Grieving Mullinahone Dad savours English Greyhound Derby delight

Weeks after losing his twenty nine year old daughter Brig to cancer,  Mullinahone greyhound trainer Seamus Cahill experienced incredible joy when his dog came home at 28/1 in the richest dog race in the world, the English Greyhound Derby, on Saturday night.

It was a fairytale ending to the blue riband event as Cahill enjoyed a poignant victory surrounded by family and friends.

Four weeks ago the family were devastated by the tragic passing of Brig who died at St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin where she had recently married the love of her life Davie Cronin.

Fighting Non Hodgkins Lymphona for the last year, Brig(pictured above on her wedding day)  had  dedicated herself to Rehabcare in Clonmel, supporting people with mental health issues and intellectual disabilities for the previous eight years.

Said an emotional Seamus talking to The Nationalist - “I think Brig was rooting for us from above. The win gave a great lift to the whole family after what we have been through in the last few weeks.

"It was a very, very special night for the family. Brig had the date of the Derby pencilled in and she was looking forward to being there but unfortunately  she was not able to live to see that day". 

Seamus has  been inundated with phone calls and messages of goodwill from his native Mullinahone since rank outsider Astute Missile romped home on a night of high emotion at Towcester racecourse.