Each month Chase puts the spotlight on a person and/or their ‘best friend’ – a story that gives an insight into the true heart of greyhound racing. It showcases all that is good in this sport and is a monthly tribute to much-loved greyhound identity Daryl ‘Albert’ Gleeson.

By DAVID BRASCH

IN the past two years, Eileen O’Neil has had to endure setbacks that would crush most people.

First, she and husband Ron lost ‘just about everything’ when the Lismore floods washed away most of their belongings in 2022.

Then, a couple of months ago, Ron died of complications from emphysema.

Eileen, 59, says she is not a person to give up, but without the love and support of the entire Northern Rivers greyhound community she has been able to battle back, keep going and re-build her life.

“After the floods, the dogs were my saviour,” said Eileen.

“After my husband died, so many people came to my aid.”

But, the amazing aspect of all that love and support from greyhounds and greyhound racing is the fact Eileen has never owned a greyhound nor will she.

But, she is as well known around the Northern Rivers as any of the leading lights who have their names thrust into the spotlight because of their winning ways.

Eileen, you see, makes winter coats for greyhounds, house sits for anyone in the region who needs a holiday or simply wants a break, and has been handling and catching on races days for years.

Never a Casino race meeting is run without Eileen.

“It was about 15 years ago that I went to my first greyhound race meeting,” she told Chase newspaper.

“My daughter Catherine’s in-laws had dogs at the time and she talked me into attending a race meeting at Lismore.”

It was love at first sight.

“I enjoyed it so much, I went back and kept coming back,” she said.

A self-described animal lover, it took her about three years before she decided she needed to apply for a handler’s license.

“And, I’ve been doing that ever since, at Lismore, Casino and I’d always go up to Tweed when they were racing.”

Eileen and Ron lived in the Road Runner Caravan Park in Lismore.

“I’d been making repairs on dog rugs for a while, and one day Glenn Northfield asked me if I could make winter rugs,” said Eileen.

“I now make between 300 and 500 rugs a year.

“In 2021 I went to the Grafton July carnival and sold 300 rugs, light and heavy, small and large.”

And then along came the Lismore floods.

“It wiped us out,” said Eileen. “The only thing I could save was my sewing machines.”

But, as Eileen says, she is not a person to give up.

“I stripped the caravan right back and have re-built it all myself,” she said. “Our son James is a builder in Brisbane and he was my guiding light.

“After the floods, the greyhound industry was so good with what they gave us.

“But, I had 200 kilos of canvas I used to make canvas beds. It all went down the river.”

House sitting has become a virtual full time business for Eileen and it was on one of these that she lost her husband.

“I’m coping,” she said. “I have to.

“A lot of people get me to look after their homes, their dogs, and I have even taken dogs to the races while their trainers have been away.

“I’ve looked after properties right up to Gatton and down to Grafton.

“As long as I can drive there, I’ll be there.”

She charges $100 a day and is booked out until Christmas.

“I’ve got a couple of weeks in September where I will head to Bribie Island for a holiday with my daughter Catherine who is living there now.”

Eileen has tried plenty of things in her day including taxi driving.

But, she admits to a love affair with greyhounds.

“After the floods, the greyhounds were my saviour,” she said.

“If it wasn’t for the dogs and the dog sitting, I would not have coped.

“So many people in this industry are so willing to help.

“I’ve never met a group of people who will bond together like they do.”

Being a caravan park resident stops Eileen having her own greyhound.

“I’d love to, but if I was able to have a greyhound here, I’d probably end up with a hundred of them as pets,” she said.