Gay McKenna
{{short description|Irish greyhound trainer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use Irish English|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox horseracing personality
|name = Gay McKenna
|image =
|caption =
|occupation = Trainer
|birth_place = Birr, County Offaly, Ireland
|birth_date =
|death_date = 10 September 2004
|career wins =
|race =
Irish Classic wins:
Irish Greyhound Derby
(1965, 1966, 1970, 1972)
Irish Cesarewitch
(1970, 1973)
Irish National Sprint
(1960)
Irish Oaks
(1965, 1970)
Shelbourne 600
(1971)
|awards =
|honours =
|horses =
| }}
Gay McKenna was an Irish greyhound trainer who won the Irish Greyhound Derby five times. He was considered the leading trainer in Ireland from 1960 until 1972.{{cite book|last=Comyn|first=John|title=50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland|publisher=Aherlow Publishers Ltd}}
Early life
McKenna was born in Birr, County Offaly. He operated his kennels at Cabinteely, Dublin.{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/greyhound-racing-mckenna-passing-casts-shadow-over-derby-finale-25897515.html|title=GREYHOUND RACING: McKenna passing casts shadow over Derby finale|publisher=Irish Independent}} He was introduced to the sport by his father Joe McKenna who had two finalists in the 1934 Irish Greyhound Derby and won the 1936 Irish Grand National.{{cite book|last=Genders|first=Roy|title=The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 311|year=1981|publisher=Pelham Books Ltd|isbn=07207-1106-1}}
Career
After many attempts, in 1965 he won the Irish Greyhound Derby with Ballyowen Chief.{{cite book|last=Genders|first=Roy|title=The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 90|year=1981|publisher=Pelham Books Ltd|isbn=07207-1106-1}} He repeated the feat a year later with Always Proud. In 1971, Monalee Pride provided the third success for and a fourth and final win in 1972 by Catsrock Daisy.{{cite book|last=Barnes|first=Julia|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File|year=1988|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}
In addition, McKenna also won the Irish Oaks with Drumsough Princess (1965) and Rosmore Robin (1970), the Irish Cesarewitch with Postal Vote (1970) and Rita's Choice (1973), and the Irish National Sprint with Skip's Choice (1960).{{cite book|last=Barnes/Sellers|first=Julia/John|title=Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File, pages 142-143|year=1992|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-22-8}}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19600829/180/0010 |title=Dublin dog impresses with sprint win |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=29 August 1960 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=14 August 2024}}
The four Irish Derby titles remains a record today equalled only by his brother-in-law Tom Lynch.{{cite book|last=Hobbs|first=Jonathan|title=Greyhound Annual 2003|year=2002|publisher=Raceform|isbn=1-904317-07-3}}
Death
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Gay}}
Category:Sportspeople from County Offaly