Kind-hearted Limerick man asks for photo taken in Laois of dog that won €100k tractor placed on his coffin

There is sadness at the death of Patsy Dalton who made headlines in Limerick and around the country two years ago after his dog Toby won him a €100,000 John Deere tractor.

The Limerick man wrote down his dog’s name when he entered a raffle to raise money for a community centre in the south Laois village.

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 work coats 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, from Galbally, asked for the photo above with him and Toby, taken after the tractor win in Laois take by Laois photographer Alf Harvey, to be placed on his coffin.

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 Vision Group went down to pay their respects.

It's understood that when he learned they fell short by €1,500 in their raffle, but Patsy quietly covered the shortfall.

Mr Dalton bought the ticket at a machinery auction in Portlaoise ahead of the draw on St Patrick’s Day.

It was pure luck that Mr Dalton was there that day as he had previously forgotten the tax book for a jeep he was selling and had to come back again. He bought two raffle tickets for €50 and put down the names of the couple’s beloved pooches Toby and Susie. 

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 at his funeral Mass.