It was the first official outing for Georgina Moloney, the new Racing Post/SIS Betting Shop Manager of the Year (BoyleSports) to the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby final. She said:
“Bockos Diamond is a fantastic winner who was never going to be beaten. The crowd and atmosphere were exceptional and you can see the amount of work that has been put into the new Shelbourne facilities. John Boyle himself is so proud of greyhound racing and this sponsorship. It’s simply been a privilege to be here too.”
One of the first duties for Georgina Moloney, the newly crowned Racing Post/SIS Betting Shop Manager of the Year on her return to Ireland, was to survive a surprise party thrown by family and friends back in her home village of Croom, Co Limerick.
Two days later, hoarse from the ‘few songs’ she has in her repertoire, she returned to work at her BoyleSports shop in Courtfields, Raheen, co Limerick. Next up, was her guest of honour appearance at the BoyleSports Derby final at Shelbourne Park, Dublin. “That was a brilliant night.” She is also looking forward to a visit to Ascot next month with SIS.
Image credit: IMELDA GRAUER
“I’m still coming to terms with the achievement,” she said, having chosen Dreams by Dolores O’Riordan to walk up to at the Awards. “You never think it’s going to be you, especially given such fantastic contestants. I am proud, I’m also proud of the industry I work in.”
Now 42, she has been 20 years in the same shop, originally a Bambury Bookmakers. “I had been working in O’Brien’s sandwich shop in the Crescent shopping centre and my dad picked me up and, on the way back, stopped at this shop to place a bet. I knew one of the members of staff, got chatting and a job interview followed. I was drawn to it, you want to be in it, you can have a conversation with anybody you meet – I have respect for every single person that comes through that door. The social side of managing a shop is vital – that must never change. I see this as my job for life.”
She warmly thanked her staff, including deputy managers Geraldine Copley (who accompanied her before the judges) and Yvonne O’Regan, cashier Jamie Benson and cleaner Sarah Nash. “They are all very proud, as are regional manager Tara Noonan, senior regional manager Shirley Kilmartin and Sinead Crowe, who is head of retail.
“I’d like to thank the Racing Post and SIS for how all the managers were treated through the entire process, especially at Haydock and then the final judging, I was blown away by the attention to detail – though Derek Thompson somehow got me singing Blanket On The Ground! Despite that, we all felt like royalty.”
