IRISH NATIONAL STUD

In 1900, the wealthy Scottish brewer William Hall-Walker, on his return from India and after having made his fortune in Indian beer in addition to his military activities, decided to breed horses at Tully, because of the quality of the water of the Tully river and the grass of the Curragh valley. His gamble paid off, as his enterprise quickly became an exceptional stud farm, and he was even knighted by the British Crown in 1915. Located in County Kildare, the Irish National Stud represents the Irish thoroughbred industry. The visit is fascinating and the 223 hectare estate, of exceptional natural beauty, hosts : the Japanese Gardens, completed in 1910 by Japanese jockey and landscape designer Tassa Eida, subtly symbolising the 'life of Man'; the St Fiacre Garden, created in 1999 by landscape architect Martin Hallinan, commemorating the patron saint of gardeners; the Irish Horse Museum, housed in the former Grooms' Hall, whose centrepiece is the fragile skeleton of Arkle, an Irish thoroughbred who won an exceptional number of steeplechase victories; and of course, some of the most beautiful horses in the world! Colonel William Hall-Walker built Tully into one of the world's finest studs, which continues to attract some of the biggest names in horseracing. To conclude with an important anecdote: William Hall-Walker was a keen astrologer and used to chart his foals and then sell them according to their horoscope!