PASSING STARS:SOME LIVED for the sound of a horse's hooves hitting firm turf. Some thrived when crashing through tackles with an oval ball. Some displayed their wizardry when clashing the ash. Some sent shivers down our spines when rising to field a high ball. Some revelled in pushing the pedal to the metal.

All of them loved sport, and all of them left this earth in 2009 with memories for each of us of excellence in their chosen fields.

In June, the world of racing witnessed the passing of a legend. Vincent O’Brien, born in Cork, but who revolutionised Ireland’s racing and breeding industries from the famed Ballydoyle stables near Cashel in Co Tipperary, died aged 92.

O’Brien grew up in the birthplace of steeplechasing – the first recorded race took place between the churches in Buttevant and Doneraile in 1752 – and he began training horses in 1943. The first real star he had in his stable was Cottage Rake, which won the first of his three Cheltenham Gold Cups in 1948 and this was to be the prelude to an unprecedented run of National Hunt success by a trainer.

Hatton’s Grace won three Champion Hurdles in a row before O’Brien claimed won three Aintree Grand Nationals in succession with three different horses between 1953-’55 as Early Mist, Royal Tan and Quare Times took it in turns to land the famous steeplechase.

By then, O’Brien’s thoughts were already turning to the more lucrative flat scene and, in 1957, he trained Ballymoss to be placed in the Epsom Derby and to win the English St Leger. The horse went on to land the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1958 and was the first top-class colt to go through what would become the world- renowned Ballydoyle stables O’Brien built up from scratch.

O’Brien trained six winners of the Epsom Derby, the first of them in 1962 with Larkspur.

In 1968, O’Brien had Lester Piggott on board for the Derby success by Sir Ivor and together they landed three more derbies with Nijinsky, Roberto and The Minstrel, as well as a pair of Arc victories with Alleged.

If O’Brien’s death meant racing lost its master, the tragic death in September of Jamie Kyne, from Galway, deprived racing of one of the sport’s up-and-coming jockeys. The 18-year-old was killed in a fire in Malton, Yorkshire.

Tom Costello, a trainer with an eye for a great horse, died in June aged 77. He was responsible for selling on three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate and his other champions included One Man and Florida Pearl.

In a year when Ireland captured the Grand Slam in rugby, there was a particular poignancy about the passing away of Karl Mullen, just a month later, aged 82. Mullen captained Ireland when aged just 21 and captained the British and Irish Lions at the age of 23 in the 1950 tour of New Zealand and Australia.

A younger loss to the sport of rugby came in August, with the death of 28-year-old Stuart Mangan. The former scrumhalf and outhalf had suffered a devastating spinal injury while playing rugby with his club Hammersmith and Fulham RFC in London in 2008 which left him paralysed from the neck down. During his short life, the Rockwell College and UCC graduate touched many in Irish and international rugby community.

Irish rugby lost one of its truly multi-talented sporting heroes with the death in December of John Moroney, the former UCD, London Irish, Garryowen, Munster and Irish outhalf who also won medals at Gaelic football and in the pole vault before turning his talents to golf.

One of hurling’s great exponents, Billy Rackard, passed away in March aged 78. The youngest of the three brothers who transformed Wexford into one of the great hurling counties in the 1950s and 1960s, Billy was a legendary defender who lined out at centre back on both the Wexford and Leinster teams for over a decade, and won three All-Ireland medals.

Connie “Sonny” Buckley, who captained Cork to the All-Ireland hurling title in 1941, also passed away in January, aged 91.

Gaelic football great Frank Stockwell, an iconic figure in Galway’s glory years of the 1950s, passed away in March aged 80. He was one part of the so-called “Terrible Twins” with the late Seán Purcell in the Galway attack, and his performance in the 1956 All-Ireland final – where he scored a then-record 2-5 – win over Cork was regarded as one of the finest ever seen in a decider.

Meath footballer Kevin McConnell, who was part of the great full-back line in a golden era for the county which saw them win their first All-Ireland football title in 1949 and a second five years later, also passed away.

She was known as the “Queen of the Fairways”. Philomena Garvey – whose death occurred in May at the age of 83 – proved to be the greatest golfer of her generation, amassing 15 Irish Women’s Close Championships and a British Ladies Amateur Open Championship.

She represented Ireland from 1947 through to 1969 and played in six Curtis Cups.

Hockey player Harry Cahill, who died in September at the age of 79, was one of the finest international goalkeepers of his generation. Dublin-born, he made 72 appearances for Ireland from 1953-1973 and played for Britain in three Olympic Games.

Bobby Robson, a former English soccer manager who became consultant to the FAI during Steve Staunton’s reign, died in July aged 76, and Alan Kelly Snr, who was capped 47 times for Ireland and whose two sons – Gary and Alan Jnr – also represented the country, died in May aged 62. He started his career with Bray Wanderers, but moved to Drumcondra and then to England where he made a record 513 appearances for Preston North End.

Another former Irish international Tommy Clinton, who started his career with Dundalk before moving to Everton and also playing with Blackburn Rovers, died in August aged 83.

Irish motor sport lost one of its most influential figures in May, when Vivian Candy – who won Irish National championships in Formula Ford, Formula Atlantic and Modified Saloons before competing in FIA World Endurance championships – died aged 61.

The death also occurred in 2009 of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder and honorary chairperson of the Special Olympics. Her words – “What you are winning by your courageous efforts is far greater than any game. You are winning life itself, and in doing so you give to others a most precious prize – faith in the unlimited possibilities of the human spirit” – provide an everlasting reminder to everyone of what sport contributes to the wider society.