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JOHNA.SEAVERNS 


>'i  ffA  T 


S,!WB«*- 


I  E.  <"^*^^ 


VVv^  ^    Q..»^>>- 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  Medicine 

Cummings  School  of  Veterinary  Medicine  at 

Tufts  University 

•      200  Westboro  Road 

North  Grafton,  MA  01536 


The    Aarpuis    or    Waterford 


IRISH    SPORT 


AND 


SPORTSMEN 


BY 


B.     M.     FITZPATRICK. 


D UBLIN: 

M.  H.  GILL  &  SON,  50  UPPER  SACKVILLE-ST. 

1878. 


■'■11 


[all  bights  HESEKVKT). 


TKISTH)  by  M.   }1.  011.1.  ANU  SON,  '>V,  VITKIl  S.\CKVU.l.S-eT  EKET,  UVUI.l.'* 


I    DEDICATE, 

BY  PERMISSION, 

TUKSK 

SKETCHES  OF  lEISH   SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN, 

TO   THE 

jflttrqui^   an>    ^MarcliionfBS   of  liatfrforJ, 

AND  IN  DOING  SO, 

I  FEEL  I  HAVE  TAKEN  A  STEP  TO  ENSURE  THE  SUCCESS  OF  MY  BOOK; 

FIRSTLY,  ON  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PLACE 

WHICH  THE  HOUSE  OF  BERESFORD  FILLS  IN  IRISH  SPORTSMEN's  HEARTS, 

AND  THEN, 

THAT    ON    THE   OPENING    PAGE   MAY   BE    INSCRIBED 

THE  NAMES  OF   THE  TWO  GREAT  FAMILIES 

WHICH,      ON     EITHER      SIDE     OF     THE     CHANNEL, 

HAVE  BEEN,  AT  MOST  CARE, 

TO     FOSTER   THE     SISTER     SPORTS, 

STEEPLECHASING     AND     FOX-HUNTING. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


N  compiling  this  book  I  have  been  forced  to 
confront  many  difficulties.  Like  all  who 
venture  on  novel  essays  I  found  the  most  formidable 
obstacle  was  the  one  I  least  expected.  Prior  to  enter- 
ing on  the  task  of  placing  before  the  public  a  reliable 
statement  such  as  I  proposed  to  produce,  I  had  to  look 
out  for  authentic  records.  The  kindness  with  which 
many  Masters  of  Hounds  and  others  have  seconded 
my  endeavours  was  quite  remarkable.  1  have  a  very 
grateful  duty  to  fulfil  when  I  acknowledge  it  in  the 
most  marked  way;  and  though,  for  obvious  reasons, 
I  do  not  particularise  by  name  my  volunteers  and 
assistants,  I  am  not  the  less  grateful  to  them.  When 
I  conceived  the  scheme  of  this  publication,  I  thought 
that  written  stories  of  interesting  information  of  the 
doings  of  Irish  Sportsmen,  long  since  dead,  their 
horses  and  their  hounds,  might  be  dug  up  by  industri- 
ous research.  In  this  I  was  mistaken,  and  the  ample 
authenticated  written  evidences  I  had  quite  confidently 


6  PREFACE. 

expected,  turned  out  to  be  very  meagre.  Those  so 
generously  supplied  me,  were  on  the  whole,  quite  re- 
liable, though  occasionally  in  opposition  to  traditions 
which  a  minute  inquiry  oftimes  very  curiously  sup- 
ported. The  knowledge  of  my  informants  seldom 
extended  beyond,  sometimes  not  to,  the  generation 
which  preceded  them.  On  consideration,  I  cannot 
but  think  that  the  discovery  which  I  made  as  to  the 
paucity  of  our  annals  of  the  subjects  I  treat  of,  is  a 
great  justification  for  my  endeavouring  to  treat  of  them 
at  all,  for  I  may,  perhaps,  flatter  myself  that  I  can,  in 
some  sense,  supply  for  my  successors  the  want  which, 
in  my  own  instance,  1  had  much  trouble  in  provid- 
ing. My  task,  as  far  as  it  extended  to  Racing, 
was  easier  than  that  which  touched  Hunting,  as  the 
"  Calendars  '*  supplied  a  sure  foundation  for  my  work. 
Their  existence,  too,  made  it  less  incumbent  on  me 
to  be  as  diffuse  as  I  am  in  my  memoranda  of  the 
chase.  In  advance,  I  have  to  ask  indulgence  for  the 
shortcomings  of  these  phages,  of  which  no  one  can  be 
more  conscious  than  I  am.  Had  others  written  long 
ago  what  they  knew  or  heard,  it  would  have  been 
easy  for  me  to  have  presented  some  old  wine  in  a  new 
bottle.  Their  neglect  to  do  so  is,  however,  sufficient 
"  raison  d'etre  "  for  my  attempting  to  remedy  their 
default.  In  conclusion  I  have  only  to  once  more 
acknowledge  the  sympathetic  assistance  which  has 
been  graciously  given  to  me  by  a  crowd  of  witnesses, 


PREFACE.  7 

SO  large  as  to  confirm  my  anticipation  that  the  story  I 
present  to  my  readers  is  addressed  to  a  very  numerous 
class,  whose  merits  in  no  measure  fall  short  of  those 
of  bygone  **  Irish  Sport  and  Sportsmen." 

BERNARD  M.  J.  FITZPATRICK. 


Johnsioivn  House,  Sirajfav,  Co.  Kihlare. 
Christmas,  iSyy, 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP. 

I.  The  Kildare  Hounds  . 
II.  The  Curraghmore 

III.  The  Ward  Union  Hounds 

IV.  The  Meath  Hounds     . 
V.  The  Louth  Hounds     . 

VI.  En  Route  to  Gal  way     . 
VII.  The  Galway  Hounds     . 
VIII.  The  Carlow  and  Island  Hunt  Hounds 
IX.  The  Tipperary  Hounds 
X.  The  Westmeath  Hounds 
XL  The  Cashelmore  Hounds 
XIL  The  Wexford  Hounds 

XIII.  The  Limerick  Foxhounds 

XIV.  Hunting  in  Roscommon 
XV.  The  South  Union,  United  Hunt,  and  Muskerry  Hound 

XVI.  The  Ormond  and  King's  County  Hounds      . 
XVII.  The  Queen's  County  Hounds 

XVIII.  The  Limerick  Staghounds,  Duhallow  and  Lisnagon 
Hounds       .  .  .  .  • 

XIX.  The  Kilkenny  Hounds 

List  of  Harriers  in  Ireland 
XX.  Henry,  third  Marquis  of  Waterford     . 
XXL  The  Corinthian  Cup  Picture,  Punchestown,  1854 
XXII.  The  Corinthian  Cup  Vicinrt—f  continued  J 

XXIII.  The  Corinthian  Cup  V'lcime—f  continued  J 

XXIV.  Mr.  John  Hubert  Moore 
XXV.  Mr.  Allen  M'Donogh 


PAGE 

45 
90 

105 
I II 

IZI 

126 
148 

153 

159 
167 

180 

18s 
204 
21Z 
224 
234 

244 
249 
268 

273 
300 

315 
319 
336 
343 


I  a 


PART  I. 


IRISH    SPORT 


AND 


SPORTSMEN 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS. 


HE  "Killing"  Kildare  premier  pack,  &c.,  are 
phrases  which  hunting  men  are  used  to  apply 
as  naturally  as  young  men  and  maidens,  the 
slaves  of  Cupid,  do  "Duck,"  "Dear,"  or  "Darling.' 
And  well  these  hounds  merit  the  flatt(^.ring  desig- 
nation :  assuredly,  taking  this  sea-girth  isle  as  the 
boundary,  the  pack  is  not  inferior  to  any.  It  may  well 
be  compared  with  any  in  the  kingdom  ;  and  the  country 
over  which  they  hunt  is,  in  a  fox-hunting  sense,  the 
"  cream  *'  of  all  Ireland. 

The  first  master  of  the  "  Kildares"  was  Squire 
Connolly,  of  Castletown,  a  very  eccentric,  jolly  soul ;  he 
was  a  thorough  sportsman  of  the  good  old  school,  a 
notorious  bon  vivafit.  He  kept  open  house,  and  on 
hunting  days  all  who  participated  in  the  pleasures  of 
the  chase  with  him  were  expected  to  dine  in  Ca§tle- 

2 


14  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

town  ;  none  were  invited,  all  were  welcome  when  they 
came ;  in  truth,  it  may  be  said,  that  "  though  he  feasted 
all  the  great  he  ne'er  forgot  the  small." 

Some  years  before  Squire  Connolly's  death,  the  pack 
was  kept  at  Bishopscourt,  though  he  was  the  recog- 
nised master;  when  he  died  in  1804,  Sir  Fenton 
Aylmer  succeeded  him,  and  kept  the  hounds  for  a 
year  or  two  ;  and  then  Mr.  Arthur  Henry  took  them, 
and  kept  them  till  18 10,  when  Sir  Fenton  Aylmer 
resumed  the  mastership. 

He  had  a  very  famous  huntsman,  Jack  Grennon, 
gifted  with  a  grand  voice ;  a  first-rate  rider,  but 
like  all  of  us,  he  had  his  faults,  and  one  of  them 
was  being  too  hasty  to  please  the  hunting  men  of 
his  time,  though,  I  dare  say,  his  manner  would  be 
considered  not  unbecoming  in  these  more  demo- 
cratic days.  The  whips,  Will  Mathews  and  his  son, 
were  men  who  subsequently  acquired  a  great  repu- 
tation. 

In  1 8 13,  an  accident  occurred  w^hich  destroyed 
the  best  hounds  in  the  kennel.  The  meet  was  at 
Tipper  cross-roads,  near  Naas  ;  a  fox  was  found  in 
Forenaughts,  and  a  grand  run  ensued  to  Poulaphouca, 
beloved  of  pic-nicers.  Just  near  the  spot  where  the 
bridge  now  stands  Reynard  plunged  into  the  rushing 
torrent,  thirteen  couple  of  the  pack  followed  suit,  there 
was  a  strong  "freshet"  in  the  Liffey  at  the  time,  and 
they  were  all  drowned. 

In  1 8 14,  Sir  John  Kennedy  became  master :  he  cer- 
tainly may  be  called  the  "  father  of  the  hunt;"  his  popu- 
larity was  as  widespread  as  it  was  deserved  ;  a  more 
enthusiastic  worshipper  never  paid  homage  at  Diana's 
shrine,  nor  a  more  genuine  sportsman  ever  wore  at  his 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  I5 

saddle  bow    that    emblem   of  mastership — the  silver 
horn.     1  may  say  with  truth, 

"Tis'  now  more  than  sixty  years  since  he  assumed  the  post 
Of  master  to  the  Kildare  hounds,  when  he  was  needed  most ; 
And.  though  nigh  single-handed,  he  proved  himself  a  host, 
In  making  them  what  they  are  now — in  truth,  the  country's  boast." 

I  have  gained  much  information  from  a  very  inte- 
resting IVIS.  from  the  Johnstown-Kennedy  library; 
and  this  will  be  an  appropriate  place  for  me  to 
offer  my  very  sincere  thanks  to  Sir  Edward 
Kennedy  for  his  kindness  in  allowing  me  to  inspect 
them,  and  to  assure  my  readers  that,  without  that 
kind  indulgence,  they,  and  I,  must  have  remained  in 
ignorance  of  what  I  consider  the  most  important  epoch 
in  the  formation  of  the  Kildare  hounds.  Sir  John 
Kennedy  kept  a  diary  of  not  only  every  run,  but  what 
is  an  even  more  pleasant  reminiscence,  the  names  of 
those  who  shared  the  sport  with  him.  It  would  be 
well  if  the  gentlemen  of  the  present  day  followed  his 
example  in  this  respect :  the  records  would  be  read 
with  interest  by  a  "generation  yet  unborn."  One 
likes  to  see  the  names  of  parents,  relatives,  or  friends 
recorded  in  such  old  archives — they  recall  scenes  to 
memory  dear.  Indeed,  it  was  thinking  on  this  sub- 
ject that  first  put  the  idea  into  my  head  of  writ- 
ing this  volume.  The  history  of  the  different  packs 
must  of  necessity  be  a  matter  of  dry  and  simple 
detail ;  but  sporting  readers  are  not  inclined  to  be 
critical,  so  long  as  they  perceive  the  vi  vida  vis^  the 
fervidus,  afflatus  in  works  such  as  "  Irish  Sport  and 
Sportsmen^  Such  records,  I  opine,  afford  pleasure 
and  recreation  to  many.  If  it  be  pleasant  to  peruse 
works  which  revive  in  our  minds  past  enjoyments, 


1 6  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

shared  In  when  "  our  lines  were  cast  in  pleasant 
places,"  'tis  especially  so  in  the  evening  of  our 
lives,  when  our  sun  has  almost  set,  and  when  we 
by  anticipation  feel  the  chill  touch  of  the  "  wooden 
surtout,"  or  hear  the  final  inevitable  summons. 
Though  our  fate  during  our  struggle  in  this  vale  of 
tears  may  have  been  unpropitious,  though  the  links 
that  bound  us  to  the  *'  old  house  at  home,"  may  have 
been  shattered,  and  the  well-knit  bonds  of  friendship 
which  allied  us  to  those  most  dear  may  have  been 
severed,  memory  paints  the  past  with  a  consoling, 
though,  perhaps  fictitious  splendour,  and  any  record 
which  aids  it  is  of  use.  In  the  manuscripts  alluded  to  I 
found  the  names  of  the  first  supporters  of  the  Kildare 
Hunt. 

They  were,  in  1806,  Mr.  John  Farrell  ;  in  1807, 
Messrs.  Robert  Archbold,  Arthur  Henry,  Joseph 
Connolly,  and  Val.  Maher ;  in  1809,  Sir  (then  Mr.) 
John  Kennedy;  in  i8ii,SirW.  Hunt,  and  Mr.  R. 
Warburton  ;  in  18 12,  Lord  William  Fitzgerald,  Lord 
Henry  Moore  (Lord  Drogheda's  father),  and  the  Duke 
of  Leinster  ;  in  1815,  Lord  Portarlington  ;  in  1825,  Mr. 
Richard  More  O'Ferrall,  and  Lord  Howth ;  in  1836, 
the  brothers  John  and  Robert  La  Touche. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  Morrisson's  Hotel,  then  called 
Morrisson's  Tavern,  on  the  loth  of  October,  18 14,  it 
appears  that  Sir  John  Kennedy  offered  to  take  the 
hounds,  provided  that  the  members  would  guarantee 
him  ;i^500  per  annum,  to  enable  him  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  keeping  the  coverts,  paying  for  fowl,  &c. 
The  offer  was  gladly  accepted. 

The  baronet  ^diS,/acik  princeps,  in  every  branch  of 
knowledge  essential  to  good  mastership,  and  he  spared 


THE   KILDARE    HOUNDS.  1 7 

no  expense.  He  used  to  hunt  his  hounds  five  days  a 
fortnight,  and  the  country  extended  as  far  as  Oakley 
Park,  in  Carlow,  and  Loughcrew,  in  the  county  Meath. 
Of  course  the  custom  at  that  time  was  to  be  out  at 
dawn  of  day.  Jigginstown,  where  the  kennels 
now  stand,  was  a  very  favourite  tryst,  and  many  an 
ardent  sportsman,  who  now  lies  *'  mouldering  in  the 
grave,"  spent  hours  there  on  a  wild  winter's  morning 
seeking  shelter  beneath  the  ruins  of  the  unfortunate 
Earl  of  Strafford's  intended  palace,  awaiting  the  return 
of  the  "  varmint  "  to  these  favourite  earths. 

