About Phonsie O'Brien
Lived 1929 – 2016 (aged 86–87). Phonsie O'Brien was a jockey and horse trainer.
Alphonsus Septimus 'Phonsie' O'Brien (15 Sep 1929 – 5 July 2016) was an Irish jockey and racehorse trainer.
He was the youngest of a combined seven sons born in Churchtown, County Cork to the two marriages of Dan O'Brien, and full-brother of racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien. He had a riding career in the 1940s which he followed by taking out a licence to train horses in 1956. He was based in stables at South Lodge, Carrick-on-Suir and later at Cashel. He trained the winner of the Galway Plate four times in succession from 1962 to 1965 and was credited with Chamour's victory in the 1960 Irish Derby. Vincent O'Brien had trained Chamour but was suspended from training after the horse failed a drugs test. Phonsie O'Brien took over the training licence while his brother was suspended.
O'Brien's daughter, Mary Ann O'Brien, is a businesswoman who founded the Lily O'Brien's chocolate company.
O'Brien died at his home near Kilsheelan on 5 July 2016.
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Important facts
People in Phonsie O'Brien's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Phonsie O'Brien?
Irish jockey and racehorse trainer
When was Phonsie O'Brien born?
Phonsie O'Brien was born in 1929.
When did Phonsie O'Brien die?
Phonsie O'Brien died on 5 July 2016 in Kilsheelan.
What was Phonsie O'Brien's occupation?
Phonsie O'Brien was a jockey and horse trainer.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Phonsie O'Brien. https://biography.guide/phonsie-o-brien/
MLA: "Phonsie O'Brien." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/phonsie-o-brien/.
Chicago: "Phonsie O'Brien." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/phonsie-o-brien/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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