Barney Curley

Bernard Joseph (Barney) Curley was born one of six children to Kathleen and Charlie Curley. He attended Mungret College with the intent of becoming a Jesuit priest, but several years into his training contracted TB and was hospitalised for nine months. He then owned a bookmaker's shop in Belfast (which went bust) and a pub before going into music management, serving as manager of the act Frankie McBride and the Polka Dots who had a hit on the British singles chart with the song Five Little Fingers.[3] However he decided on a career in thoroughbred horse racing. He was particularly noted for his involvement in the 1975 Yellow Sam betting coup in Britain and Ireland. As a trainer he had stables in County Westmeath and later in the Newmarket area between 1985 and 2012.[4]

Curley was known as a shrewd operator and was suspected of running "coups" against Irish bookmakers. In particular (and his most successful) the 1975 Yellow Sam betting coup which netted him IR£300,000.

Following this success he made a point not to pursue further scams against bookmakers but instead, following a visit encouraged by a friend, he went to Zambia and troubled by the illness and poverty he witnessed founded the charity Direct Aid For Africa (DAFA)[5]

In 1988 he made an extended television appearance on the Channel 4 discussion programme After Dark, alongside among others John McCririck, Margaret, Duchess of Argyll and General Sir Cecil "Monkey" Blacker.

In 1995 his 18-year old son, Charlie, died in a car crash and the following year Curley set up the charity Direct Aid for Africa to support the underprivileged of Zambia.[6]

He helped develop the careers of several leading jockeys including Frankie Dettori and Tom Queally.[7]

Barney Curley died peacefully at his home, a stud farm near Newmarket on 23 May 2021, aged 81.[8]