thank you for what you have achieved.
“You gave people huge hope, a ray of light,” Mr MacGrath said.