Tullamore man launches book on politics and elitism in The Irish National Stud

Tullamore man Declan Monaghan launched his book The Irish National Stud, 1900-2025: Horses, Politics and Elitism last week at Maynooth University.

The book was released on Saturday, May 24, and was launch at the Maynooth University event on Thursday (November 13).

The book tells the story of the Irish National Stud, a leading Thoroughbred horse-breeding centre. Using a wide range of historical sources, it shows how the Stud’s development reflects Ireland’s complex political and sporting relationship with Britain.

The narrative begins in 1900 with Colonel William Hall-Walker’s founding of Tully Stud in Kildare. It then covers the period from 1916 to 1944, when Hall-Walker gave the Stud to the British government, sparking decades of dispute over whether Ireland or Britain owned it during the struggle for Irish independence.

The final section traces the Irish National Stud from its creation in 1944 to today, comparing it with the British National Stud and highlighting the influence of major Thoroughbred breeders on the industry in both countries.

Declan expressed his thanks to Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, Professor Ian Speller and all at the Department of History, Maynooth University, and Professor Dónal Ó Haisí for hosting the event, to his mentor Professor Terence Dooley, Carly Silver and Palgrave Macmillan publishers.