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How Liam Neeson became the patron saint of horse-drawn carriage drivers: “There’s a framed picture of him in every stable”
Academy Award-nominated actor and late-stage action hero Liam Neeson has achieved a lot throughout his career, but becoming the unofficial patron saint of horse-drawn carriage drivers everywhere might be his greatest accomplishment. At the very least, it’s his most unexpected and unsung.
It’s a highly niche industry and not one that immediately jumps out as a profession that requires a Hollywood star to save it from extinction. And yet, that’s exactly what Neeson did when he took a stand against the looming threat of eradication, becoming such a hero to those in the job that he’s taken pride of place alongside the Pope.
How did an Irishman with gravitas to spare and a penchant for wearing leather jackets in B-tier thrillers end up riding to the rescue of the horse-drawn carriage business and fighting back against political manoeuvring and celebrity endorsements? Technically, it traces right back to County Armagh.
A young Neeson grew up looking after the horses on his aunt’s farm back home, and even when he became a major name in cinema, he never forgot his roots. The New York resident became a familiar face among the horse-drawn carriages that have been part of Central Park’s identity for what feels like forever, and he stepped up when they needed him the most.
When politician Bill de Blasio was running his (ultimately successful) campaign to be elected New York’s mayor in 2013, he proposed banning the park’s horse-drawn staples. Miley Cyrus, Pink, and Alec Baldwin were some of the famous faces who supported the move, but in the other corner stood the formidable presence of Neeson.
“I’m in the park every day,” he told Men’s Journal. “I see these guys; I know these guys. There were so many celebrities supporting, I was like, ‘These guys need a celebrity or two.'” Not only did they get an A-list endorsement, but he was elevated to near-mythical status when the ban wasn’t pushed through.
“There’s a framed picture of him in every stable,” an industry spokesman shared before underlining just how much of a hero Neeson had become. “It’s the Pope and then Liam Neeson.” That’s rare company to be in, with the Oscar nominee effectively pontificated by the horse-driving carriage community for his efforts in standing up for an institution that’s existed for hundreds of years.
It might sound like the plot of a quaint independent drama or even a sketch from a surreal comedy series, but Neeson really did win the respect, adulation, and borderline deification of New York’s horse-drawn carriage drivers when he backed them to the hilt, joining the Pope of all people on a lofty pedestal.
If anyone ever visits Central Park and sees one of the mighty steeds roam past, they should offer a modicum of thanks to the actor for helping the tradition persevere for another generation.