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Daragh Nolan, 19 Apr
Returning to the house that she spent many of her early years in, Diana
Conolly Carew was nothing short of mobbed at the launch of her exhibit
in Castletown House. The freshly opened showcase to the public has a
trove of memorabilia and mementos from Diana's illustrious equestrian
career in the house that she lived and learned to ride horses until she
was in her twenties, when it was sold.
Diana in the truest sense of the word was a trailblazer in women’s
sport in 1960s Ireland and she broke into the male-dominated world of
equestrian and show jumping. Her presence in the sport at that time was
only further justified by the incredible success that she had.
In 1963, Diana became the first woman to win an Aga Khan medal for
Ireland on the first Irish team to have civilian riders. She also
represented Ireland on numerous occasions, including the Olympic Games
in Mexico City 1968.
Speaking at the launch of the exhibit Diana said, “It is wonderful to
be back in this place and marvellous to be so well looked after.”
The photographs on display in the stables at Castletown cover her
career up to 1966, when the family left the house. It includes her main
RDS wins: the Aga Khan in 1963, Supreme Hunter championship in 1965 and
the Grand Prix in 1966.
Newspaper clippings from the time of Diana’s career are also displayed
and show the context of a woman who was dominating a sport in the 50s
and 60s. The Daily Express ran with the headline “Powder and lipstick
in the horsebox…for the rider who likes to stay pretty” for a story
covering Diana in their May 30, 1959 edition.
Famed writer Stanislaus Lynch had far more glowing words for Diana and
her relationship wht the horses he rode.
Lynch wrote, “Her horses too, seem to like her, which unfortunately is
not always the case with many great riders. With her, however, they
seem to reciprocate the kindness and affection which she bestows upon
them.”
Castletown House were also sure to celebrate her partner that she
travelled the world with Barrymore, the most handsome of horses.
Diana in her recounting of her times in Castletown House, where she was
born and raised, let slip that the basement area of the building that
has since been re-designed was once a nightclub for her and her friends
to frequent.
Diana was born at Castletown on April 7, 1940. Her brothers Patrick and
Gerald went to boarding school when they were eight but Diana and her
sister Sarah were educated at home.
Diana was described as a fearless rider from a young age, competing at
the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Horse show from the age of 7. She was
joint master of the Kildare Hunt at 18 and won her aforementioned Aga
Khan medal when she was only 23.
The Diana Connolly Carew exhibit is open to the public now and free to
enter, and you can do so between 10am and 4pm each day.