In 1939 Colleen Bawn gave the Mulkerrin family a filly foal. This filly would become known as Carna Dolly. An integral part of family life Pat Mulkerrin Tom and his wife reared a family of 9 children tilling the land, harvesting seaweed while Mrs. Mulkerrin spun wool to knit socks and jumpers. Carna Dolly played a key role in family life. A small mare by all accounts listed as no taller than 13.2hh, she was used, like so many of ponies of the time, to pull the plough, haul seaweed, take the family to and from Sunday mass, compete on beach race days and come spring produce a foal.
The story goes one day Tom took Carna Dolly to collect seaweed at low tide leaving that season’s foal at home. While harvesting the seaweed Dolly was allowed to graze loose from the cart while her ‘tacklings’ remained on. She soon grew tired of grazing and decided it was time to return to her foal. With Tom’s back turned she swam across the bay as the tide had now come in and made her own way back to the Mulkerrin homestead and her foal.
With Society Show wins in 1939, 1942, 1945, 1946 and 1947, she was sold at 19 years after she sustained a neck injury.
In 1946 she gave a colt foal by the stallion Gill, Carna Bobby. Carna Bobby would give progeny such as Ashfield Sparrow and Island King who be key in establishing the Connemara breed in Australia. Worthy of his own post for sure, but today we remember the little mare behind the iconic sire.
(CPBS Facebook)