Image © Healy Racing
Mikey O’Connor, one of point-to-pointing’s most successful riders, sadly passed away on Thursday.
An ever-present figure within the weigh-tent at point-to-point fixtures for a number of decades, Mikey was first among the winners in February 1999, when he partnered Glitter Girl to success at Kilworth. Since then, he went on to bring his tally within the pointing sphere north of 400.
A tough competitor, he had to overcome significant injuries through his career, most significantly, following a final-fence fall at Boulta in 2014.
By that point, O’Connor had already been crowned champion in the southern region three times, following a number of titanic tussles with Derek O’Connor.
In 2008, Mikey secured his first regional title by just a single win - 51 winners to Derek’s 50 - and 12 months later, the margin was just as tight.
Mikey retained his title in 2009 by again riding 51 winners in the region, just two more than Derek, and he wrestled the title back from O’Connor’s grasps once more in 2013, when once again, the margin between the great rivals was just two winners.
Despite those injury setbacks, Mikey showed great resilience to remain a stalwart of the riding ranks within the pointing fields, returning from those injury setbacks to push his career tally ever higher, culminating in his 429th and final victory within the sphere aboard Joe Daly’s Ebenezer Scrooge in an older maiden at Ballyvodock, to complete a double on the card.
That leaves Mikey in fifth position on the all-time winners list within the point-to-point ranks, having achieved a great personal milestone by usurping Enda Bolger’s 413 victories aboard Quarry Rocco at his local track of Liscarroll in March 2023.
Speaking at the time, Mikey explained the personal significance of the feat.
“When I was 15, I started riding out at Enda’s. The amount that I learned working and schooling there was unbelievable,” he said.
“He was the daddy of point-to-pointing, he was the king.”
“You would be riding against him in a race and out the country, he would just sneak around, getting lengths everywhere. Horses would win races without knowing they even had a race with him on board. He was a master of it.”
Mikey was associated with many notable horses throughout his career, including in the likes of Mick Winters’ talented mare For Bill, whom he partnered on five of her 11 career wins, alongside another of Winters’ top track performers, Rebel Fitz.
In all, Mikey rode 90 winners under rules beginning with the great hunter chaser Just Cassandra. Not only did she supply him with his opening winner under rules when scoring in a Wexford hunter chase in March 2004, but the pair swiftly added two of the most sought-after prices in the domestic hunter chase programme that spring.
Having finished third in the Tetretema Cup, the pair enjoyed a notable spring double when scooping both the Joseph O’Reilly at Fairyhouse and the Champion Hunter Chase in Punchestown within the space of a fortnight.
Realt Dubh, Rule Supreme, Mickey Blue Eyes, Theatre Princess and Benefficient are others to have been associated with Mikey, but unsurprisingly, it was a pair of subsequent Grade 1 winners that stood out for him when he reflected on his career a couple of years ago.
“Forpadydeplaterer was in Mick Winters’, and Tom Cooper rang me one day looking for a good horse. They had wanted to call the horse a certain name, so it had to be an unraced horse.
“How lucky things worked out that I had known the horse in Mick’s yard, and I told Tom that he could be a bit special. I was lucky enough to get to ride him on his debut in a bumper at Galway.
“I had been riding in a point-to-point earlier that day, and myself and my wife got a helicopter out of the field.
“The wind had been bad on the day, and Mago turned to me and said ‘Geez, this doesn’t feel safe’.
“I told her not to worry, but I couldn’t tell her that my stomach was coming up to my mouth at the same time! We were up in the air at that point, so there wasn’t much that we could do. Thankfully we arrived in one piece and Forpadydeplasterer won.
“I also did a lot of the early work with Denman. I rode him a lot as a breaker and did a lot of the schooling with him. I remember one day in Thurles, Adrian Maguire said to me ‘just tip away on him, he is tricky but give him a squeeze along the top and see how you are going.’
“After I gave him a squeeze I must have been 20 lengths clear coming down to the last – he was just awesome.”
Winters was one of Mikey’s biggest supporters, whilst he also rode many winners for the likes of Gerry Cully, Liam Burke, John O’Shaughnessy and James Sheehan to name a few, before he elected to mix continuing to ride with a training career of his own, which brought success both between the flags, and under rules.
In the pointing sphere, his training feats included doubles at Bartlemy in 2008 and 2010, that he also steered to victory himself, whilst on the track he saddled 22 winners, beginning with Phelans Fancy in a Limerick hunter chase in 2006.
Earlier this year, Mikey’s son Dylan followed his father into the saddle, when he had his first ride under rules at Dundalk aboard Men Of Dreams, a horse trained by Mikey himself.
A champion in the pony racing sphere, Dylan has gone on to ride four winners on the flat this year on horses trained by Denis Hogan.
Mikey is survived by his wife Mags, son Dylan, daughters Sophie and Rachel, mother Noreen and twin sister Elaine and we extend our deepest condolences to them at this time.
RIP Notice & Funeral Arrangements
The death has occurred of
Michael J. (Mikey) O'Connor - Knockbarry, Liscarroll and Cappanagoul, Freemount.
Mikey (A lifelong Jockey) passed away unexpectedly but peacefully at Knockbarry, Liscarroll on Thursday, September 4th, 2025.
Michael, husband of Margaret (Mags) and much loved father of Dylan, Sophie and Rachel.
Loving son of Noreen and the late Bob, twin brother of Elaine (Palmer), brother-in-law Alan.
Dear uncle of Kate and Aaron, uncles Jack and the late Pat, Mike, and P.J., aunt Chrissie, cousins, neighbours and a large circle of friends.
May Mikey rest in peace
Reposing in O'Keeffe's Funeral Home, Bank Place, Buttevant (P51 N2NP) on Sunday evening from 5:30pm to 8:00pm, followed by Prayers.
Reception into St. Joseph's Church, Liscarroll on Monday morning for 12 noon Requiem Mass, after which Mikey will be laid to rest in St. Brigid's Cemetery, Buttevant.
The family wish to thank the 'First Responders', Ambulance service, Air ambulance, the Fire service and every person that helpedon the day.
