Grania Cazenove:GRANIA CAZENOVE was one of the last of her generation of ever-dwindling members of the so-called "Anglo Irish" community still living in this country.
Cazenove was born on January 11th, 1923, the youngest daughter of Edward Cub Kennedy; a direct descendant from an old Irish family of Kennedys, of which the furthest traceable origin is to Darby O’Kennedy (of Ballikeiroge Castle in Co Waterford) who died in 1745 aged 97. His great grandson, John Kennedy, was created a Baronet in 1836 by the English crown. He had five sons one of whom was Robert Kennedy, HM Lieutenant and JP of Baronrath.
The second of Robert’s three sons was Grania’s father Edward Kennedy. He had a great intuition and talent in judging fine animals and became very prosperous, firstly after making his fortune with the cattle trade to England and later as a successful racehorse breeder, culminating with such fine animals as Roi Herode and The Tetrarch. He married Dorie Lumsdaine, an Australian of Scottish-Irish decent who had come to Ireland to visit the Bartons, her maternal relatives.
Cazenove's mother was a third cousin of Robert Barton and Erskine Childers. Her granduncle was Andrew Barton Paterson, better known as Banjo Paterson, a name famous in Australia for his poetry that included Waltzing Matilda, which captured bush life.
At the outbreak of the second World War Cazenove and her brother John served in the British forces – she in the WAAF and he in the Irish Guards. In 1947 she married Edward Cazenove and together they shared a great interest in horses, whether it was racing, hunting or showjumping.
Teddy Cazenove – a direct descendant of Huguenot David Cazenove who established the London merchant bank of the same name in 1777 – was a tank commander in the Coldstream Guards during the war. He spearheaded his regiment’s assault in Normandy, but was captured and spent the remainder of the war as a POW.
In the aftermath of the war, understandably, she and Teddy lived life to the full and at a fast pace.
They attended numerous equine events in England and Ireland. But their lifestyle did not augur well for a long marriage and consequently dissolved after nine years.
In 1949 she returned to Ireland and started farming in Co Tipperary and with her inherited talent of animal husbandry her cattle were fiercely sought after at the marts. She was a great horsewoman and fearless regarding any obstacle put in her way, while always caring for the welfare of her mount.
In the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s she was a well-known member of the race-going fraternity. She was well respected for her knowledge of blood lines, judgment and breeding of thoroughbred horses that she put to good effect when establishing a stud farm at Synone near Cashel.
In recent years she lived humbly and was devoted to tending her animals, which often took precedence over people. She was a valued member of the community in which she lived and is survived by her brother Darby Kennedy, as well as her son Páidí Cazenove and daughter Cola Fox.
Grania Cazenove: born, January 11th, 1923; died December 6th, 2011.