The  men  of  those  days  were  men  of  "  metal,'* 
so  to  speak,  far  different,  alas!  from  the  not  effeminate^ 
though  more  polished  and  as  ardent  sportsmen  of 
to-day.  ;: 

The  habitues  of  the  hunting  field,  of  late  years, 
may  have  often  seen,  when  standing  on  the  hill 
which  overhangs  that  magnificent  piece  of  gorse 
known  as  Elverstown  Covert,  John  Nolan,  a  man  who 
has  catered  to  the  wants  of  the  fox  family — bless  their 
brushes — for  years  past.  Well,  his  father  was  earth- 
warner  during  Sir  John's  time,  and  he  frequently 
received  his  instructions  from  him  in  Johnstown- 
Kennedy  on  a  winter's  evening,  walked  to  Loughcrew,- 
stopped  the  earths  there,  and  returned  to  Elverstown, 
doing  the  long  journey  and  his  business  within  the 
twenty-four  hours.  There  were  not  giants  in  those 
days ;  but  there  were  many  men  of  slender  mould  made 
of  sterner  stuff  than  those  of  the  present  generation. 

The  Club  was  very  much  in  debt  in  1814,  the  sum 
total  of  the  liabilities  having  amounted  to  no  less  than 
;^ 2,400.  The  foxes  were  more  numerous  then  than  now. 
The  runs  were  generally  longer  too ;  the  gentry  did  all 


l8  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

in  their  power  to  preserve  foxes.  They  appear  to 
have  managed  all  the  affairs  relative  to  the  hunting 
of  the  countr}^  in  the  most  systematic  manner,  and  the 
wording  of  many  of  the  resolutions  passed  at  their 
meetings  would  amuse  had  I  space  co  quote  them. 
For  instance,  at  a  meeting  held  in  Naas,  during  Sir 
John  Kennedy's  mastership,  we  find  that  the  following 
resolution  was  passed  and  forwarded  to  Mr.  Digby  of 
Landenstown  : 

*'  We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  Kildare 
Hunt  Club,  have  heard  with  great  regret  that 
Mr.  Digby' s  butler  has  shot  a  fox,  and  we  hope  that 
Mr.  Digby  will  take  such  steps  as  will  prevent  said 
butler  from  again  perpetrating  a  similar  crime  while 
in  his  employment." 

At  the  next  meeting  the  following  communication 
was  received  from  Mr.  Digby : 

*'  Mr.  Digby  has  heard  with  great  regret  of  the 
offence  committed  by  his  butler,  and  begs  to  inform 
the  members  of  the  Kildare  Hunt  Club  that  he  has 
discharged  said  butler." 

Sir  John  Kennedy  always  hunted  the  hounds 
himself,  and  there  never  was  a  man  who  knew  better 
when  to  cheer  or  to  chide  them  ;  he  was  a  first-rate 
horseman,  had  a  splendid  voice ;  many  a  fox  did  his 
view-hallow  *' awake  from  his  lair  in  the  morning." 
He  seldom  used  a  horn.  The  Rev.  Robert  Burrowes 
was  secretary  during  his  reign ;  he  had  a  passion 
for  hunting.  I  have  heard  a  gentleman  state  that  he 
never  knew  a  more  ardent  fox-hunter;  and,  he  added, 
*'  he  spent  his  days  either  in  the  saddle,  or  on  his 
knees  at  the  earths,  going  throughout  the  country." 
When  asked  to  explain,  the  answer  my  informant  gave 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  IQ 

was,  that  when  the  parson  was  not  riding,  he  usually- 
spent  his  time  going  from  one  likely  fox-refuge  to 
another ;  and  when  he  came  to  an  earth,  or  a  hole 
where  he  suspected  one  of  the  ''artful  dodgers" 
might  be,  he  used  to  throw  himself  on  his  hands  and 
knees  in  his  anxiety  to  track  him.  Many  noted  hard 
riders  hunted  in  Kildare  at  this  period,  and  it  was  a  rare 
treat  to  see  Sir  John  on  his  notable  white  horse.  Game- 
cock ;  Robin  Aylmer,  of  Painstown,  on  his  black 
stallion,  Rununculus,  a  brilliant  performer,  but  very- 
savage  brute;  Sir  Philip  Crampton  and  "Parson" 
Burrowes,  leading  the  pair  over  an  intricate  country. 
There  was  a  curious  character,  Sugu  by  name,  one  of 
the  Mickey  Free  type,  who  used  to  follow  the  hounds 
on  foot  in  those  days.  One  day  he  happened  to  be  stand  ■ 
ing  on  the  banks  of  the  well-known  Laragh  river, 
when,  near  the  end  of  a  great  run,  the  pack  crossed 
the  stream  ;  at  this  time  "  the  good  and  the  true  ones  " 
were  far  in  front,  the  field  being  scattered  like  the 
tail  of  a  comet.  The  leading  two  jumped  a  very  wide 
place,  and  the  first  over  was  Sir  John.  "  More  power, 
yer  honour;  yer  a  chip  of  the  real  good  ould  block; 
may  ye  live  for  ever,"  exclaimed  Sugu.  The  next 
over  was  Robin  Aylmer.  "  Bravo  Squire ;  sweet 
Painstown,  and  an  Irish  sky  above  it ;  musha  the 
devil  himself  couldn't  'hould'  you."  Then  came 
Sir  Philip  Crampton.  "Well  done.  Dr.  Phil;  may  I 
never  die  till  you  cut  a  leg  o'  me,"  exclaimed  the 
enthusiastic  rustic. 

The  members  of  the  Kildare  Hunt  Club  used  not 
to  confine  their  hunting  manoeuvres  to  the  home  cir- 
cuit either.  They  frequently  spent  a  week  or  so 
together  at  a  hotel  in  a  good  hunting  country,  and 


26  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

during  those  festive  gatherings  the  fun  of  the 
chase  was  only  exceeded  by  the  hilarity  of  the 
after  dinner  time,  when  the  majority  of  the  com- 
pany were  Bacchi  plenus  before  being  conveyed  to 
bed.  En  passant^  I  may  remark  that  they  had  a 
very  beautiful  service  of  plate,  which  was  after- 
wards sold  to  discharge  some  of  the  debts,  and  this 
they  always  brought  with  them  during  these  excur- 
sions. Such  was  then  the  custom,  and  right  merry 
meeting  these  festive  reunions  were.  About  this 
time  the  Benson's  Club  was  in  existence,  and  the 
members  used  to  bring  a  pack  of  hounds  with  them 
to  Castlepollard,  county  Westmeath,  annually,  and 
during  a  month's  sojourn  there  the  fun  and  dissi- 
pation were  something  wonderful.  Colonel  Lennox, 
afterwards  Duke  of  Richmond,  a  notorious  bon  vivafit^ 
having  heard  of  the  bibulous  capacity  of  the  mem- 
bers of  "Benson's"  sent  a  challenge,  which  was 
accepted.  The  test  of  endurance  between  the  con- 
tending parties  was,  that  after  drinking  two  bottles  of 
brandy,  and  smoking  an  ounce  of  tobacco,  with  occa- 
sional relays  of  "devilled"  kidneys,  they,  without 
ever  going  to  bed,  should  hunt  all  day,  the  best 
**  stayer"  to  win.  The  colonel  distanced  all  his 
competitors  with  the  exception  of  a  Mr.  O'Rielly. 
The  performance  commenced  on  a  Monday ;  on  the 
Sunday  morning  following,  when  he  walked  into  the 
kitchen,  the  colonel  was  amazed  to  see  his  opponent 
dancing  with  the  chambermaid ;  he  at  once  "threw 
up  the  sponge,"  and,  no  doubt,  spoke  truly  when  he 
said,  "  I  never  met  a  man  before  who  could  drink  six 
nights^  hunt  six  days,  and  then  enjoy  an  Irish  jig 
with  Betty." 


THE   KILDARE    HOUNDS.  21 

To  connect  us,  perhaps,  with  the  great  past,  a  club, 
founded  on  the  lines  of  the  Benson's,  still  exists  and 
flourishes — The  Down  Hunt  assembles  yearly  for 
convivial  purposes ;  and  as  there  are  no  hounds,  and 
the  membership  of  the  very  exclusive  body  entails  no 
qualifications  in  horsemanship,  the  memories  of  old 
days,  when  many  of  the  body  followed  the  Lord 
Charlemont  to  Dungannon,  and  the  pictures  of  long 
since  dead  members  in  the  quaint  uniform  of  the 
club,  are  the  only  connecting  links  with  the  time 
when  sport  was  its  raison  d''etre.  The  election  to  the 
privilege  of  wearing-  the  drab  dress  coat  and  gold  button^ 
is  an  honour  very  eagerly  sought  by  Ulster  gentle- 
men ;  and  the  man  who  emerges  unscathed  from  the 
annual  week's  long  symposia,  will  have  proved  his 
claim  to  membership  of  any  convivial  body  in  dear 
Ireland  or  elsewhere. 

In  1808,  field-money  was  first  paid  in  Kildare,  the 
sum  charged  being  i^-.  %d.  On  the  6th  of  April, 
1808,  a  resolution  was  passed  that  the  full  dress 
uniform  should  be,  blue  coat,  buff  waistcoat. 

It  may  interest  some  to  know  who  were  the  most 
liberal  subscribers  to  the  fund  in  those  days.  In 
1825  these  were — The  Duke  of  Leinster,  ^50;  Lord 
W.  Fitzgerald,  £2^  ^s.  <^d. ;  Robert  La  Touche, 
£^0;  H.  Carroll,  ^50;  Lord  Mayo,  ^20;  W.  H. 
Carter,  ;^ 2 2  155.;  Colonel  Loftus,  £\\  'js.  6d.\  John 
H.  Mayle,  and  Robert  Saunders,  ^^22    15^. 

In  1841,  Sir  John  Kennedy  resigned,  after  a  reign 
of  much  longer  duration  than  any  of  his  successors 
have  enjoyed.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  John  La 
Touche,  of  Harristown.  His  term  of  office  extends 
over  five  seasons,  during  which  time  his  great  efforts 


22  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

to  show  Sport,  and  turn  out  everything  in  the  best 
style  were  eminently  successful.  He  was  a  very 
general  favourite,  and  he,  and  his  brothers,  Robert 
and  William,  were  brilliant  horsemen.  Mr.  La 
Touche,  who  is  an  exceptionally  good  judge 
of  horses,  kept  a  splendid  stud  of  hunters.  He 
usually  drove  a  drag,  perfect  in  its  appointments,  to 
the  different  meets ;  few  more  expert  "whips"  ever 
sat  on  a  coach-box.  He  was  well  versed  in  stud  lore 
too,  and  no  man  living  took  greater  interest  in  the 
canine  alliances  than  his  brother  William.  "Jem" 
Byrne,  afterwards  "  master  of  the  horse"  to  Captain 
Sheddon,  who  has  these  many  years  been  a  consistent 
and  liberal  supporter  of  the  Kildares,  \vho  had  been  for 
many  seasons  whip  to  Sir  John  Kennedy,  hunted  the 
hounds  for  some  time  after  Mr.  La  Touche  took 
them  ;  subsequently  Mr.  La  Touche  carried  the  horn 
himself.  The  next  master  was  the  late  Mr.  David 
O'Connor  Henchy,  of  Stonebrook,  Ballymore-Eustace; 
he  took  office  in  1846.  He,  too,  was  a  great  man  in 
the  saddle,  and  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  turf  and 
of  hunting.  His  own  colours,  blue  and  pink,  were 
sometimes  worn;  but  old  "Dame  Fortune,"  like 
other  dames,  is  fickle,  and  she  was  not  generous 
in  her  recognitions  of  his  high  claims  to  favourable 
treatment  at  her  hands.  He  shared  the  racing 
fortunes  for  a  short  time  of  his  brother-in-law.  Sir 
Thomas  Burke,  who  was  one  of  the  "pillars"  of 
the  Irish  turf.  He  discharged  the  onerous  duties 
appertaining  to  the  post  of  master  of  foxhounds  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  the  "  Kildares."  Although  he  had  them  during 
that  awful  period  when  gaunt  famine  desolated  our 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  2$ 

country,  and  escorted  death  through  the  lonely  plains 
of  our  land, — I  need  scarcely  say  that  he  had  much 
difficulty  in  hunting  the  country  during  such  a  trying 
time — *'  the  sinews  of  war,"  the  coin  of  the  realm, 
were  sadly  wanting,  and  the  exchequer  of  the  Club 
was  in  a  lamentable  state  of  deficiency.  During  the  year 
1847  he  was  the  uncomplaining  loser  of  ^475.  He 
resigned  at  the  close  of  the  season  1847-8.  Strange 
to  say,  the  members  of  the  Hunt  do  not  appear  to 
have  appreciated  his  strenuous  exertions  in  a  good 
cause.  One  would  think  that  they  would  have  pre- 
sented him  with  a  testimonial,  for  no  man  more  fully 
deserved  a  substantial  recognition  from  the  lovers  of 
the  "  noble  science  "  than  he  did.  Soon  after  his 
retirement,  however,  the  people  of  the  county  testified 
their  kindly  regard  for  him,  and  confidence  in  his 
worth  by  returning  him  as  their  representative  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  although  he  was  opposed  in  the 
election  by  one  of  the  most  esteemed  men  of  Kil- 
dare.  He  sat  for  the  county  from  1852  till  1859,  and 
died  on  the  ist  of  December,  1876.  I  should  have 
stated  that  Sir  Edward  Kennedy  was  appointed  Hon. 
Secretary  to  the  Hunt  Club  in  1844.  Mr.  La  Touche 
received  ^300  per  annum  for  keeping  the  horses, 
hounds,  &c.,  and  about  double  the  sum  was  given  to 
Sir  Edward  to  defray  the  expenses  of  keeping  the 
coverts,  paying  for  reynard's  depredation  on  fowls — 
in  a  word,  for  keeping  the  country.  Mr.  J.  Kilbee 
was  secretary  before  Sir  Edward  took  the  post.  He 
and  all  his  predecessors  were  paid  officials. 

The  successor  of  Mr.  O'Connor  Henchy,  was  Mr. 
William  Kennedy,  Sir  John's  second  son  ;  he  was  at 
that  time,  a  "crack"    Corinthian  rider;  and  in  the 


24  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

hunting-field,  then,  as  now,  his  motto  would  seem^ 
to  be  that  of  the  old  maid  relative  to  her  female 
domestics,  "  no  followers  allowed."  When  the  scent 
and  run  are  good,  he  may  often  be  seen  first  amongst 
the  leading  lot. 

During  the  "forties"  and  "fifties"  there  were 
many  great  men  to  hounds  to  be  met  with  in  this 
Irish  shire.  Besides  those  whose  names  I  have  men- 
tioned as  being  such,  I  may  add  Mr.  Carroll,  of  Balli- 
nure ;  many  wonderful  tales  are  told  of  his  marvellous 
feats  on  his  great  black  stallion ;  he  was,  indeed,  a 
veritable  "bruiser,"  and  so  were  Major  "Dick" 
Magennis,  and  Mr.  Carter,  of  Castlemartin,  both  one 
armed  men.  The  major  lost  his  arm  at  the  battle  of 
Albuera :  a  writer  of  verses  to  the  distinguished 
members  of  the  Oakley  Hunt,  a.d.  1843,  which 
appeared  in  "Bailey's"   Magazine,  wrote  of  him  : 

"  Bounding  o'er  brook  with  gallant  air, 
Magennis  comes  in  view, 
Who  rides  with  single  arm  to  hounds 
Better  than  most  with  two." 

