The death of renowned amateur jockey John Thomas McNamara, three years after being paralysed in a racecourse fall, will not be in vain, mourners have said.
Hundreds of family, friends and leading lights from the world of racing turned out to pay respects in the village of Manister, Co Limerick, near the rider's home and stables.
Known as JT to all, including punters, the 41-year-old respected horseman was said to have lived his last years with strength, courage and determination after breaking his neck in a fall at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013.
20-time champion jockey Anthony McCoy, a friend of McNamara, echoed the sentiments of owner JP McManus who said his death will ultimately help other injured jockeys.
"JP's right about that. His life, it hasn't been lost in vain," the retired jockey said.
"A lot of good came out of it. A lot of people got brought together."
McCoy was among dozens of jockeys, trainers, breeders and others from the racing fraternity who gathered at the little white chapel in a part of rural Ireland synonymous with thoroughbred racing and breeding.
A hugely successful amateur and rider of 600 winners, McNamara's contemporaries considered him to be as skilled a horseman as virtually any professional.
"We ask the angels to take good care of you. We love you dad."
His widow Caroline revealed just how deep those passions ran in a humorous yet moving tribute.
"You always knew where you stood with John. He was straight, witty, honest and extremely direct," she said.
Recalling the birth of their second child, son Harry, she said: "He was more concerned on how long the labour would be as he needed to be in Punchestown that afternoon to ride L'Ami.
"I'm still wondering which he was more delighted (about), the win or Harry."
Mourners openly cried as the young son read a poignant prayer of the faithful.
"Thank you God for my dad," Harry said.
"We ask the angels to take good care of you. We love you dad."
Harry and his siblings Dylan and Olivia bade their own farewell by placing single white roses onto his coffin as the burial took place.
Ms McNamara told mourners the tributes over the last week were a testament to her husband, "even though he could be quite grumpy at times, he seemed to be well liked".
She also paid tribute to the work of Irish Injured Jockeys, the Irish Turf Club and Britain's Injured Jockeys Fund.
And she spoke about her husband's capacity to cope with his paralysis.
"There were many, many difficult days but his sheer determination and strength of character gave him three years and four months to spend with us and allowed Dylan, Harry and Olivia to form precious memories," she said.
Ms McNamara ended her eulogy with a hint of what might have been.
"I never knew that the only person John was afraid of was me," she said.
"It's a pity I wasn't aware of this sooner as I could have used it to my advantage and had a few more wins myself."
"There was a great love of him and his family. We were all so proud of him and how he handled it, as I say he did not die in vain."
Ruby Walsh, friend and Irish champion jockey, gathered weighing-room colleagues, local breeders and riders into a guard of honour as the remains were shouldered to the neighbouring graveyard.
McNamara rode many winners for McManus in his famous green and gold silks.
"He didn't die in vain in that so much good came out of it. So many people will be so much better off in the future, so many people who have injuries," McManus said.
"People have rallied round when he got injured.
"There was a great love of him and his family. We were all so proud of him and how he handled it, as I say he did not die in vain."
A minute's silence at Ballybrit racecourse for the late JT McNamara @Galway_races #RTEracing https://t.co/74l6ZYLCzh
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) July 26, 2016
Jockeys pay tribute to JT McNamara at Galway Races
Tony McCoy pays tribute to 'remarkable' JT McNamara
Mourners included some of the biggest names from National Hunt racing including trainers Jonjo O'Neill and Gordon Elliott, jockeys Barry Geraghty and Davy Russell, and cousin Robbie McNamara, in a wheelchair after being paralysed in a fall in 2015.
Moving tributes were paid to grieving widow Caroline.
"She was a wonderful woman. He was blessed to have a girl like her," McManus said.
Walsh said: "She must be an iron lady.
"His mental strength and his will power for the last three years have been incredible. So too have Caroline's and all his family.
"I guess to be dealt the cards he was dealt on that day in Cheltenham are the worst. They are any jockey's worst nightmare come true.
"I guess wherever he is now at least he's not suffering anymore.
"We spoke as colleagues, it's unbelievable, you couldn't start to think about how you'd cope with it, how you'd deal with it. It'd be frightening to think about it."
Some of McNamara's finest moments came at the toughest of all tests - the Cheltenham Festival, where he rode four winners.
His victory aboard the McManus-owned Rith Dubh in the 2002 National Hunt Chase has gone down in the annals of racing as a perfect demonstration of coaxing a winner up the famous hill.
An emotional McCoy added: "The welfare and care of jockeys will hopefully be even better. It always has been good and always has been improving and it raises the awareness of how dangerous a sport this can be.
"It hasn't been lost on him (JT), he has brought a lot of people together and there has been a lot of goodness that has come out of it."
Canon Gary Bluett said McNamara's life revolved around his passions, family and racing.
"Strong will and determined, he had a great command of some words in the English language - some might not be found in the Oxford dictionary."
