THOUSANDS OF mourners turned out last evening to pay their respects to young Galway jockey Jamie Kyne.
Eighteen men and women on horseback provided a guard of honour as the body of the teenage jockey was taken from the family home in Kiltrogue to Lackagh mortuary chapel.
Each of the 18 men and women, members of local riding clubs, represented a year in the life of the tragic young jockey who perished in a fire in England two weeks ago.
The 18-year-old, who his mother said wanted to be the next Frankie Dettori, died along with another apprentice jockey, Jan Wilson (19) from Scotland, when fire swept through their apartment block at Norton in Yorkshire in the early hours of the morning on September 5th.
Hundreds of mourners followed the cortege as it made the short journey from the family home at Kiltrogue to the mortuary chapel beside Lackagh Church.
Poignantly, around 15 loose horses in a field beside the road did several laps as the guard of honour weaved its way along the narrow road.
The body of the jockey lay in repose for several hours as thousands of people filed past to pay their respects.
Jamie will be laid to rest in Lackagh cemetery following 11am Mass this morning in Lackagh Church.
Retired parish priest, Fr John D Flannery, will return to Lackagh as chief concelebrant as the local community pays its final respects to a young man who seemed destined for glory.
Jamie’s family will be joined by hundreds of members of the racing community from Ireland and the UK.
Jamie had been an accomplished hurler with Turloughmore and boxer with Monivea Boxing Club before deciding to concentrate on horse racing.
He left Ireland 18 months ago to pursue his dream in England and had made enormous strides before his life was cut short two weeks ago.
A 37-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the incident, was released later by police.