The  late  Lord  Cloncurry  (then  Hon.  E.  Lawless)  was 
a  "  first  flight  "  man  too.  Mr.  Edward  J.  Beauman, 
who  resides  at  Furness,  Naas,  may  be  put  down 
in  the  same  class,  as  well  as  Mr.  P.  Lattin  Mans- 
field, of  Morristown  Lattin,  who  now  comes  out 
very  seldom  ;  and  the  late  Mr.  T.  De  Burgh,  of  Old- 
town,  Naas,  deserves  mention. 

A  very  good  huntsman  served  under  Mr.  O'Connor 
Henchy, — Backhouse,  an  Englishman,  and  a  great 
rider.  Mr.  Kennedy  hunted  the  hounds  himself,  with 
Stephen  Goodall  as  first  whip  :  Mr.  Kennedy  was 
replaced  in  1852  by  a  very  worthy  sportsman,  John 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  2^ 

Henry  Scott,  third  Earl  of  Clonmel,  who  was  dis- 
tinguished for  his  Soji  Jiommie  and  sportsman-like 
qualities.  He  never  was  a  very  good  horseman, 
though  a  most  ardent  huntsman,  was  beloved  by  his 
tenantry,  and  possessed  a  character  of  such  patent 
amiability  that  persons  of  all  creeds  and  classes 
united  to  make  his  reign  as  M.  F.  H.  one  of  the  most 
eventful  ever  enjoyed. 

He  was  succeeded,  in  1857,  by  the  late  Lord  Mayo 
(then  Lord  Naas),  who  was  assisted  by  one  of  the 
best  huntsmen  that  ever  carried  a  horn — Stephen 
Goodall.  Stephen  had  been  in  office  under  the 
Bishopcourt  dynasty,  and  he  enjoyed  and  deserved  a 
fame  in  Irish  annals  such  as  was  only  paralleled  by 
his  brother  Will,  then  of  the  Belvoir.  He  showed 
grand  sport,  was  a  keen  sportsman,  and  by  pro- 
curing drafts  from  the  Belvoir,  Foljambe,  and  Brock- 
lesly  blood,  improved  the  pack  a  good  deal.  Dur- 
ing his  time,  too,  the  country  was  benefitted  by  the 
addition  of  several  coverts — they  were  mostly  natural 
pieces  of  gorse — and  the  members  of  the  Hunt  Club 
subscribed  to  have  them  enclosed,  &c.  His  lordship 
rode  fully  seventeen  stone,  yet  he  often  held  a  good 
place  amongst  the  leading  brigade  throughout  a 
good  run — of  course  he  was  always  well  mounted, 
and  was  a  first-rate  judge  in  equine  matters  ; 
indeed,  I  may  say  of  stock  of  every  description. 
When  Lord  Mayo  accepted  the  mastership  the  funds 
were  very  deficient.  At  a  meeting  held  on  the  4th  of 
May,  1857,  i^  ^^.s  found  the  estimated  expenditure 
for  the  coming  season,  ^1,650,  would  far  exceed  the 
money  in  hand,  as  there  was  only  a  sum  of  ^900 
from  subscriptions,  and  ^250  of  field-money.     Before 


26  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

the  end  of  Lord  Mayo's  first  season  the  funds  had  risen 
to/1,450,  and  the  field-money  to /350.  When  he 
resigned  the  field- money  was  nearly  doubled,  and  the 
subscriptions  increased  so  considerable  as  to  warrant 
the  expenditure  being  fixed  at  / 1,900  a  year.  The 
"  Kildares"  had  two  extraordinary  runs  during  Lord 
Mayo's  reign — one  was  from  Laragh,  in  November, 
1859.  The  fox  was  killed,  after  a  run  of  over  two 
hours'  duration,  near  Swainstown,  in  the  county  Meath  : 
the  distance  from  point  to  point  was  nineteen  miles 
by  the  ordnance  map.  Goodall  was  the  only  man 
who  rode  over  the  last  fence  ;  he  stated  that  he  never 
rode  over  such  a  grand  country,  and  that  for  the  last 
hour  he  never  crossed  over  a  ploughed  field.  The 
second  memorable  run  was  from  Baltiboys,  near 
Ballymore-Eustace,  to  Mr.  Walshe's,  of  Belgard,  six 
miles  from  Dublin,  where  the  hounds  were  left 
hunting  their  fox  in  the  dark.  They  must  have  gone 
over  twenty  miles.  Lord  Mayo  took  a  great  interest 
in  the  Irish  turf,  and  did  more  than  a  little  for 
its  welfare.  He  raced  a  few  horses,  but  I  think 
his  yellow  and  crimson  jacket  was  borne  but  once 
successfully,  that  was  when,  in  1862,  he  won  the  Kil- 
dare  Hunt  Cup  with  Hornpipe.  The  last  time  it 
was  seen  on  a  racecourse  was  at  the  Curragh  October 
meeting  1868,  when  he  raced  a  filly  called  Purity  for 
a  Selling  Stakes,  which  was  won  by  Kate  Kearney. 
Purity  fell,  and  gave  her  pilot  a  bad  fall.  Jem 
Doucie  rode  her,  and  I  think  I  am  correct  in  stating 
that  this  was  his  maiden  race. 

Lord  Mayo  was  the  founder  of  the  Palmerstown 
Association,  and  had  he  been  spared,  it  would,  pro- 
bably, be  in  a  flourishing  condition  now ;   and  during 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  27 

its  existence,  it  tended  to  improve  the  breed  of 
thoroughbred  horses  in  Ireland  very  materially,  and 
many  good  ones  first  saw  the  light  within  the  Palmer- 
stown  paddocks.  His  lordship's  character  as  a 
statesman  is  so  well  known  that  I  need  not  dwell 
on  his  wonderful  ability.  He  sat  for  Kildare 
from  1847  till  1852  ;  for  Coleraine,  from  '5 2-' 5 7  ; 
and  subsequently  for  Cockermouth,  a  borough  in  the 
patronage  of  Lord  Leconfield,  whose  daughter  he 
married  in  1848.  He  was  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland 
for  several  years, and  was,  in  1868,  appointed  Governor- 
General  of  India,  and  there,  in  1872,  he  was  basely 
assassinated  in  his  50th  year.  Although  his  politics 
were  not  those  shared  by  the  great  majority  of  his 
countrymen.  Lord  Mayo  had  won  and  deserved  the 
respect  of  all  classes.  His  manly,  straightforward 
conduct  even  to  his  opponents,  won  the  regard  of  the 
bitterest  of  them  ;  and  a  certain  strong-handed  policy, 
very  intelligible,  even  if  directed  in  unpopular  chan- 
nels, never  alienated  the  affections  of  the  many  ad- 
mirers who,  knowing  Lord  Mayo,  were  forced  to  be 
proud  of  him  as  an  Irishman  and  sportsman. 

His  funeral  was  one  of  the  most  splendid  pageants 
of  its  kind  ever  witnessed  in  this  country.  The  Irish 
people  bore  willingly  their  testimony  as  to  the  high 
opinion  they  entertained  of  him ;  and  while  I 
am  penning  those  lines  artificers  are  engaged  in 
Palmerstown  building  a  magnificent  mansion,  raised 
by  the  subscriptions  of  his  countrymen.  It  will  be 
a  fitting  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of  a 
great  man.  He  might  have  been  interred  in  West- 
minster Abbey,  but  his  Lordship  often  expressed  a 
wish   "  that  his    remains    should   be  laid  at  home." 


28  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Those  who  have  passed  along  the  high  road 
from  Dublin  to  Naas,  must  have  noticed  Johnstown,  a 
charming  neat  little  hamlet,  which  seems  to  nestle 
under  the  protecting  woods  of  Palmerstown.  It 
seems  but  yesterday  since  his  lordship,  on  the  beaw 
ideal  of  a  weight-carrier,  dressed  in  his  ample  pink, 
with  the  master's  hunting  horn  at  his  saddle-tree, 
surrounded  by  those  canine  pets  whose  music  he  loved 
so  well,  stood  in  the  village  at  the  entrance  gate  to 
his  demesne,  and  received — on  November's  first  Tues- 
day— the  cordial  greeting  of  brave  men  and  fair  ladies, 
come  to  participate  in  the  pleasures  of  the  chase  with 
him  ;  and  now,  a  few  yards  further  down,  '*  The  Mayo 
Arms"  stands,  and  opposite  to  it  a  little  grave-yard  ; 
in  its  centre  a  ruin,  clad  with  clinging  ivy ;  and 
within  its  walls  a  plain  Wicklow  granite  cross  marks 
the  grave  of  the  late  Lord  Mayo. 

He  was  succeeded  as  master  in  1862,  by  Baron  de 
Robeck,  of  Gowran- Grange,  Naas.  It  is  no  exaggera- 
tion to  say  that  few  better  men  to  hounds  ever  rode 
over  the  plains  of  Kildare.  Hogg  was  promoted 
to  be  huntsman  by  Lord  Mayo,  and  a  great  mistake 
it  was  on  his  lordship's  part,  for  a  worse  huntsman 
never  handled  hounds  in  the  country ;  and  I  believe  the 
only  hounds  he  hunted  after  he  left  Kildare  were  the 
hounds  at  Rome,  so  his  services  were  not  appreciated 
in  England  or  Ireland  ;  he  was  huntsman  for  a  short 
time  to  the  Baron,  and  then  Richard  Lyons,  who  had 
been  first  whip,  was  promoted  to  be  huntsman. 

The  sport  shown  by  Baron  de  Robeck  during  his 
regime  will  bear  comparison  with  any  of  his  prede- 
cessors ;  and  on  his  retiring  after  six  years'  service, 
hunting  men  of  all  classes  in  the  county  subscribed 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  29 

a  slight  token  of  their  gratefuhiess  to  him  for  the  satis- 
faction he  gave  during  his  term  of  office.  The 
next  master  was  Sir  Edward  Kennedy,  Bart.  The 
family  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  Leinster,  and  Sir  Edward's 
ancestors  were  all  noted  for  their  devotion  to  the  sports 
of  the  field.  As  I  stated  before,  his  father  may  be 
called  the  founder  of  the  Kildare  Hunt  Club  ;  and  that 
his  father  and  grandfather  kept  hounds,  is  proved  by 
the  fact  that  both  bequeathed  a  legacy  to  their  hunts- 
man in  their  last  will  and  testament.  There  are  now 
some  old  silver  buttons  in  Johnstown-Kennedy  which 
adorned  the  costume  of  those  huntsmen;  and  it  is  evi- 
dent that  they  used  to  hunt  foxes,  as  the  figure  of  a 
fox  and  the  words  "Johnstown-Kennedy  Hunt"  are 
engraved  on  them. 

Sir  Edward  Kennedy,  or  to  be  more  exact,  Charles 
Edward  Bayly  Kennedy   (Unit.  Kigd.,   1838),  eldest 
son   of  Sir   John,    first   Bart.,  and   his    wife,    Maria, 
daughter  of    Edward    Beauman,  of  Rutland-square, 
Dublin,  born  on  the  13th  of  February,  1820,  succeeded 
his  father,  13th  of  October,  1848,  and  was  educated  at 
Eton.     That  he  had  inherited  the  ardent  love  for  the 
*' noble  science,"  which  appears  to  have   been  trans- 
mitted from  sire  to  son  through  many   generations  of 
Kennedys,  soon  became  apparent.    Indeed  it  was  only 
natural  instinct  that  led  him  to  embrace  the  sport  so 
keenly,  and  study  venery  in  its  minutest  details.     He 
was  only  23  years  of  age,  when  he  became  Honorary  Se- 
cretary to  the  Kildare  Hunt  Club.    He  discharged  the 
duties  which  devolved  upon  him  as  such  in  the  most 
satisfactory  manner  ;  and  to  do  so  required  a  great  deal 
of  tact,  a  knowledge  of  the  country,  and,   above  all, 
popularity  amongst  all  classes.     The  latter   enviable 

3 


30  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

distinction  appears  to  be  a  sort  of  heir-loom  to  the 
family ;  and  it  has  become  a  kind  of  proverb  in  Kildare 
that  "  there  never  was  a  bad  Kennedy."  Sir  Edward 
is  a  most  indulgent  landlord,  and  that  he  understands 
agriculture,  and  takes  an  interest  in  it  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  Johnstown-Kennedy  presents  all  the  appear- 
ances of  a  *'  model  farm."  Being  a  sportsman  "  to  the 
manner  born,"  and  residing  in  a  county  where  the  chimes 
of  the  paddock-hill  are  heard  almost  as  frequently  as 
the  melody  of  hound  music,  it  is  not  surprising  that  he 
entertained  a  penchajit  for  the  sport  happily  styled  na- 
tional ;  and  we  find  his  colours,  "  green,  pink  sleeves, 
and  black  cap,"  registered  in  Mr.  Justice  Hunter's 
"Calendar"  of  1853,  for  the  first  time;  but  they  had 
been  "  sported  "  a  few  times  previous  to  that  year.  In 
"* $'y^  the  first  Corinthian  Cup  was  run  for  in  Punchestown, 
and  Sir  Edward  rode  a  mare  of  his  own  for  it,  named 
Concetta.  She  was  a  small  hunter,  and  the  Baronet 
was  ''  chaffed"  a  good  deal  as  to  his  chances  of  success, 
and  he  consequently  backed  the  mare  for  a  good  deal 
of  money,  to  beat  more  than  would  beat  her;  and 
she  did,  for  she  finished  fourth  out  of  eighteen  run- 
ners. 

At  the  Curragh  June  meeting  that  same  year  he 
rode  his  own  horse.  Collier,  for  the  Corinthians.  There 
was  a  long  price  to  be  had  about  him,  as  Mr.  Wm. 
Kennedy's  Brother  to  Russborough,  afterwards  called 
Cruisk,  ridden  by  owner,  and  Lord  Waterford's  April 
Fool,  ridden  by  Major  Bell,  were  backed  for  a  great 
deal  of  money.  The  first  heat  terminated  in  a  half- 
length  victory  for  April  Fool,  after  a  great  finish  with 
Collier,  but  Brother  to  Russborough  won  the  second 
and  final  heat  easily. 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  3 1 

The  last  time  Sir  Edward  rode  was  for  a  Corinthians 
at  theCurragh  September  meeting  following.  It  was  a 
great  race,  and  came  off  on  the  same  afternoon  that 
Tom,  ridden  by  J.  Osborne,  defeated  Ariadne,  Bacchus, 
Gamekeeper,  Junanita,  Purez,  and  other  good  horses  for 
the  Angleseys  Sir  Edward  Kennedy  rode  May-day,  a 
filly  by  Harkaway,  the  property  of  Mr.  Orford,  of 
Suncroft ;  his  opponents  were  Lord  Waterford's  Lam- 
bay  (Major  Bell),  Mr.  Wm.  Kennedy's  Nee-shay-woo- 
shin  (I  wish  there  was  a  nag  of  that  name  now,  what  a 
jawbreaker  it  would  be  to  the  book-makers)  (owner), 
Mr.  J.  Balfe's  Royalty  (Major  St.  John),  and  Mr. 
Courtenay's  Gay  Lad  (Capt  Pretyman).  Odds 
were  laid  on  Lambay  for  the  first  heat,  but  Nee- 
shay-wooshin  won  easily.  In  the  next  heat  he  was 
better  off,  and  a  tremendous  *'  set-to  "  between  Lambay 
and  May-day  ended  in  Sir  Edward's  favour  by  a  head ; 
in  the  next  heat  the  result  was  exactly  the  same. 

