“A fine saddler and an accomplished horseman.”
Tom Berney, a towering figure in the equestrian industry in the Republic of Ireland, died on the 4 July. He was 87.
Tom was co-owner and a key member of the team at the famous Berney Brothers Saddlers in Kilcullen, County Kildare.
The business was founded in 1860 and has been run by the Berney family ever since. Tom and his late brother Jim carried that legacy as the sixth generation. Today, Berney’s is run by Tom and Jim’s families.
Throughout his career, Tom focused on the craft aspect of saddlery, as taught him by his father. He concentrated on making saddles and saddlery and controlled the workshop at Berney Brothers for many decades.
International reach
Tom was responsible for the design as well as the manufacture of a range of Berney’s saddles. The brand became a household name with riders both in Ireland and overseas, gaining considerable international reach.
“Once, when visiting a retailer in Calgary, Alberta, I noted a number of Berney’s saddles on display - five thousand miles away from where they were made,” says Mike Williams, formerly sales director with E Jeffries Saddlery.
Fine saddler who understood horses
Tom was one of nine children. “Growing up in a large family shaped him in ways that stayed with him all his life, giving Tom resilience, humility and patience,” adds Mike who made regular visits to Berney Brothers in Kilcullen.
“Although my work was mainly involved with Jim in the shop, I always made a point of going into the workshop to have a chat with Tom,” he recalls.
Tom was a fine saddler with the added advantage of being a keen and accomplished horseman who took part in hunting, dressage, eventing and cross-country competitions.
“He understood horses and saddlery, not just as a craftsman but as a rider,” says Mike. “This combination gave him a rare insight and made his craftsmanship truly authentic.”
Family patriarch
Tom Berney will be remembered by some as a master saddler committed to quality and quietly focused on his workshop. Others will remember him as a horseman riding for pleasure and competition. His devoted family will recall him as their patriarch whose actions always spoke far louder than his words.
“Tom’s hands shaped leather, but his life fashioned something much more enduring,” says Mike.
“The equestrian industry in the Republic of Ireland has bid farewell to one of the best. Tom Berney was a fine person, a very good saddler and a pleasure to have known. He will be very sadly missed indeed.”
which continues today through his family.
