Fr Sean Breen: FR SEÁN Breen, who has died aged 71, was parish priest of Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare. Widely known as a shrewd tipster and lucky racehorse owner, he was a familiar face at the Cheltenham Festival for more than 40 years.
Speaking at the reception of Fr Breen’s remains at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said: “He was not a sacristy priest, but one who reached out to all walks of life, through his own personality which was larger than life . . . Seán ministered with his talents and his weaknesses and without self-seeking. The secret of his being well-loved was just that.”
He first attended the Cheltenham Festival in 1964, where he witnessed the first of Arkle’s three victories in the Gold Cup. Assuming the mantle of unofficial chaplain to Irish punters during Cheltenham week, he celebrated a special Mass at a local hotel each year. In the 2005 Gold Cup, Kicking King, which had been doubtful for the race, galloped first past the post after being blessed by Fr Breen before the off.
As an owner he enjoyed more luck than most. With two friends he formed the Heavenly Syndicate which raced a horse named One Won One, winner of 12 races, including a Group 3 sprint at the Curragh and five listed races, and bagged €700,000 in prize-money.
Trained by Joanna Morgan and ridden by Kieren Fallon, One Won One secured victory in the President’s Cup in Abu Dhabi in 2001. Fr Breen was also co-owner of Portant Fella, winner of 15 races, four of them in three weeks in 2006.
He wrote a weekly column for the Kildare Post, tipping the Grand National winners of 2005 (Hedgehunter) and 2006 (Numbersixvalverde). And he weighed up the runners and riders for listeners to Kildare FM.
Some in the hierarchy were uncomfortable with his association with horseracing. Until the mid-1960s priests in Ireland were prohibited from attending racemeetings, but the interdict was unpopular and not always observed.
Fr Breen was dismissive of those who continued to disapprove: “There is nothing in the Bible that says you can’t gamble.”
His advice to punters was: “If you have a bet, stick to your first choice, and only gamble what you can afford to lose.” He took his own advice, usually betting about €10 each-way.
Cheltenham, for him, was a social occasion as much as anything else and he enjoyed meeting up with old friends.
Popular in racing circles, he had a racehorse named after him. The Breener was English trainer Oliver Sherwood’s first winner, and subsequently won the Challow Hurdle before finishing third in the Supreme Novices’ at Cheltenham. The following season he won his first steeplechase, but in his next outing fell and broke his neck at Cheltenham.
Joanna Morgan said: “He was so lucky in racing that people would give him a share [in a horse] hoping to enjoy the same good fortune. He helped me get started as a trainer when I retired from race-riding.”
Born in Cavan in 1937, Seán was one of the seven children of John M Breen and his wife Jenny. His father taught Latin and mathematics at St Patrick’s College, Cavan. A promising tennis player as a boy, Seán reached the semi-finals of the under-18s competition at Fitzwilliam.
He studied for the priesthood at Clonliffe College, Dublin, and was ordained by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid in 1962.
He served initially as assistant priest in the chaplaincy of Mount Carmel hospital, and later in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, and Ballymun.
He served in Sandyford, Navan Road and Templeogue between 1972 and 1995.
He was then appointed parish priest of Eadestown before moving to Ballymore in 2004.
Initially unhappy at the move, he got into the swing of things in his new parish where he was known as a popular and hardworking priest.
Fr Breen was not only a familiar figure at Cheltenham and at Irish racecourses, but he was also a regular at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. His close friendship with Niall Quinn in 2007 led him to visit Sunderland to bless the Stadium of Light.
He is survived by his brothers Fr Dan, retired parish priest of Avoca, and Kieran, nine nephews and four nieces.
Seán Macarius Breen: born March 9th, 1937; died January 15th, 2009