I  think  it  was  that  same  year  he  rode  in  two 
races  at  Howth,  which,  from  their  novelty  caused  quite 
a  sensation.  One  was  a  race  ridden  by  gentlemen  in 
bonnets :  it  was  very  amusing,  especially  so  to  the 
ladies,  I  am  sure ;  but  the  riders  were  quizzed  so  un- 
mercifully that  they  did  not  enjoy  it  at  all.  Some  of 
the  bonnets  were  beauties.  One  gentleman,  Major 
Paynter,  of  the  Guards,  who  was  one  of  the  handsomest 
men  in  the  service,  went  to  Russell's  and  ordered  a 
very  expensive  bonnet  ;  when  he  tried  it  on,  however, 
he  said  it  did  not  become  him  at  all,  and  gave  orders 
to  have  another  made  ;  it  did  not  please  him  either, 
and  he  had  five  made  before  he  was  satisfied,  or 
rather  he  took  the  fifth,  having  at  length  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  no  bonnet  would   become  him.     Lord 


32  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Howth  Sported  his  own  colours,  black  and  white,  as 
he  wore  a  widow's  cap  ;  and  Sir  Edward  Kennedy  had 
a  fox's  brush  sewn  on  to  the  front  of  his  bonnet.  The 
conditions  of  the  other  race  were  that  each  rider 
should  light  a  cigar  at  the  post,  and  if  it  was  out  when 
he  came  to  weigh  in  he  was  disqualified. 

When  Sir  Edward  Kennedy  took  the  hounds  the 
pack  consisted  of  fifty-two  couple,  mostly  bred  from 
the  Belvoir  and  Brocklesly  kennels.  Sir  Edward, 
finding  them  mute,  and  also,  as  he  said,  that  ''they 
would  race  a  fox,  but  not  hunt  him,"  he,  with  great 
success,  introduced  new  blood,  chiefly  from  the  Hol- 
derness  and  York  and  Ainsty  kennels  ;  and  the  present 
pack,  although  quite  as  fast  as  ever,  hunt  to  perfec- 
tion. 

Richard  Lyons  came  from  Gowran-Grange  (Baron 
de  Robeck's)  with  the  hounds  to  Johnstown-Ken- 
nedy, and  was  Sir  Edward's  first  huntsman  ;  William 
Brice  was  first-whip,  and  Charley  Brindley,  who  came 
from  the  Quorn,  and  who  died  a  few  years  ago,  was 
second.  When  Brice  left,  Brindley  was  promoted  to 
his  place,  and  Will  Freeman,  who  came  from  the 
Pytchley,  was  second.  Brindley  having  left  with  Lyons 
the  huntsman,  Freeman  got  first-whip  place,  and  Tom 
M'Alister  second.  Sir  Edward's  first  move  was 
to  expend  a  large  sum  of  money  on  the  coverts  ; 
no  doubt  he  had  a  wide  field  for  his  labours,  and  Kil- 
dare  sportsmen  owe  him  a  debt  for  his  arduous  and 
most  successful  exertions  to  improve  the  fox  haunts. 
He  was  obliged  to  resow  Arthurstown,  Hortlands, 
and  Cappagh,  and  three-fourths  of  Castle-Bagot, 
Downshire,  Eadestown,  Stonebrook,  and  Rathcoffey ; 
and  the  following  coverts  were  quite  gone  — Moorhill, 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  35 

Klllashee,  Three-Castles,  Donadea,  the  Curragh,  and 
I  believe,  one  or  two  others.  He  expended  a  great 
deal  of  his  own  money  on  them,  and  made  many  of 
them  perfect. 

At  the  end  of  the  season  186970,  Richard  Lyons 
went  to  England,  and  he  was  replaced  by  Richard 
Scarth,  who  hunted  them  for  three  years,  and,  like  his' 
predecessor,  gave  every  satisfaction.  He  emigrated 
to  Canada ;  he  is  there  still,  I  believe.  Rees  suc- 
ceeded Scarth,  and  hunted  the  pack  for  part  of  Sir 
Edward's  last  season.  An  accident  in  the  hunting- 
field  prevented  him  from  carrying  the  horn  for  a  long 
period. 

Sir  Edward's  very  nature  was  imbued  with  a  love 
for  fox-hunting,  but  he  has  not  hunted  since  he  ceased 
to  be  an  M.  F.  H.  When  he  was  obliged  to  hunt  the 
pack  himself,  as  was  the  case  a  few  times  owing  to 
the  illness  of  his  servants,  he  got  on  well.  As  a 
judge  of  hounds  he  was  quite  first-rate,  and  he  knew 
the  schoolmasters  and  mistresses  of  his  pack — in  fact, 
the  character  of  every  hound  he  had. 

Mr.  Edmund  A.  Mansfield  was  next  M.  K.  F.  H. 
When  I  state  that  he  is  one  of  the  Morristown-Lattin 
family,  I  need  scarcely  add  that  he  is  a  very  general 
favourite ;  his  many  good  qualities  won  golden  opinions 
for  him.  He  possesses  an  amiable  and  quiet  manner, 
but  by  the  way  he  always  controlled  the  impetuous 
and  heterogenous  assemblage  which  makes  up  the 
Kildare  "field,"  he  proved  that  the  suaviter  in  7nodo  is 
often  preferable  to  the/ortiter  in  re.  During  the  time 
he  held  the  reins  of  manager  he  gave  very  great  satis- 
faction, and  the  sport  was  very  good  indeed. 

Will  Freeman  was  made  huntsman  when  the  hounds 


34  IRISH  SPORT    AND   SPORTSMEN. 

came  into  Mr.  Mansfield's  possession.  He  has  now 
been  seven  years  in  the  county  as  hunt-servant.  He  had 
the  great  advantage  of  serving  under  the  best  gentle- 
man huntsman  of  the  day  as  whip,  Capt.  Thompson, 
when  he  carried  the  Pytchley  Horn.  He  knows  every 
inch  of  the  Kildare  territory,  rides  well,  has  a  splendid 
voice  ;  and  as  the  hounds  always  look  well,  it  is  appa- 
rent that  he  knows  his  business  in  the  kennel  as  well 
as  in  the  field. 

Two  years  ago  public  kennels  were  erected  at 
Jigginstown,  one  mile  from  Naas.  They  may  be  de- 
scribed as  being  "  neat  but  not  gaudy,"  and  they  are 
very  commodious.  Builders  are  at  present  at  work 
there  erecting  stables  and  other  accommodation,  and 
when  complete  it  will  be  a  very  excellent  establishment 
in  a  very  central  position. 

Mr.  William  Forbes,  the  present  master,  is  a  native 
of  Scotland  ;  his  home  in  the  Highlands  is  near  a 
village  known  to  tourists  who  have  travelled  to  the 
Trossachs  via  Callendar.  But  he  is  well  known  in  Kil- 
dare, where  he  has  resided  during  the  hunting  season 
for  several  years  past.  That  he  loves  the  "  mimic 
warfare"  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  he  hunts  six  days 
a  week,  although  he  often  has  a  very  long  journey  to 
the  trysts.  He  is  a  supporter  of  steeplechasing  too  ; 
though  he  seldom  races  his  horses  anywhere  except  in 
Punchestown,  where  he  won  the  Prince  of  Wales* 
Plate  in  1871,  with  Huntsman,  and  was  second  with 
Delight.  In  the  year  following,  the  French  bred, 
Heraut  d'Armes,  made  a  grand  debut  as  a  chaser,  by 
winning  the  Conyngham  Cup,  ridden  by  Capt.  Smith, 
beating  Curragh  Ranger,  Bashful,  and  several  other 
good  horses ;   Gaskill  and  Kingswood  also  carried  the 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS. 


35 


dark-blue  jacket  successfully  over  this  course.  Mr. 
Forbes  never  bets,  but  races  for  honour  and  glory. 
He  is  very  wealthy,  and  will,  I  am  sure,  turn  out  the 
hunt  servants  in  A-i  style.  The  county  will  be  man- 
aged by  a  committee  of  three,  who  will  be  allowed 
^1,200  per  annum.  They  are  Major  the  Hon.  E.  Law- 
less, Baron  de  Robeck,  and  Mr.  Fortescue  J.  Tynte, 
three  popular  sportsmen,  who  will  do  everything  in 
their  power  to  please  all  parties.  I  may  add  that  they 
are  first-rate  men  to  ride  a  hunt.  Mr.  Forbes  will  be 
allowed  ^1,000  a  year. 

Formerly  the  hounds  used  to  meet  three  days  a 
week  ;  during  Sir  Edward's  time  they  met  seven  days 
a  fortnight,  and  the  custom  has  continued  up  to  the 
present.     Next  year  they  will  hunt  four  days  a  week. 

The  hounds  were  Sir  John  Kennedy's  own  pro- 
perty, and  he  made  them  a  present  to  Mr.  La  Touche, 
since  which  time  they  became  the  property  of  the 
hunt. 

When  Sir  John  Kennedy  took  the  hounds  there 
were  only  eighteen  coverts,  or  rather  eighteen  places 
known  in  Kildare,  namely, 

Killashee,  Narraghmore,  "  Elverstown, 

Knockrig,  Lyons,  Ballysax, 

Ballina,  Ballindoolan,  Arthurstown, 

Westown,  Grangebeg,  Wolfstown, 

Kerdiffstown,  Knockbruck,  Turnings." 

Castletown,  Bella  Villa, 
Harristown. 

The  last  five  being  rented  coverts. 

When  Sir  John  Kennedy  resigned,  he  left  forty- 
nine  coverts. 


^6  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

There  are  now  in  the  Kildare  hunting  district 
sixty-one  gorse  coverts  and  twenty-five  woods  or 
demesnes  which  are  drawn  and  in  which  foxes  are 
found. 

Some  say  hounds  are  much  faster  now  than  formerly. 
It  may  be  so.  But  one  thing  is  certain,  so  far  as  the 
hunting  in  Kildare  proves,  that  more  foxes  were  killed 
formerly  than  at  present,  considering  the  number 
of  days  hounds  were  out.  No  doubt,  as  draining 
was  little  known,  there  were  fewer  foxes  run  to 
ground. 

The  following  table  will  prove  this.  Taking  two 
years  during  Sir  John  Kennedy's  time,  from  November 
to  April,  and  two  in  Sir  E.  Kennedy's,  the  following 
may  be  interesting. 


"  Season." 

Days  out. 

Finds. 

Killed. 

To  ground. 

1818-19 

52 

88 

41 

17 

1831-32 

43 

92 

32 

II 

1868-69 

72 

180 

32 

72 

1873-74 

69 

173 

25 

55 

Sir  E.  Kennedy  attributes  the  cause  of  so  few 
foxes  being  killed  in  the  six  years  he  was  master  to 
the  fact,  that  only  seven  cubs  were  killed  during  the 
six  years,  the  rest  being  old  foxes.  Few  cubs  having 
been  found,  as  traps  were  set  for  rabbits  all  over  the 
county,  and  cubs  were  caught,  they  not  being  as 
clever  as  the  old  foxes  to  escape  the  mischief. 

It  may  interest  some  to  know  how  the  subscription 
has  increased,  and  also  the  field  money ;  it  would  be 
useless  to  mention  every  time  that  a  change  occurred, 
so  I  have  selected  three  years. 


- 

THE    KILDARE    HOUND 

s.                        Zl 

In   1827, 

the  Subscription  was    . 

£  «.    d. 

545  0  0 

Field  money, 

200  0  0 

„   1844, 

Subscription, 

610  0  0 

Field  money, 

160  0  0 

„   1864, 

Subscription, 

.    1,420  0  0 

Field  money, 

•       397  0  0 

During  Mr.  Mansfield's  mastership,  Freeman's 
lieutenants  were  W.  Rawle  and  Charles  Peck ;  at  the 
end  of  the  season,  76-7,  the  former  was  replaced  by  Tom 
M'Alister,  who  was  second  whip  for  a  time  during  Sir 
Edward  Kennedy's  reign,  and  who  then  went  as 
first  whip  to  the  Queen's  County  hounds,  where  he 
remained  until  his  return  to  this  county. 

The  annual  subscription  paid  to  the  master  for 
some  years  past  has  been  ^2,100,  out  of  which  he 
had  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  country.  This  amount 
was  made  up  by  subscriptions,  donations  (given  by 
the  military  quartered  in  the  district  and  civilians  not 
members  of  the  hunt),  and  field  money.  Last  season, 
76-7,  there  was  a  considerable  surplus,  the  subscrip- 
tions being  larger  than  usual,  and  the  field  money 
having  been  larger  than  was  ever  received  before. 
Hitherto  the  master  has  had  exclusive  charge  of  the 
country,  directing  everything,  and  paying  all  charges 
in  reference  to  it.  From  1st  May,  1877,  as  already 
mentioned  this  has  been  changed.  The  hunt  num- 
bered in  1876-7,  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  members 
paying  subscriptions  of  from  ^  100  to  ^5  a  year.  The 
expenditure  on  the  kennels,  stables,  and  house  for  the 
hunt  servants  amounted  to  between/3,000  and^3,500. 
Previous  to  the  building  of  the  present  kennels  the 
hunt  establishment  was  kept  at  the  private  residence 
of  the  master,  who  was  always  a  gentleman  of  the 


38  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

county,  living  and  having  extensive  premises  in  a 
central  position ;  and  to  that  class  the  selections 
of  masters  had  necessarily  been  restricted.  For  the 
future  the  hunt  will  not  be  subject  to  any  such 
restrictions,  and  will  be  free  from  the  embarrassment 
to  which,  on  several  occasions  upon  the  occurrence  of 
vacancies  of  mastership,  it  has  led.  The  admission  of 
members  to  the  hunt  is  by  ballot.  The  first  meet  is 
held  annually  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  November  at 
Johnstown  Inn,  and  on  that  evening  the  members  dine 
together  at  the  Royal  Hotel,  Naas,  which  is  con- 
sidered the  head-quarters  of  the  hunt ;  and  they  give 
a  ball  each  year,  generally  in  the  month  of  January. 
Mr.  David  Mahony,  of  Grange- Con,  Athy,  has  for 
some  years  past  acted  as  honorary  secretary,  and  this 
esteemed  sportsman  is  a  very  able  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer.  Several  gentlemen  subscribe  very 
liberally  to  the  fund.  His  Royal  Highness,  the  Duke 
of  Connaught,  is  an  honorary  member  of  the  hunt,  and 
a  very  liberal  subscriber.  The  popular  soldier  prince 
frequently  honoured  the  meets  with  his  presence  last 
season.  He  rides  remarkably  well,  and  is,  undoubtedly, 
a  first-rate  all-round  sportsman  ;  his  many  estimable 
qualities  have  earned  for  him  a  deserved  and  wide- 
spread popularity. 

