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In most towns and villages across Ireland, monuments or statues stand to local heroes from the past. In Straide and Foxford stand Michael Davitt and Admiral Brown. In Ballyheigue and Cahirsiveen stand Sir Roger Casement and the Liberator Daniel O'Connell. In Mullingar stands Joe Dolan, and in Killeigh, Co. Offaly, proudly stands Mick the Miller, the greyhound who became a movie star. Born on June 28, 1926, in Killeigh, Co. Offaly, Mick the Miller was the runt of ten pups to "Glorious events" (Sire) and "Na Box lei" (Dam). Mick was a direct descendant of "Master McGrath" (1866-1873), a famous Irish greyhound that won the Waterloo Cup three times in 1868, 1869, and 1871, and the first greyhound to do so. Master McGrath was such a celebrity that his owner was asked to take him to be seen by Queen Victoria & the royal family. A bronze statue of Master McGrath stands in Lurgan in Armagh today. Mick was bred by local Killeigh priest Fr. Martin Brophy, originally intended for use in hare coursing, until a man from St. Louis, Missouri, named Moses Rebenschied came looking to bring him back to St. Louis to compete in the greyhound circuit. Before the deal was complete, a tornado hit St. Louis, killing 27 of Moses' greyhounds after the roof came off the kennel. A further four greyhounds were killed in a van driven by his son when it overturned due to the storm. Rebenschied took it as a warning from god to stay away from greyhounds and called off the deal for Mick the Miller. In April 1928, he made his debut at Shelbourne Park, winning the Punchestown stakes. He raced a further five times in 1928, winning four times and equalling the 500m world record. Mick was diagnosed with distemper (a highly contagious viral disease) the day after competing in the Abercorn Cup final and nearly died. Fr Brophy, who had reared Mick through thick and thin, refused to accept defeat and brought him to veterinary surgeon Arthur 'doc' Callanan, who slowly managed to nurse Mick back to full health against all odds. In 1929, he reached the FAI Cup final at Shelbourne and won the Spring Cup at Harold's Cross Stadium, as well as the National Cup final at Shelbourne. Mick competed in a total of twenty races, winning fifteen of them. On advice from leading greyhound trainer (Mick Horan), Fr Brophy decided to enter Mick into the English Derby. Before his trial, Mick was considered a 25-1 long shot. After he broke the stadium record, he thundered into 4-7 odds as the favourite for the English Derby. After the trial, Fr Brophy was overwhelmed with offers and sold Mick to Albert Williams for £800. A fortune in 1929! Mick went on to win the 1929 English Derby by eight lengths, setting a new world record for 525 yards. Over the course of his English career, he won 36 of his 48 races, including the Derby twice, the St Leger, the Cesarewitch, and the Welsh Derby. He set six world records and two track records, and was the first greyhound to win 19 races in a row. The first superstar of greyhound racing, Mick the Miller, was guaranteed to fill stadiums, thanks to his immense celebrity. In 1934, after two years of studying, Mick starred in his own movie called 'Wildboy' alongside 'Flanagan & Allen.' Mick the Miller died on May 6, 1939, having amassed £20,000 in stud fees, prize money, and his appearances in movies. In 2007, a list of the top 100 sportsmen was compiled by journalist Jon Henderson; Mick the Miller and the famous racehorse Red Rum were the only two animals named. Mick the Miller was named after Mick the Miller, who was an odd-job man at the vicarage where the greyhound was born and raised. Part of his duties was looking after the greyhounds at the pub. Little did he realise he was in the midst of a future sporting and movie superstar who would have a statue in the middle of the parish, opened by a Taoiseach nearly 80 years after his death. It's a dog's life! Mick the Miller (RIP). * Originally published 2021 and updated in Nov 2025. This article was submitted to the IrishCentral contributors network by a member of the global Irish community. To become an IrishCentral contributor click here.
