Ireland: Irish National Stud

Personally I don't follow horse racing, but I can say I understand it a little more after our tour. The grounds were absolutely beautiful, including a Japanese Garden and St. Fiachra's Garden. In 1900 Col. William Hall-Walker bought a farm at Tully, Kildare and began to breed thoroughbred horses. In 1915 the Colonel gave the Stud to the British Crown and in 1943 it was turned over to the Irish Government. The Irish National Stud Co. was formed in 1945 to promote the interests of the Irish Bloodstock Industry, which it still does today. Although Hall-Walker was very successful in his endeavor to raise winning horses his methods have been described as eccentric as he depended on the constellations and the foal's birth date and time for determining the horses potential as a winner! Apparently some pretty big deals have taken place here in acquiring and selling top thoroghbreds.