Kildare  is,  undoubtedly,  a  fine  hunting  country. 
The  "territory"  is  at  least  forty  miles  long  and 
twenty  miles  wide,  including  within  the  bounds  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  Wicklow  and  Dublin.  Many 
favourite  fox  haunts  are  situated  in  close  proximity  to 
the  "  land  of  brown  heath  and  shaggy  wood,"  the 
Wicklow  mountains — but  the  highlands  over  which 
we  often  follow  the  "  pied  beauties"  are  quite  rideable 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  39 

though  nags  who  have  "joined  the  band,"  no  matter 
how  slightly  endowed  with  musical  propensities,  find 
it  often  impossible  to  live  with  them  in  these  hilly 
hunting  grounds.  Over  the  hills  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Tinode,  Coolemine,  and  Goucher's  Gorse,  all 
favourite  resorts  of  the  fox  family,  hounds  generally 
carry  a  good  head.  If  your  horse  is  clear  in  the 
pipes,  and  clever  enough  to  negociate  safely  the  high, 
rotten  banks  frequently  met  with  in  these  parts,  there 
is  no  reason  why  one  shouldn't  be  with  the  hounds,  as 
the  going  is  good.  The  *'cream"  of  these  truly 
happy  hunting  grounds  is  the  neighbourhood  of 
Punchestown,  Kilteel,  Dunlavin,  Ballytore,  May- 
nooth  and  Kilcock.  There  is  nothing  to  stop  a  good 
man,  well  mounted,  in  this  fine  grass  country,  where 
the  fences  are  safe  and  sound,  albeit  "  stiffish."  There 
is  just  enough  woodland  to  be  pleasant  in  Kildare,  the 
many  coverts  are  nicely  situated,  and  foxes  sufficiently 
numerous.  Feathered  game  preservers  are  almost 
unknown.  A  few  years  ago  rabbit  trapping  was 
carried  on  to  such  an  extent  that  fears  were  entertained 
that  foxes  would  be  entirely  exterminated  out  of  cer- 
tain districts.  But  the  then  master,  Sir  Edward 
Kennedy,  drew  attention  to  the  fact,  that  the  foxes 
were  so  often  destroyed  by  the  trappers,  that  some- 
thing should  be  done  to  prevent  the  obnoxious  custom. 
A  meeting  of  supporters  of  fox-hunting  was  held,  and 
several  gentlemen  who  were  in  the  habit  of  having 
traps  set  for  the  destruction  of  poor  *'  bunny,"  when  they 
were  assured  of  the  amount  of  injury  done  towards 
the  fox-hunting  portion  of  the  community,  in  the  most 
sportsmanlike  way  promised  not  to  allow  trapping  to  be 
carried  on  ;  and,  I  think  that  but  little  injury  is  inflicted 


40  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

in  this  way  now.  There  are  more  resident  gentry  in 
this  county  than  in  any  other  .in  Ireland,  and  a  vast 
majority  of  them  are  fox-hunters. 

For  some  years  past  a  growing-  evil  has  caused 
serious  apprehension  amongst  hunting  men ;  I  allude 
to  the  erection  of  wire.  In  some  districts  it  is  quite 
impossible  to  ride  to  hounds,  owing  to  this  objection- 
able practice.  The  landed  proprietors  (for  I  am  sorry 
to  say  they  set  the  bad  example)  and  farmers  do  not 
use  wire  for  the  purpose  of  interfering  in  any  way  with 
the  hunting.  The  great  majority  of  them  are  delighted 
to  see  the  hounds  in  their  neighbourhood,  and  many 
of  them  are  hunting  men.  Economy  is  their  motive  ; 
I  certainly  think  their  notions  on  that  score  are  very  mis- 
taken ones.  No  doubt  wire  is  easily  put  up,  but  I  opine 
that  the  posts  become  quite  rotten  after  about  four  years, 
and,  on  account  of  the  frequent  repairs  required,  I  am 
convinced  that  making  wire  fences  is,  generally  speak- 
ing, a  penny  wise,  pound  foolish  proceeding.  Horses, 
sheep,  and  cattle  are  frequently  severely  injured  by 
being  caught  in  wire.  It  would  be  labour  in  vain  on 
my  part  were  I  to  write  at  length,  pointing  out  the 
manifold  advantages  derived  by  all  classes,  the  tenant 
farmers  particularly,  by  hunting.  Any  injury  done  to 
their  lands  is  truly  insignificant  in  comparison  to  the 
advantages  they  derive,  notably  from  the  increased 
value  of  horses,  oats,  hay,  and  straw.  And  the  fact 
must  be  so  perfectly  apparent  to  all  that  I  need  not, 
though  I  could  very  readily,  point  out  the  benefit 
derived  from  this  pastime  of  princes — the  most  glorious 
of  all  amusements.  Absenteeism  is  the  cause  of  many 
evils,  to  it  may  be  attributed  a  great  deal  of  the  poverty 
of  our  countrymen ;    and  were  it  not  for  hunting,  those 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  4I 

who  spend  the  most  money  amongst  us  would  migrate 
to  foreign  lands. 

Hunting  affords  pleasure,  is  a  healthful  recreation 
which  keeps  at  home  in  our  country  the  flower  of  the 
Irish  aristocracy,  yields  wealth  to  willing  hands, 
cements  good  fellowship,  puts  money  into  the  pockets 
of  the  landed  proprietors  (by  Increasing  the  value  of 
their  property),  tillers  of  the  soil,  the  shopkeeper,  the 
artizan,  the  peasant,  in  a  word,  the  entire  population. 

I  happen  to  know  three  very  wealthy  sportsmen, 
who  intended  coming  to  reside  in  this  county  last  sea- 
son for  the  winter  months,  but  seeing  so  much  of  the 
country  wired,  they  changed  their  mind.  These  were 
men  with  plenty  of  means  and  large  studs,  who  would 
have  spent  a  great  deal  of  money  here.  I  sincerely 
hope  that  the  landed  proprietors  who  have  wire  fences  on 
their  land  will  remove  them,  and  I  am  sure  many  farmers 
will  follow  the  example  of  a  wake  so  stimulative,  and 
"go  and  do  likewise  "  before  they  cause  further  injury 
to  their  own  interests.  I  believe  that  love  of  sport  of  all 
kinds,  as  well  as  of  foxhunting,  is  inherent  to  the  nature 
of  every  Patlander ;  and  I  hope  that  those  Kildare 
men,  whose  occupation  is  the  patriotic  one  of  making 
*'two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  one  grew  before" 
will  support  foxhunting.  If  they  "  'ware  wire  "  the  day 
will  never  come — not  even  on  the  arrival  of  the  long- 
expected  New  Zealander  on  London  Bridge — when  the 
gorse  is  uprooted,  and  the  cry  of  the  foxhound  no 
longer  heard  within  the  bounds  of  "fair  Kildare." 
Fences  of  all  sorts  and  sizes  are  to  be  met  with  in  this 
country.  In  places  where  wire  is  not  used  you  can  go 
sailing  away  if  your  heart  is  in  the  right  place,  and  you 
are  well  mounted.     Walls  or  timber  you  seldom  meet; 


42  IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 

but  to  be  a  safe  conveyance,  your  horse  must  be  a 
"  tip-top  "  bank  jumper,  and  a  bold  fencer. 

The  number  who  comprise  the  "field"  average 
about  150,  including  many  who  would  be  regarded 
as  first-flight  men  in  any  age  or  in  any  country.  I 
have  given  in  my  reminiscences  of  other  hunts  the 
names  of  those  who  comprised  the  leading  brigade  in 
the  days  of  "  auld  lang  syne,"  as  well  as  those  of  the 
present.  But  in  this  instance  I  will  not  presume  to 
make  selections,there  are  so  many  worthy  of  honourable 
mention,  that  I  could  scarcely  make  up  my  mind  as  to 
who  are  deserving  of  being  included  in  the  schedule. 
Although  I  have  had  very  many  good  days  hunting 
with  these  grand  hounds,  and  ample  opportunity  of 
seeing,  and,  I  may  add,  did  see  them  often  race,  "  head 
up  and  sterns  down,"  when  in  the  front  rank  were 
gathered  the  "good  and  the  true  ones."  The  field,  too, 
invariably  includes  visitors  from  Meath,  Dublin, 
Queen's  County,  and  an  occasional  pleasure  seeker 
from  the  Shires,  and  other  "  birds  of  passage,'"  such  as 
officers  of  the  Dublin  and  Newbridge  Garrison.  The 
thought  may  strike  some  that  I  might  mention  a  few  of 
the  flyers  who  have  ere  now  gone  to  ground  without 
fear  of  giving  offence.  I  thought  of  doing  so,  but  I  have 
not  yet  lived  to  comb  a  gray  hair,  my  *' tatch  "  is 
unstained  by  those  silvery  indications  of  the  flight 
of  youthful  days,  so  my  recollection  does  not  extend 
very  far  back,  and  I  will  not  add  to  the  few  I  have 
already  particularised. 

Several  of  the  best  men  of  the  present  day  are  named 
the  "Men  of  Kildare,"  which  I  may  add  was  com- 
posed by  me  after  a  good  run  with  the  Kildares  in 
1876. 


THE    KILDARE    HOUNDS.  43 


THE  MEN  OF  KILDARE. 

When  autumn  to  gold  turns  the  leaves  on  the  trees, 
And  the  swallows  depart  for  their  flight  o'er  the  seas, 
While  the  river  goes  swollen,  the  ocean  to  meet, 
With  a  whisper  as  soft  as  a  lullaby  sweet, 
We  look  to  our  "  scarlets,"  our  "  nags,"  and  our  "  cords," 
For  a  run  with  the  "  Meaths,"  or  a  day  with  the  "  Wards." 
Both  are  good  in  their  way,  but  they  cannot  surpass 
A  burst  with  our  foxhounds  across  the  "  short  grass." 

Chorus. 

Bravest  of  men  are  the  men  of  Kildare, 

Tho'  fortune  prove  fickle  they  never  despair. 

Would  you  still  wear  your  laurels,  I'd  have  you  beware 

How  you  ride  to  our  hounds  when  you  come  to  Kildare. 

Arthursto\vn's  tried,  he's  at  home,  a  sure  find  ; 

Gone-away  !  they  are  off"  in  the  teeth  of  the  wind. 

There  goes  Willie  Blacker  of  sweet  Castlemartin  ; 

You'll  find  the  right  place  he  has  ever  his  heart  in  ; 

Beside  him  Will  Kennedy,  ex-master  of  hounds, 

Who  could  ride  a  flat  race,  and  give  most  of  them  pounds. 

There,  too,  goes  his  brother,  a  jolly  good  fellow, 

And  Mansfield,  late  master,  whose  heart  is  still  mellow. 

Chorus — Bravest  of  men,  &c. 

In  grand  style  the  double  is  cleared  by  bold  Lawless  ; 
Lord  Cloncurry,  close  up  to  the  front  rank  they  call  us. 
Whilst  Beasley  looks  calm,  as  if  winning  a  plate. 
And  O'Ferrall,  as  ever,  despising  a  gate  ; 
And  the  Lord  of  Clonmel,  who  enjoys  all  the  fun, 
Whilst  Morris  flies  past,  though  recording  the  run, 
Colonel  Forster,  who  oft  brought  the  "  tartan  "  in  front, 
And  Forbes — all  good   sportsmen  are  seen  in  the  hunt. 

Chorus — Bravest  of  men,  &c. 

See  La  Touche  and  the  "  Baron,  "*  each  obstacle  clear, 
While  Sir  Higginson's  gray  jumps  as  clear  as  a  deer. 
By  Downshire  they  race  on  to  Punchestown  course. 
The  fox  heads  away  then  for  Elverstown  gorse 
(Here  Wakefield  the  field  often  led  a  swift  pace), 
Kilbee  and  his  daughter  are  still  in  the  chase. 
Reynard  changes  his  course,  but  he  dodges  in  vain  ; 
He  never  will  shelter  in  covert  again. 

Chorus — Bravest  of  men,  &c. 

*  Baron  de  Robeck. 


44  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Charley  Warburton,  known  as  the  great  welter-weight, 

Never  looks  for  a  gap,  or  unclasps  a  field  gate  ; 

While  Tynte,  the  kind  owner  and  lord  of  Tynte  Park, 

Seems  as  careless  and  gay  as  if  out  for  a  "lark." 

Say  who  is  the  rider  of  yonder  coal-black, 

Who  looks  as  if  moulded  upon  the  steed's  back. 

As  true  as  I  live,  I  could  stake  my  life  on  it, 

'Tis  his  Highness  himself,  the  young  Duke  of  Connaught. 

Chorus — Bravest  of  men,  &c. 

Diana  herself  might  look  on  with  surprise. 

At  the  feats  of  the  ladies  who  strive  for  the  prize  ; 

Why  Reynard's  been  known  to  be  caught  by  a  blush. 

And  gallantly  died  to  present  them  his  brush. 

But  Reynard,  being  Irish,  what  less  could  he  do, 

With  lovely  Churchill  and  fair  Beauman  in  view. 

Other  countries  may  boast  and  with  pride  of  their  pearls, 

But  none  can  compare  with  our  own  darling  girls. 


Fairest  of  maids  are  the  maids  of  Kildare, 
When  their  cheeks  have  been  flushed  by  their  own  native  air. 
If  you'd  keep  yourself  heart-whole  I'd  have  you  beware. 
How  you  meet  the  soft  glances  they  give  in  Kildare. 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  45 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    CURRAGHMORE. 

You  ask  me  to  give  you  some  details  in  connection 
with  the  present  "  Curraghmore."  I  wish  you  had  a 
better  hand  to  do  it  for  you ;  but  as  you  have  not, 
I  will  tell  you  all  I  know  of  that  fine  hunt  ;  but  first 
draw  your  chair  nearer  the  fire,  refill  the  pipe, 
have  a  glass  of  grog,  and  pay  the  same  atten- 
tion to  me,  for  I  can't  talk  without  a  drink  and  a 
smoke. 

You  must  know  that  the  present  name  of  this  hunt 
has  been  but  recently  given  it.  In  olden  times  the 
hounds  that  hunted  this  part  of  the  country  were  called 
the  "Waterford  Hounds,"  the  "  Tinvane  Hounds," 
and,  I  think,  there  were  one  or  two  other  packs.  When 
^'' the  Marquis"  took  the  country,  he  bought  up  all 
these  hounds,  hung  nineteen-twentieths  of  them,  and 
called  the  pack  he  established  "  Lord  Waterford's 
Foxhounds."  When  his  brother  succeeded  to  the 
title,  in  1859,  h^»  being  a  clergyman,  did  not  like 
that  cognomen,  so  he  called  them  "  The  Curraghmore 
Hounds;"  and  again  the  present  Marquis  changed 
the  name  two  years  ago  to  "  The  Curraghmore." 

Well,  so  far  I  have  accounted  for  the  title  of  the 
hunt — I  will  now  try  if  I  can  go  back  to  the  Jind^ 
trace  it  through  its  long  runy  and  account  for   it  up 

4 


46  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

to  the  present,  when  I  shall  leave  it  still  running^ 
and  may  the  day  never  come  v/hen  we  will  have  to 
give  it  a  whoo-whoop  ! 

