‘Animal lover’: Limerick man asks for photo of dog that won €100k tractor placed on his coffin

THE LATE Patsy Dalton made headlines in Limerick and nationally two years ago after his dog Toby won him a €100,000 John Deere tractor.

The Galbally man wrote down his dog’s name when he entered a raffle in Clough, Co Laois to raise money for a community centre.

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Beloved wife, Philomena said the last thing Patsy said to her was to take care of their dogs Toby and Tanya. Patsy, aged 74, passed away in Milford  after a brave battle with illness for four years.

“Toby was like a person to him. Patsy loved animals - dogs, cats, cattle, ponies, horses. Toby is lonesome after Patsy passed away - he hasn’t settled at all. 

“I had to get one of his workcoats out of a tractor. Toby was smelling it and slept on it last night. You’d be surprised how a dog misses a person,” said Philomena.

Patsy asked for the photo above with him and Toby, taken after the tractor win, to be placed on his coffin. 

Another prized photo was of his GAA days when Patsy played on Limerick U-16 hurling and football teams, winning cups in both. 

The couple are well known and popular as they ran the Bit and Bridle Inn in Limerick Junction and a beef farm.

A huge number of mourners attended his removal, funeral Mass and burial. They came from New York, Canada, UK and all over Ireland.

Members of the Clough fundraising committee even came down to pay their respects. They fell short by €1,500 in their raffle so Patsy quietly paid it.

That was Patsy in a nutshell as he was always generous, supporting local communities, GAA and sports clubs, good causes and wanted to see rural areas thrive.

Philomena (pictured below accepting flowers from members of the Clough committee in 2023) gave a beautiful eulogy at his funeral Mass, describing Patsy as her rock.

“Patsy will be sadly missed by us all - his family, his pet dogs, his animals. He will be a big loss to his local communities which he always tried to support. 

“I will miss him. He was my rock. He was a brilliant, brilliant man, his vision, his energy and his easy way of doing things. I loved him so much, 45 years. He was a brilliant friend, worker, husband and a great provider,” said Philomena to warm applause from the congregation. 

May he rest in peace.