Paddy Woods recalls the day Arkle came to Tolka Park

But in May 1966, just a few weeks after winning a third Cheltenham Gold Cup in succession, the most famous and greatest steeeplechaser of all-time wowed the packed 8,000 crowd at the iconic northside Dublin football venue.

Woods, who sadly passed away at 93 today, rode Arkle out every morning in Greenogue and even won a race on him at Gowran Park in 1962 as well as winning two Irish Grand Nationals for Dreaper in 1963 and 1965. “We arranged the match and then someone suggested if we could get Arkle to be brought to it. I said ‘Jesus I don’t know about that.’“He said that’s up to the Duchess and the first day she was in the yard I asked her if there would be a chance of bringing Arkle to Tolka Park to a football match.

Incredibly the match was refereed by Noel Purcell, the distinguished Irish actor who was later to be given the freedom of the city having starred in Hollywood films like Moby Dick and Mutiny on the Bounty. “They had nothing with them, not a f**king thing, no boots or nothing. They were in the dressing room and there was a swanky, uppity fella giving out the jerseys and he was trying to keep count of who was getting what. The look on his face when he saw the Dubliners, he thought we were having him on that these lads were playing.

“They played anyway but then we had a donkey derby afterwards, the site of Barney and Ronnie and the lads trying to ride an ass. It bet all. It was madness.”

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