Soon  after  Henry,  third  Marquis  of  Waterford,  mar- 
ried Hon.  Louisa  Stuart,'he  came  to  reside  at  his  an- 
cestral mansion,  Curraghmore,  and  wished  to  establish 
a  pack  of  foxhounds  there  ;  but  from  want  of  foxes 
and  of  hounds  he  was  unable  at  the  time  to  gain 
his  end.  He,  however,  about  the  year  1840,  bought 
a  pack  from  Captain  Jacob,  of  Mobarnane,  in  the 
county  Tipperary,  and  took  over  the  country  he 
hunted.  He  moved  the  establishment  to  Rockwell, 
which  was  more  central,  and  showed  very  good  sport 
for  three  or  four  seasons.  His  lordship  was  per- 
sonally most  popular  in  Tipperary,  but  some  of  his 
employees  were  not ;  the  consequence  was  that  feuds 
sprung  up  and  bad  became  worse,  until  at  last  some 
rascals  set  fire  to  the  kennels.  This  annoyed  his 
lordship  so  much,  he  gave  up  the  country  in  disgust, 
to  a  committee  of  county  Tipperary  gentlemen, 
with  fifty  couple  of  hounds,  five  horses,  and  a 
subscription  of  ^100  annually.  This  was  about 
the  year  1848.  The  present  Mr.  Henry  Briscoe,  of 
Tinvane,  and  the  late  Mr.  William  Fitzgerald,  had 
then  each  a  pack  of  hounds.  The  former  owned  the 
hounds  he  hunted,  and  they  were  well  bred,  and 
hunted  hares  as  well  as  foxes ;  but  the  latter  was  a 
subscription  pack,  and  consisted  of  every  sort,  and 
would  hunt  anything  from  an  earwig  to  an  elephant. 
They  once,  after  a  blank  day,  ran  riot  after  a  buck 
goat  and  ate  him  !  You  may  laugh,  but  it  is  a  fact ; 
Billy  Johnson  of  Waterford  is  alive  now,  was  out  that 
day  and  saw  it  occur.     Well,   Mr.   Briscoe  had  well- 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  47 

nigh  killed  every  fox  within  the  narrow  limits  of  his 
country ;  and  though  they  say  he  used  sometimes 
to  accidentally  draw  a  neighbouring  hunt's  cover  on  the 
chance  of  a  find,  he  was  glad  to  dispose  of  his  pack  to 
Lord  Henry,  as  I  have  said,  in  1848.  To  get  rid  of 
the  other  pack  and  get  up  the  country,  his  lordship 
bought  them  from  the  Waterford  Club,  of  which  Mr. 
Fitzgerald  was  then  master. 

Lord  Waterford  set  to  work  with  a  will  to  es- 
tablish a  pack  and  a  country.  With  the  aid  of 
Johnny  Ryan  (whom  he  brought  with  him  from  Tip- 
perary,  and  whose  father  and  grandfather  hunted 
the  Grove  hounds  before  he  did  so  himself),  and  the 
kindness  of  his  English  friends,  his  lordship  soon  had 
together  as  well  bred  a  pack  as  was  then  to  be  found. 
He  had  more  trouble  stocking  the  country  (for  '48  was 
a  troublesome  time,  particularly  with  Tory  landlords) ; 
but  ''the  Marquis"  was  a  favourite  with  all,  and 
before  long  he  had  a  good  show  of  foxes.  At  this  time 
his  country  was  bounded  by  the  limits  of  the  county 
Waterford,  and  the  little  bit  of  the  ''  Welsh  "  moun- 
tains, hunted  over  by  Mr.  Briscoe  ;  but  in  a  short  time 
Sir  John  Power,  who  had  the  Kilkenny  country  then, 
gave  his  lordship  that  portion  of  the  district  which 
lay  within  a  line  from  Carrick-on-Suir  to  Innistiogue, 
taking  in  Wynne's  Gorse,  Kilmoganny,  Castlemorris, 
and  Kiltorcan — along  the  river  Nore  to  New  Ross,  I 
think — but  I  am  not  quite  certain  if  Woodstock, 
Brownstown,  Annaghs,  Lucy's  Rock,  and  Glensensaw 
were  in  it,  I  rather  think  they  were  not,  and  that 
Sir  John  kept  them  to  hunt  when  he  drew  the  Ross 
district.  At  all  events.  Lord  Waterford,  with  the 
covers  I  named,  got  Carrigtruss,  Tory  Hill,  Knock- 


48  IRISH   SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

brack,  Coolnahaw  (now  cut  down)  and  all  the  Welsh 
mountains  from  Clonassy  to  Kilmacoliver,as  well  as  the 
jolly  little  gorse  cover  of  Killeen,  also  Snow  Hill. 
This  was  a  great  addition  to  his  territory,  and  he 
showed  his  appreciation  of  the  compliment  by  hunt- 
ing it  two  days  a  week,  and  the  Waterford  country  one 
day  a  week.  Very  good  sport  he  showed ;  and  though 
I  consider  he  was  not  a  good  judge  of  a  horse  or 
a  hound,  he  made  a  capital  M.F.H.,  and  was  respected 
by  all  classes.  Johnny  Ryan  hunted  the  hounds 
till  Lord  Henry's  death.  He  had  some  very  good 
whippers-In,  notably,  Clancy,  Bolger,  and  poor 
Billy'  Barry.  There  never  was  a  cheerier  fellow  than 
Billy;  but  he  had  a  hasty  temper,  and  when  vexed 
would  "  cheek  "  any  one.  He  was  whipper  before  this 
to  Sir  Robert  Paul  when  he  kept  harriers.  One  day.  Sir 
Robert,  who  hunted  his  own  hounds,  viewed  a  hare 
going  away,  and  blowing  his  horn,  cheered  his  hounds 
on  to  her.  Billy,  at  the  other  side  of  a  patch  of  gorse, 
viewed  another  away,  and  began  cheering  the  hounds 
on  to  her ;  hearing  Sir  Robert  in  a  contrary  direction, 
and  thinking  no  other  hare  was  on  foot  but  the  one 
he  saw,  lost  all  patience,  and  sung  out :  '*  You  damned 
fool,  what  are  you  blowing  there  for,  don't  you  see  she 
Is  gone  this  way!"  Sir  Robert  was  not  the  man  to 
stand  this,  so  galloping  up  he  knocked  Billy  off  his 
horse,  and  gave  him  his  "  walking  ticket  "  next  day. 
Billy  then  came  to  Lord  Waterford.  What  a  rider 
he  was  !  much  better  horseman  than  whip,  for  though 
I  never  saw  a  man  who  could  get  his  hounds  out  of 
cover  faster  to  a  huntsman's  horn,  he  would  much  pre- 
fer to  ride  to  them  than  to  stay  behind  getting  on  tail 
hounds.     Poor    Billy — he   died  of  consumption,   and 


THE   CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  49 

one  of  the  last  men  he  spoke  of  was  myself  As 
there  are  now,  and  ever  shall  be,  there  were  then  hard 
riding  and  good  men  to  hounds  here  :  Sir  Richard  and 
Henry  Cox,  Captain  Fleming,  Ned  Lalor,  Belcher, 
William  Power  of  Seafield,  "Parson"  Gregory  of 
Fiddown,  Tom  Sheppard,  "  Old  Sir  John  "  and 
the  late  Sir  John  Power,  Johnny  Power  of  Gurteen, 
Bailey  of  Norelands,  Harry  Jephson,  Larry  Dobbyn, 
Captain  Doyle,  Weekes  of  Ballymountain,  John 
Walshe  of  Fanningstown,  Higginbottom  of  Garnarea, 
Lord  Bessborough,  John  Jones  of  Mullinabro,  Tom 
Lalor  (son  of  Ned),  and  Henry  Briscoe.  They  are  all 
dead  and  gone,  except  the  four  last-named,  and 
may  it  be  long  before  their  whoo-whoop  be  rung,  for 
never  lived  four  in  whose  veins  sporting  blood  ran 
brighter.  I  must  stop  a  minute  to  drink  a  toast  to 
the  memory  of  those  who  are  gone  to  ground,  and  to 
the  long  life  of  those  four  who  are  still  above  it. 
Fill  full,  and  no  heel-taps,  the  first  in  mute  silence,  and 
the  latter  with  a  view-hollo  !  Well  done,  you  have  a 
good  voice  still,  and  it  tallied  many  a  fox  away  in  its 
day  too,  I  know. 

Many  of  those  I  have  named  were  old  men  when 
Lord  Waterford  first  hunted  this  country,  and  mostly 
belonged  to  the  Kilkenny  hunt,  but  they  always  came 
out  when  his  lordship  drew  their  side. 

The  covers  in  those  days  were  the  same  as  now  exist, 
except  Coolnahaw,  Ballinaboola,  and  a  few  small  ones 
which  were  cut  down,  and  those  newly  made  by  the 
present  Marquis  :  but  to  them  I  had  better  give  a 
separate  description  anon. 

They  used  to  have  famous  runs  then ;  one 
celebrated  silver-haired  fox  took  them,  I  think,  four 


50  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

times  in  one  season  a  spanker  from  Tory  Hill,  by 
Knockbrack  into  Woodstock ;  the  hounds  could  never 
kill  him.  He  died  in  a  wet  drain,  into  which  they 
ran  him  at  last.  That  puts  me  in  mind,  Billy  Johnson 
(I  beg  his  pardon,  Captain  Johnson,  but  he  is  a  good 
sort,  and  won't  mind  familiarity),  before  this  time  got 
a  silver-haired  dog  fox  from  off  a  ship  that  came  from 
Norway  or  some  northern  clime,  and  they  let  him  go 
on  Tory  Hill.  He  was  killed  soon  after,  but  not  before 
he  mated  with  some  of  the  aboriginal  vixens.  The 
fox  just  mentioned  was  one  of  his  breed,  and  we  often 
meet  a  light-coloured  fox  about  there  now.  Only 
two  years  ago  we  killed  a  silver-haired  vixen  near 
Cat's  Rock  that  gave  us  several  good  runs.  An- 
other magnificent  run  was  had  in  March,  1859, 
during  his  lordship's  absence  at  the  Liverpool 
Grand  National,  where  he  went  to  see  his  horse,  Ace 
of  Hearts,  run.  He  was  much  put  about  when  he 
heard  of  it,  for  he  did  not  like  losing  a  run.  A 
fox  found  in  Corbally,  ran  over  Milltown  Hill,  over 
the  Harristown  bottoms,  through  Killeen,  straight  on 
through  Castlebannon,  and  to  Coolnahaw  bog,  a  point 
to  point  distance  of  nine  miles.  Flere  he  turned  to 
the  left,  skirted  the  verge  of  the  bog,  bent  to  the  left 
again,  and  straight  for  Kiltorcan,  within  a  mile  of  it  he 
changed  his  course  and  went  down  through  the  Grey- 
wood,  across  the  railway  at  the  tank.  At  this  time 
there  were  only  four  men  with  the  hounds,  Mr.  Briscoe, 
on  a  chestnut  stallion  he  called  Sir  William,  got  a  bad 
fall  on  to  the  railway.  Mr.  Harry  Sargent,  then  a  very 
young  man,  got  over  by  his  horse's  wonderful  per- 
formance over  a  stone  mason-built  stile  between  a 
locked  gate  and  the  wire  paling  of  the  railway.    It  was 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  51 

a  narrow  squeak  for  him  though.     The  fox  from  this 
made  for  Killeen,  but  was  headed  away  from  it  by  the 
keeper,  old  Tommy  Knockmore  (I  must  tell  you  some 
yarns  about  this  man,  by-and-by)  ;  he  ran  an   inside 
line  to  the   one  he  ran  first,  through  the  top  of  the 
Greywood  again,  and  to  ground  near  Ballyhale.     He 
was    not    a  yard    in,   and  could    easily  have    been 
taken  out,  but  Lord  Bessborough,  who  was  up   at 
the    time,  would  not  allow  it.     The  men  who  rode 
this  hunt  from  find  to  finish  were,   Johnny  Ryan    on 
"Merry   Man,"   Billy  Barry   on    ''Magpie,"   Harry 
Sargent  on    a  bay  hard -pulling  horse,  George  Mal- 
comson   on,    I  think,    a    thoroughbred    mare    called 
"Eugenie,"  and  poor  Fred,  who  died  the  other  day, 
on  *'  Bad  Boy."    This  run  could  not  be  less  than  from 
twenty    to    twenty-five    miles,    and    the    pace    was 
sustained  all  the    time,    and   no    check   longer  than 
five  minutes  was  in  any  part  of  it.    Henry  Briscoe,  till 
his  fall  in  the  railway,  Clem.    Saddler,  poor  David 
Malcomson,  and  a  few  others,  went  well  also.   I  heard 
Lord  Bessborough   say — and  he  is  no  bad  judge — he 
never  saw  a  finer  run  than  this  one  was. 

I  have  just  recollected  a  wonderful  run  which  is 
said  to  have  taken  place  (but  I  don't  believe  a  word 
of  it,  jw/^  may  if  you  like),  so  I  will  tell  it  to  you. 
It  was  when  Fitzgerald  had  the  hounds,  and  an 
old  chap  named  Delahunty  (a  good  name  for  a 
huntsman)  hunted  them.  They  found  a  fox  in  Mount 
Neil,  ran  him  by  Granny  up  to  Clonassey,  on  to  Tory, 
by  Knockbrack,  into  Snow  Hill,  on  by  Lucy's  Rock, 
through  Rossbercon,  on  by  where  Weatherstown  cover 
is  now,  through  Coolnahaw,  and  killed  him  near 
Kiltorcan  in  the  dark  night !     Now,  if  this  run  ever 


52  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

did  take  place,  fifty  miles  must  have  been  gone 
over.  I  have  mentioned  the  gentleman's  name  al- 
ready, who  told  this  run  to  me ;  but  after  what  I 
have  said  of  it,  I  would  be  afraid  to  tell  who  he  is ; 
but  he  swears  it  is  a  fact,  and  that  he  finished  it  too, 
and  rode  home  through  Mullinavat  with  Captain  Doyle 
Che  is  dead  though),  where  they  both  gave  meal  and 
water  to  their  horses,  and  brandy  and  water  to  them- 
selves till  they  got  drunk ! — small  blame  to  them  after 
such  a  run  ! 

I  am  now  coming  to  a  gloomy  portion  of  my  tale. 
The  facts  have,  as  you  and  every  one  else  know, 
then,  and  ever  since,  when  alluded  to,  cast  a  pall  of 
darkness  over  the  brightest  scene  of  a  fox-hunter's 
career — the  death  of  Henry,  third  Marquis  of  Water- 
ford — "  the  Marquis,"  as  he  was,  and  ever  will  be 
styled. 

