Legend of Irish betting ring Pat O'Hare passes on

MEMBERS of horse racing fraternity from throughout Ireland joined family and friends in paying their final respects to well known Newry bookmaker and business man Mr Pat O’Hare.

Described as ‘a legend of the Irish Betting Ring’ , Pat was a familiar face at tracks in Ireland and throughout the UK. He also owned a number of betting shops.

Pat once smashed the British Record for a betting pitch when paying £235,000 for a rails position at Cheltenham.

His son Robert O’Hare fondly remembers his dad as being not only a loving parent but also a bookmaker, entrepreneur and most importantly a man who “loved a bet and loved laying a bet.”

“Dad loved a bet and he loved laying a bet. He loved football and he always liked horses. His biggest bet was Tenby in the 93 Epsom Derby who finished 10th. His favourite jockey Mickey Kinane won the race. He phoned me after the race saying “that was disappointing as he wanted it to be beaten a short head." He always loved having a bet on football. Having said this if anyone wanted to bet on cricket, baseball, American football absolutely because he loved laying a bet.

“Dad was in the box, which is what you would call where you would stand and take bets, into his 80's. His last day at the race was when he was 80 as he loved it that much. Having said that my father never really retired as he was self-employed and he was talking business up to about 4 weeks before he passed away. He was 93 when he passed but he was betting on the United Spurs match around about Christmas.”

Although Pat may have had the odds stacked against him when he was born into a less economically advantaged position in Newry in the 1930’s, this did not stop the bold businessman from John Martin Gardens in the city from placing a bet against fate when he established his first bookmakers in the early 1950’s at 47 The Mall. This would prove to be arguably the most profitable bet Mr O’Hare ever placed in his life as it the good fortune from his winnings serviced to not only benefit himself but his children and grandchildren as well.

“There are a lot of very successful people in Newry but I always thought that dad was the first of his field that did very well and was known for doing well. He certainly was not the first millionaire in Newry but he was know as the man from John Martin Gardens that did very well. He was born in the 30's and 40's when Newry was not know to be the most thriving town in Northern Ireland.

“He started the business when he was very young in the early 50's. The first betting office he had was on 47 The Mall. Even at this stage he was a greyhound bookmaker. He got his southern licence in the late 50's, started at the bottom of the line and worked his way up very quickly to become one of the top five bookmakers in Ireland in the mid 60's late 70's

“In those days a Northern Ireland resident couldn't have a bookmaker's licence in the south. So, he had to take residency in Carlingford and get the local superintendent to sign off a southern licence. This allowed him to work as a southern bookmaker. This was the only way that a northern bookmaker could get to the likes of Leopards town, Fairyhouse or Galway. “He got his southern licence in the late 50's, started at the bottom of the line and worked his way up very quickly to become one of the top five bookmakers in Ireland by the 60's or 70's. He rose to his fame very quickly because he was just fearless and his business was very good back then. So he moved from 57 to become one of the top 5 bookmakers in Ireland. I would like to think that he would now be in the top five in heaven as well.

”I would have always found dad very witty, he had charisma as he could talk the birds out of a tree. He was very good to his children and grandchildren. He didn't like getting old because this stopped him from doing certain things as he was always looking for the next thing. His career was that of a bookmaker and he will always be known as a bookmaker but apart from that he was also an entrepreneur.

“Although we may have had round 10 or 12 shops at one stage, Dad was famous for being an on course bookmaker. He went to about 80 percent of the Irish tracks. He didn't like the idea of opening on a Monday through to Friday and staying to 9 O'clock at night. He liked the outdoor life. He loved Spain and he had a place in Spain. He also loved the sun, he watched the sun rise in the morning and he would have turned and watched the sun set in the evening.”

Predeceased by his wife Rose, Pat was father of Jacqueline, Dorothy, Pat, Robert, Damien and Barbara.

Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Catherine’s Church, Dominic Street.

Burial took place in St Mary’s Cemetery, Old Warrenpoint Road.