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Mick The Miller Sculpture To Be Erected In Killeigh

Thursday, 8 July 2010

One of the Royal Dolton statues of Mick the Miller which were made in a limited edition.

ONE of Killeigh's most famous sons is to be commemorated in a bronze sculpture which will be erected on the village green later this year.
Mick The Miller, the legendary English Derby winner, is perhaps the most famous greyhound of all times but few Offalians realise that he was born and bred in Killeigh.
Antrim born sculptor and greyhound racing enthusiast Liz O'Kane is currently working on the sculpture of the dog in her Dublin studio.
The Ballymena native is in the process of making a clay statue of Mick the Miller and when that is completed it will be cast in bronze.
Liz O'Kane has been commissioned by the Mick the Miller Commemoration Committee, chaired by local man Brendan Berry.
An accomplished sculptor, Liz O'Kane's most famous work if the life size statue of John Count McCormack which stands in the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin.
The Killeigh committee is currently focused on choosing a base for the sculpture, explained Brendan Berry.
'We would welcome input from any members of the public and are aiming to have the project completed later this year depending on fund-raising and the availability of base materials,' explained Brendan.
He thanked all the local people and businesses who had donated funds to the project and the Irish Greyhound Board for their financial assistance.
Mick the Miller was bred by Fr Martin Brophy who was parish priest of Killeigh in the late 1920s.
Whelped in 1926, Mick was considered to be runt of the litter but, though most of the other pups were sold locally, Fr Brophy held onto Mick and he was trained by the priest's neighbour, Michael Greene, a native of Tullamore.
Outlined Brendan Berry; 'When Mick the Miller was born small, it was Michael Greene who insisted that he would be a great greyhound and he raised him like a pet, bottle feeding him like a pet lamb and he walked him for miles around Killeigh to build up his stamina.'
Following the 1929 Derby he was sold for 800 guineas to Wimbledon bookmaker A.H. Williams.
The Sporting Press recorded the occasion; 'The final was a four-runner race and three of the runners, including Mick the Miller, collided at the opening bend, leaving Palantius the winner. But the stewards declared the race void and it was re-run after 30 minutes and won by Mick in 29.96, the first ever Irish trained winner of the race.'
Mick the Miller was later sold to Arundel Kempton who bought him as a present for his wife, Phyllis and he went on to win the Derby again in the following year in 30.24.
He had a third try in 1931 and won the first running of the final but a re-run was ordered due to fighting by another dog and Mick lost out. However, he did go on to win classic races at West Ham, White City and Wimbledon before he died in 1939.
Mick the Miller also starred in the film 'Wild Boy' which was shot in the famous Shepherds Bush studios in England.
Brendan Berry said the committee was delighted with the progress being made on the sculpture.
He added that Liz O'Kane was an ideal sculptor for the project primarily because of her unique talent but also for her interest in greyhound racing.
'This interest stemmed from the fact that her father and grandfather kept greyhounds and in 1948 their dog Priceless Border emulated Mick the Miller's achievement of winning the English Greyhound Derby,' he outlined.
Added Brendan: Liz O'Kane spent the first few months of her Mick the Miller commission researching both Mick and greyhounds in general. This research included visiting the Natural History Museum in Tring near London where Mick is on display, visiting Shelbourne Park racing track, photographing real greyhounds and borrowing a greyhound from Bray trainer Larry Mason on several occasions to model in her studio.'
The Killeigh committee also supplied her with photos, film footage, greyhound books, memorablia and newspaper cuttings relating to Mick and his achievements.
More information on the project can be gleaned from the committee's website www.mickthemiller.com or by contacting 085 1467021.

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