On  his  return  from  Liverpool,  where  he  had  not 
the  good  fortune  to  see  his  horse  even  placed  for 
the  Grand  National,  he  heard  of  the  extraordinary 
run  we  had  in  his  absence,  and  which  I  have  just  de- 
scribed. A  day  or  two  after,  well  remembered  by  all 
to  be  the  29th  of  March,  1859,  his  fixture  was  Castle- 
morris,  the  seat  of  his  old  friend  and  stanch  supporter 
of  fox-hunting,  John  de  Montmorency  (light  lie  the 
sods  over  good  '*  John  de  Mont's  "  grave).  A  strag- 
gling, slow  run  out  of  it  to  ground  in  Glenbower  was 
the  first  we  had  that  day.  His  lordship  got  his  second 
horses  at  once,  and  trotted  ofT  to  Corbally,  to  find  the 
good  fox  that  gave  us  the  run  ten  days  before.  A  very 
large  field  was  out,  as  was  always  the  case  when 
he  met  there.  We  found  a  fox  in  Corbally,  which 
took  us  over  Milltown  Hill,  as  did  the  other,  but  he 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  53 

turned  back  to  Corbally  again.  Crossing  the  road,  the 
hounds  running  up  the  hill  to  the  cover  with  three  or 
four  men  with  them,  his  lordship's  horse  (one  I 
never  admired,  called  Mayboy,  not  up  to  fourteen, 
much  less  sixteen  to  seventeen  stone),  bungled  over 
a  little  fence  into  the  road ;  he  did  not  come 
down,  but  his  lordship  fell  over,  right  on  his  head ! 
He  lay  motionless  till  picked  up  by  Harry  Jephson 
and  Johnny  Ryan,  his  steeplechase  jockey,  who 
always  rode  second  horseman  to  him.  Dr.  O'Ryan, 
who  was  close  by,  also  jumped  off  at  once  and 
examined  the  prostrate  form  of  as  fine  a  sportsman 
as  ever  fell  in  the  hunting  field.  When  asked  in 
frantic  strains  by  Jephson  what  his  opinion  was,  he 
replied :  "  May  God  have  mercy  on  his  soul,  for  it  is 
departing  from  him  this  moment." 


Need  I  dilate  upon  the  scene  of  consternation  that 
followed.  No ;  long  ago  as  that  day  is  now,  I  remem- 
ber every  particular  of  it,  and  shall  as  long  as  "life's 
memory"  lasts.  Harry  Jephson  was,  perhaps,  Lord 
Waterford's  dearest  friend,  and  upon  him  devolved 
the  direful  necessity  of  going  before  to  Curraghmore 
to  break  the  awful  tragic  occurrence  to  the  widowed 
lady  who  "loved  her  lord  so  well."  He  avoided  not 
the  duty,  but  at  once  proceeded  on  his  dreadful  er- 
rand. Directly  Lady  Waterford  saw  him  she  guessed 
his  object,  and  at  once  exclaimed  that  his  lordship  was 
killed  !  Yes,  poor  soul !  she  had  always  a  presentiment 
of  such  a  fate  befalling  him  ! 

After  Jephson' s  leaving,  his   lordship   was  laid  in 


54  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

a  donkey  cart,  and  conveyed  some  miles  before  a 
horse's  cart  was  procured ;  he  was  then  transferred 
to  it.  Can  I  ever  forget  the  sight  of  that  mournful 
cortege,  passing  through  the  quiet  village  of  Temple- 
oram  that  evening  about  8  o'clock?  The  night  was 
dark,  but  there  was  a  slight  moonshine,  which  shed  its 
ghastly  rays  upon  some  twenty  horses  being  led  by 
countrymen  in  front,  and  on  the  horse  and  cart,  with 
the  body  of  the  dead  sportsman,  stiff  and  cold,  in  his 
red  coat,  with  a  cloak  thrown  over  him,  his  feet  ex- 
tending over  the  end  of  the  cart  (the  tail-board  being 
removed  to  give  them  room),  and  held  together  by  his 
faithful  servant,  Johnny  Ryan.  Close  after  the  cart 
followed  some  twenty  of  those  who  hunted  with  his 
Lordship  that  day,  all  walking  in  silence,  and  accom- 
panied by  a  large  number  of  peasants.  And  to  com- 
plete the  dread  picture,  one  hound  folloAved  close  by 
the  cart. 

No  use  dwelling  longer  on  these  sad  details  ;  suffice 
it  that  his  lordship's  remains  were  transferred  from  the 
cart  to  Lord  Bessborough's  break  at  Bessborough,  and 
conveyed  to  Curraghmore,  escorted  by  Jephson,  who 
came  back  to  meet  it,  Johnny  Ryan,  and  one  or  two 
more. 

There  never  was  a  larger  funeral  collected  toge- 
ther in  Ireland  than  that  which  was  marshalled  in 
the  courtyard  of  Curraghmore  on  the  morning  of 
"  Lord  Henry's  "  funeral,  and  I  believe  never  was  one 
followed  to  the  grave  by  more  truly  sorrowful  men. 
Not  a  sound  or  a  whisper  could  be  heard,  as  the  single 
file  of  black-caparisoned  carriages  wended  its  weary 
way  along  the  meandering  drive  from  the  courtyard  to 
the  quiet  little  graveyard  of  Clonegam. 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  55 

Enough  of  the  melancholy  narrative  ! 

The  auction  over,  Lord  John,  the  fourth  Marquis, 
in  that  princely,  offhand  manner,  which  was  the  charac- 
teristic of  so  many  of  his  kin  that  had  gone  before, 
presented  to  the  hunt  thirty-two  couple  of  the  picked 
hounds  of  the  kennel,  four  horses,  the  best  also,  and  a 
subscription  of  ^loo  a  year.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
gentry  of  the  country,  Mr.  Henry  Briscoe,  ofTInvane, 
was  unanimously  chosen  to  be  master  of  the  hounds, 
with  Ryan  as  huntsman,  and  Billy  Barry  as  whip,  and 
the  pack  were  transferred  to  TInvane. 

A  subscription  was  raised  (of  course  all  know  that 
Lord  Waterford  hunted  the  country  at  his  own  expense 
solely)  which  was  headed  by  Messrs.  David,  George, 
and  Fred  Malcomson,  and  the  Earl  of  Bessborough, 
withal 50  and  ^loo  respectively. 

Sir  John  Power  only  gave  Lord  Waterford  that 
portion  of  his  country  I  have  mentioned,  while  he 
hunted  the  country ;  so  at  his  death  a  new  arrangement 
had  to  be  come  to,  Avhich  was  this — they  took  back 
Castlemorrls,  Wynne's  Gorse,  Kllmoganny,  Windgap, 
Kiltorcan,  Sir  John's  Gorse,  Coolmine, and  Killeen,and 
if  Woodstock,  Glensinsaw,  Brownstown,  and  Lucy's 
Rock,  were  given  his  lordship,  them  also,  leaving  us 
only  that  portion  below  Carrlgtruss  to  Snow  Hill, 
taking  in  Tory  Hill  and  Knockbrack,  for  which  we 
paid  the  Kilkenny  Hunt  (then  a  club,  Sir  John  Power 
having  given  It  up  to  the  country)  a  rent  of  ^50  a 
year,  which  Lord  Bessborough  paid  in  addition  to  his 
subscription  of^ioo  a  year. 

Briscoe  only  hunted  two  days  a  week,  and  started 
with  Merryman,  Sunshine,  Cheasty,  and  Wall,  given 
by     Lord   Waterford,     Stretcher    and    other     horses 


56  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

the  hunt  bought   for  him,  and  thirty-two   couple  of 
hounds. 

Lord  Henry,  as  I  said  before,  was  not  a  good  judge 
of  either  a  hound  or  a  horse,  the  former  he  knew  less  of 
than  the  latter.  A  horse  had  but  one  (certainly  a  good 
one)  recommendation  to  him — going  well — no  matter 
what  his  shape  was,  if  he  saw  him,  go  through  a  good 
run,  he  would  buy  him  if  he  could.*  No  doubt  the  pick  of 
the  kennel  and  stable  we  got,  and  when  they  were  chosen 
by  Henry  Briscoe,  it  is  easily  supposed  he  took  none 
but  the  right  sort,  for  no  man  is  a  better  judge  of  a 
hound  or  a  horse  than  he.  Not  good,  however,  was  the 
best,  and  it  took  Briscoe  some  years  to  make  them  to 
his  liking,  and  that  is  as  near  perfection  as  possible. 
Any  man  who  remembers  the  hounds  when  he  got 
them,  and  when  he  gave  them  up  to  the  present  Mar- 
quis, and  who  knows  anything  of  what  a  pack  of  hounds 
ought  to  be,  must  agree  that  a  more  improved  pack 
was  seldom  made  in  so  short  a  time. 

One  word  now  about  my  dear  old  friend  "  Henry." 
We  all  call  him  "Henry,"  from  peer  to  peasant,  the 
latter  dubbing  him  "  Hinry,"  or  if  very  respectful, 
*'  Hinry  Sur  ;'"  but  first  we  must  drink  his  health.  So 
fill  your  glass  again  ;  and  though  we  coupled  him  be- 
fore with  three  others,  we  must  now  give  him  a  bumper 
with  "  three  times  three,  and  one  cheer  more."  He  is 
now  as  well  and  as  "fit"  as  he  was  at  the  time 
of  which  I  shall  now  tell  you,  and  may  he  long 
continue  to  be  so.  Take  the  time  from  me.  Hip, 
hip,  hurrah  for  Henry  Briscoe  ! 

*  I  do  not  share  my  informant's  opinion  as  to  Lord  Waterford's 
judgment.  The  owner  of  so  many  chasers  and  racers  could  never 
have  lacked  discrimination  in  his  purchases.     [Author]. 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  57 

From  the  way  you  are  questioning  me,  I  have  an 
idea  you  want  to  write  a  book  ;  but  I  don't  care  whether 
you  do  or  not  Every  word  I  tell  you  is  gospel,  no 
man  can  controvert  it.  And  nothing  I  have  told  you, 
or  will  tell  you  of  this  hunt  is  truer  than  what  I  now 
tell  you  of  Henry  Briscoe. 

Never  was  a  man,  taking  him  **  all  round,"  better 
qualified  for  a  M.  F.  H.  than  he.  He  knows  how 
to  mate  his  breeding  hounds,  so  that  the  progeny 
may  reasonably  be  expected  to  inherit  the  good- 
ness of  the  parents,  while  the  faults  (but  he  never 
breeds  from  a  really  faulty  hound)  may  be  miti- 
gated or  extinguished.  When  the  puppies  come 
in  from  walk  he  knows  the  ones  to  put  forward  as 
well  as  any  man  living.  In  their  early  kennel  train- 
ing, and  horse  exercise,  he  is  a  disciplinarian.  When 
he  first  enters  them  to  their  game,  his  keen  eye  (though 
he  often  looks  at  them  through  his  little  stringless 
glass,  with  a  twist  in  his  dear  old  head,  that  we  all 
know  so  well)  selects,  without  error,  the  puppies  he 
means  to  give  to  his  friends.  Therefore  when  the  first 
day  of  the  season  arrives,  he  has  his  year's  entry 
nearly  as  steady  and  free  from  riot  as  his  old  hounds  ; 
and  from  his  long  experience  and  natural  sagacity,  the 
condition  he  has  got  them  into  is  simply  perfect,  and 
that  condition,  by  the  most  astute  kennel  management, 
he  keeps  up  the  entire  season,  no  matter  how  severe  it 
maybe.  If  he  carried  the  horn  himself,  as  he  did  for 
so  many  years,  few  gentlemen  huntsmen  (or  profession- 
als either)  could  handle  a  pack  of  hounds  in  cover, 
or  through  a  long  run  on  a  cold-scenting  day,  and  at 
the  end  account  for  his  fox,  better  than  he.  He  is  a 
first-rate  judge  of  a  horse,  as  is  testified  by  his  being 


58  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

frequently  asked  to  adjudicate  over  the  hunter  class  at 
horse  shows.  He  always  looks  to  the  blood,  bone,  and 
quality  in  that  animal,  as  he  does  in  his  hounds  ;  and 
when  he  has  bought  a  horse  to  his  liking,  can't  he  ride 
him  though  !  None  of  your  bullying,  bustling  fellows, 
who  are  always  in  a  hurry,  and  never  where  they  ought 
to  be,  except  when  they  are  in  a  ditch,  but  quiet  and 
steady,  with  the  motto,  "  be  with  them  I  will."  And 
such  an  eye  as  he  has  for  a  country ! 

Now  comes  the  greatest  of  all  qualifications  in  a 
M.  F.  H.,  and  this  he  has,  if  possible,  to  a  greater 
degree  than  any  of  the  others.  The  way  he  keeps  his 
field  in  order,  and  the  way  he  manages  the  women,  old 
and  young,  who  come  for  damages  or  loss  of  fowls  ! 
His  hearty  good  humour,  and  continued  propensity  for 
cracking  jokes  (never  practical  or  ill-natured  onesj, 
made  him  such  a  favourite  that  we  always  did  what  he 
told  us,  and  if,  by  chance,  we  did  not,  his  shrill-noted 
rate,  sometimes  emphasised  with  a  strong  word  or  two, 
would  very  soon  bring  us  back.  Then  the  women, 
with  their  fowl  claims,  devil  a  rap  he'd  give  half  of 
them,  yet  they  would  all  go  away  contented  and  pre- 
serve the  foxes  for  him  for  a  kind  or  joking  confab, 
better  than  they  would  for  others  who  would  pay 
double  their  claim  without  the  same  cheerfulness. 
He  knows  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  coun- 
try, and  has  a  kind  word  and  joke  for  them,  so  they 
all  like  him,  and  would  do  anything  for  Mr.  *'  Hinry." 

I  ought  to  have  told  you  when  speaking  of  "  the 
Marquis's"  days,  that  we  used  to  have  terrible  hard 
and  jealous  riding  between  the  Waterford  and 
Kilkenny  men.  About  the  years  1857-8,  some  letters 
appeared  in  one  of  the  Kilkenny  papers  contrasting 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  59 

the  riding  of  the  Kilkenny  men  with  the  Waterford, 
extolling  the  one  and  depreciating  the  other,  the 
natural  consequence  of  which  was  jealousy;  and  when 
we  met  the  Kilkenny  men,  as  we  always  did  when 
Lord  Waterford  drew  the  Mullinavat  or  Castlemorris 
district,  there  was  "  hammer  and  tongs  "  between  us. 
I  well  remember  one  day  we  met  at  Mullinavat,  then 
a  very  favourite  trysting-place,  and  where  excellent 
eggflip  w^as  made  and  administered  by  Miss  M'Donald, 
the  pretty  daughter  of  the  inn -keeper  of  the  town. 
Much  rain  had  recently  fallen  and  the  country  was 
heavy  and  the  rivers  flooded.  A  very  large  num- 
ber of  horsemen  met  his  lordship,  such  clinckers  as 
*Lord  St.  Laurence,  Bryan  of  Jenkinstown,  Mulhallen 
Marum,  the  Smithwicks,  Ralph  Bunbury,  Izod  of 
Chapel  Izod,  and  a  host  of  others  representing  Kil- 
kenny ;  while  from  our  side  came  Glascott  of  Al- 
derton,  who,  though  a  Wexford  man,  used  always 
hunt  with  us,  Jephson,  Sargent,  Strangman,  Larry 
Dobbyn,  the  three  brothers  Malcomson,  Johnny 
Medlycott,  Arthur  Roberts,  and  others,  all  hard  rid- 
ing, determined  men  to  go. 

Well,  we  found  in  Killeen,  and  the  hounds  got 
a  good  start  close  to  the  fox ;  they  raced  him  at 
terrific  pace  as  if  for  Clonassy,  but  turned  down  to 
the  Mullinavat  river  opposite  Earl's  Rath.  The 
river  was  swollen  nearly  level  with  the  fields,  and 
a  rushing  torrent  it  swept  along.  The  hounds  hesi- 
tated for  an  instant  on  the  bank,  but  the  mass  of 
horsemen  that  came  thundering  down  upon  them  left 
them  no  alternative  but  to  dash   in  and  swim  across. 

*  The  present  Lord  Howth,  then  master  of  the  Kilkenny  hounds. 


60  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Seeing  this,  the  leading  men  charged  the  river  in  their 
stride,  though  it  was  fully  twenty  feet  from  bank  to  bank. 
Of  course  all  got  in,  some  over  head  and  ears,  others, 
more  lucky,  escaped  with  a  partial  ducking.  Never  was 
known  more  grief;  fellows  were  for  hours  trying  to  get 
themselves  and  horses  out,  while  the  hats  and  whips  that 
floated  down  the  stream  would  stock  a  shop.  Glascott 
was  first  at  it,  and  though  as  fine  and  cool  a  man  to 
hounds  as  ever  sat  in  a  saddle,  when  roused  he  was  a 
caution  ;  and  the  letters  in  the  papers  did  rouse  him  ! 
Others  of  us  got  over  after  him,  but  we  carried  the 
hounds  on  for  a  mile,  and  so  lost  a  fine  run.  The  fox 
ran  to  the  river  brink,  but  seeing  the  state  it  was  in, 
slipped  along  its  bank,  and  ran  into  Clonassey,  while 
we  ran  the  hounds  on  to  Earl's  Rath.  I  often  won- 
dered Lord  Waterford  allowed  this  sort  of  thing,  for  it 
spoiled  many  fine  runs,  as  it  did  this.  But  I  think  he 
used  to  rather  enjoy  it,  for  it  was  terrible  to  see  how 
some  of  the  young  bloods  rode  at  each  other ;  and 
dire  was  the  grief  many  of  them  came  to,  for  no 
fence  would  stop  them.  Ah,  me  !  what  pluck  we  had 
then  ! 

Henry  Briscoe's  first  meet,  on  becoming  master  of 
the  Curraghmore  hounds,  was  at  the  Waterford  Club 
House,  on  Tuesday,  i8th  Oct.,  1859.  Johnny  Ryan 
hunted  them  for  two  or  three  seasons,  then  Briscoe 
took  the  horn  himself,  and  old  Johnny  emigrated  to 
America.  Barry  was  parted  with,  I  think,  before  the 
season  began,  and  Harry  Hardy,  from  some  English 
pack,  filled  his  place  for  a  year  as  whip.  He  then 
went  I  think  to  Louth,  where  he  is  still,  I  believe. 
John  Duke  was  taken  about  the  year  1861.  He  came 
from  the   East  Sussex.      Briscoe   showed    the   most 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  6 1 

wonderful  sport,  I  may  say,  all  the  time  of  his  master- 
ship, but  notably  in  the  season  of  1861-2,  in  which  he 
hunted  sixty-eight  days,  killed  forty-one  foxes,  and  ran 
sixty-two  to  ground,  had  t'Neniy ^rst-class  runs,  of  from 
thirty  minutes  and  upwards,  and  twice  that  number  of 
short,  brilliant  spins  of  ten  to  twenty  minutes.     It  was 
in  this  season  we  had  the  celebrated  runs  from  Owning 
and  Annefield  over  the  Wynne's  Gorse  country,  through 
the  Kilmoganny  and   neighbouring  plantations,  and 
far  into  the  Kilkenny  country,  all  with  the  same  fox, 
as  far  as  Kilmoganny ;   but    here    the   **wily   rover" 
used  generally  give  us  the  slip,  and  sagely  shift  the 
hounds  on  to  the  line  of  a  fresh  fox.     They  were,  on 
17th  December,  1861,    1   hour  and  40  minutes;   28th 
January,  1862,  4  hours  and  5  minutes — 31  miles ;  24th 
March,    1862,1    hour   and   25    minutes;   nth   April, 
1862,    2     hours  and    5     minutes.       That     excellent 
sportsman,  taking  him  as  a  rider  to  hounds,  a  judge 
of  hounds  and  their  management,  as  well  as  a  crack 
shot,  Wm.  Madden  Glascott,  of  Alderton,  to  whom  I 
before  alluded,  wrote  a  little  brochure  on  this  season's 
sport,  under  the  ?iom  de  plume  of  "  A  Visitor."     As  I 
have  a  copy,  I  will    read  you  the  account  of  one  or 
two  runs,  as   given  by  him,   and  coming  from  such 
a  judge,  they  will    be  worth  your  attention.      How 
well  I   remember   him  sailing,  as  he   used  to  do,  to 
hounds  on  his  famous   bay  horse,  "  Schoolboy,"  and 
how  I  used  to  envy  his  performances,  though   he  was 
then     past    the    prime    of    life :     but    his  heart,    as 
it  is    this  momoit,    was  in  its    right   place.     This    is 
what  he   says:   "January   28th,    1862 — Castletown — 
Found  our  friend  again  at  Talbot's  Gorse,  close  to 
Annefield ;  had   four  mortal   hours  and  five  minutes 

5 


62  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

again  at  him  over  the  Wynne's  Gorse  country  ;  away 
to  Mr.  Wall  Morris's  plantations,  to  near  Callan,  to 
near  Kells;  faraway  into  the  Kilkenny  Hunt  country. 
This  run  (though  too  much  of  a  good  thing)  was  for 
pace,  country,  and  length,  such  as  a  man  can  only  ex- 
pect to  see  once  in  his  lifetime,  and  we  believe  the 
hounds  had  all  the  latter  portion  of  it  to  themselves. 
No  one  up  but  the  master,  and  no  wonder,  few  even 
attempting  to  struggle  on  to  the  finish  ;  and  that  good 
man,  Mr.  Mulcahy,  losing  his  famous  chestnut  mare, 
found  dead  in  her  stable  next  morning,  no  doubt  from 
the  severity  of  the  run." 

"March  14th — Kilmacthomas — Found  in  Sir 
Edward  Kennedy's  plantation  ;  ran  to  near  Wood- 
house,  back  by  Comeragh  Lodge,  and  into  the  Dungar- 
van  country;  one  hour  and  twenty  minutes — very  fast, 
to  ground  on  an  island  in  a  pond."  I  saw  this  run  my- 
self, and  it  was  as  fine  as  man  need  wish  to  see.  Same 
day  we  had  a  tickler  from  Kilmacthomas  Gorse  up  to 
Croghawn  mountain — terrible  pace,  but  only  fifteen 
minutes. 

Glascott  gives  his  opinion  in  his  little  pamphlet  on 
the  hounds,  which  I  will  also  read  you:  "  The  hunting 
hounds  consist  generally  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  couple, 
standing,  on  an  average,  about  twenty-two  and  a  half 
inches,  of  great  length,  bone,  and  muscle,  which,  on  a 
near  inspection,  surprises  you,  as,  looking  at  them  side- 
ways from  a  little  distance,  as  they  step  along  to  cover, 
brought  out,  as  they  are,  in  such  condition  (fit  to  go), 
they  appear  light,  lengthy  hounds.  We  cannot  say 
what  the  kennel  discipline  is,  but  when  brought  out, 
they  appear  to  me  as  near  perfection  as  it  is  pos- 
sible  to  bring   hounds.      In    the   field    they   depend 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  6^ 

Upon  themselves  (for  hunting-  is  the  order  of  the  day), 
and  with  a  fair  scent,  and  once  clear  of  the  field,  they 
require  little  interference  on  the  part  of  the 
huntsman." 

Mr.  Briscoe  got  Into  a  bad  state  of  health  towards 
the  end  of  1868-9  season,  and  had  to  give  the  horn 
back  to  old  Johnny  Ryan,  who  had  returned  from 
America.  At  the  end  of  1869-70  season,  the  present 
Marquis  of  Waterford  took  the  hounds.  His  father, 
the  fourth  Marquis,  died  on  the  6th  of  November, 
1866. 

One  of  the  first  proceedings  of  his  lordship  on 
getting  the  hounds  was  to  set  on  foot  a  testimonial 
to  Mr.  Briscoe,  which  was  liberally  subscribed 
to  by  not  alone  our  hunt,  but  by  many  hunting 
men  in  Ireland  and  England.  It  was  presented  to 
him  at  a  banquet  in  Waterford.  Lord  Waterford 
promoted  Duke  to  the  horn  at  once,  and  very  soon 
it  was  apparent  to  all  what  a  good  choice  he  made ; 
but  I  will  tell  you  about  the  hunt  servants  just 
now. 

Lord  Waterford' s  first  card  intimated  that  he 
would  hold  his  first  meet  at  the  Waterford  Club 
House  on  Tuesday,  the  i8th  of  October,  1870, 
just  the  day  eleven  years  from  the  time  Briscoe 
began  after  his  uncle's  death. 

The  country  was  then  the  same  as  what  Briscoe 
hunted  ;  but  after  a  while  his  lordship  was  given,  by 
that  stanch  good  sportsman  and  right  good  fel- 
low, John  Going,  then  master  of  the  Tipperary 
hounds,  all  the  country  from  Newtown  Hill  to  Slieve- 
na-mon  mountain,  and  from  Kilcash  to  Kilsheelan. 
His  lordship  also  got  from  the  Kilkenny  hunt  about 


64  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

the  same  time,  Brownstown,  Glensensaw,  Annaghs, 
Lucy's  Rock,  and  Mullinahone  Hill,  with  Woodstock 
a  neutral  covert,  which  gave  him  all  the  Kilkenny 
country  from  Carricktruss  to  Woodstock,  and  round 
by  the  rivers  Nore  and  Suir,  except  Killeen  and  Kil- 
torcan ;  these  he  fought  hard  for,  but  the  Kilkenny 
men  loved  those  famous  covers  too  well  to  part 
them. 

Much  was  required  to  be  done  with  the  fox  haunts 
all  over  the  country.  Many  had  overgrown  them- 
selves, others  were  badly  situated,  while  many  places 
required  new  covers  to  be  established  in  them,  so 
Lord  Waterford  lost  no  time  in  setting  about  the 
task,  one  which  would  be  almost  impossible  to  others 
to  accomplish,  but  the  facilities  he  had  enabled  him  to 
do  much.  He  established  gorse  covers  in  Weathers- 
town,  Mullinahone,  Rochestown  Hill,  Earies  Gorse 
(given  him  by  Lord  Clonmel),  and  enlarged  Carrig- 
truss,  and  Galways  cover.  These  are  mostly  in  the 
new  countries  he  got  from  the  Kilkenny  and  TIp- 
perary  hunts.  In  the  Waterford  country  he  planted 
Passage  Hill  and  Carrig-a-nure,  where  none  existed 
before,  and  from  both  of  which  he  has  been  repaid 
by  having  some  rattling  runs.  Very  few  have  ever 
equalled  him  in  becoming  in  so  short  a  time  so  good 
a  judge  of  a  horse  and  a  hound.  He  is  2,professor 
in  the  art  of  judging  the  two,  and  the  consequence  is, 
he  has  in  the  Curraghmore  kennels  and  stables  this 
moment  a  pack  of  hounds  and  a  stud  of  horses  that 
may  be  equalled,  but  is  not  surpassed,  by  any  establish- 
ment in  Great  Britain.  I  will  by-and-by  dwell  more 
particularly  on  them. 

His  lordship  takes  no  subscription,  and  has  shown 


THE   CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  65 

wonderfully  good  sport  ever  since  he  took  up  the 
hounds,  which,  by  the  way,  were  his  own,  as  they  were 
only  lent  to  us  by  his  father ;  and  never  was  there 
a  more  brilliant  season  than  the  one  now  drawing  to  a 
close  ( 1 876-7).  But  as  the  many  fine  runs  we  had  are  so 
fresh  in  all  our  memories,  there  is  no  use  telling  of  them 
now,  better  go  on  to  describe  the  country,  the  covers, 
the  men  who  hunted  with  his  lordship,  the  hounds 
and  horses,  and  finally,  wind  up  with  the  general  opinion 
formed  of  his  lordship  as  a  M.  F.  H.,  and,  perhaps,  tell 
an  anecdote  or  two  of  *'  old  times."  By  that  time  you 
will  be  tired  of  listening,  and  I  of  telling,  so  we  shall 
then  bring  the  narrative  to  a  close. 

I  should  have  mentioned  a  famous  run  we  had 
with  Briscoe  on  the  30th  December,  1862.  Found  in 
Glenbower,  he  broke  at  the  Fanningstown  end,  ran 
round  Garryduff,  down  by  Tom  Shea's  house,  on  to 
Carrigtruss,  through  it,  on  for  Castlemorris,  as  far  as 
Boolyglass,  then  to  the  right,  down  to  Moonruha  bog, 
along  its  verge,  passing  within  a  field  of  Killeen,  on 
by  Mullinavat,  for  Clonassy,  as  far  as  the  Harristown 
road,  then  to  the  left,  crossed  the  railway  near  the 
station,  and  ran  into  him  facing  for  Tory  Hill.  This 
was  a  famous  run,  over  fourteen  miles  in  one  hour  and 
twenty  minutes.  Harry  Sargent  on  the  Squire,  and 
Joe  Strangman  on  Bretby,  had  the  best  of  this  run 
all  the  way  from  Carrigtruss,  which  was  the  cream 
of  it.  Dr.  O'Ryan,  Hon.  Walter  Talbot,  and  some 
others  went  well  too. 

In  Briscoe's  time  we  used  at  first  have  an  inter- 
change of  meets  with  the  Tipperarys  every  season. 
We  used  to  go  to  Fethard  and  they  to  Carrick.  These 
reunions  always  produced  immense  meets  and  very 


66  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

hard  riding,  and  we  generally  had  good  sport  and 
always  the  greatest  fun.  The  Tips  are  the  most  hos- 
pitable people  under  the  sun.  A  Cead-MIUe-Failthe 
for  all.  Poor  old  John  Going !  He  was  a  good 
soul,  and  so  glad  to  see  us  all  !  Peace  be  to  his 
ashes  ! 

You  remark  I  have  not  told  you  of  many  runs  we  had 
in  the  Waterford  country.  I  forgot  them  or  mixed  them 
up,  we  had  so  many.  We  had  one  about  six  years  ago, 
from  Gardenmorris,  through  Carrigeen,  by  upper  and 
lower  Ballyphilip,  bent  to  the  left,  through  Knocka- 
derry,  to  the  right  by  Mrs.  Christmas' s  school-house, 
across  the  Gardenmorris  road,  to  Pembrokestown,  by 
the  house,  by  Butlerstown,  to  near  Mount  Congreve, 
then  to  the  right,  and  killed  him  in  the  open  at  Old 
Court.  This  was  eighteen  miles,  time  one  hour  and 
forty  minutes.  We  had  scores  of  fine  runs  over  the 
Waterford  country,  from  Ballydurn,  Rathgormack, 
Kilmoylan,  Sir  Edward  Kennedy's  plantations,  and 
others,  but  it  would  take  me  a  month  to  tell  you  of 
them. 

What  sort  of  country  have  we  ?  We  have  every 
sort.  The  Welsh  hills  (Lord  Bessborough's  property), 
and  Pembrokstown,  are  as  bad  as  can  be,  rocks  and 
stones  everywhere  ;  hounds  have  a  fair,  but  horses 
a  very  bad  chance  of  going  over  it.  They  are 
fine  wild  places,  and  the  Welsh  hills  provide  us  with 
wild,  hardy,  good  foxes,  and  are  well  cared  for  by 
Lord  Bessborough's  tenantry.  The  same  can't  be  said, 
however,  for  Pembrokestown,  for  that  is  the  only  part 
of  this  country  in  which  a  fox  is  not  well  treated, 
although  as  fine  a  sportsman  as  ever  lived  has  pro- 
perty there,  Mr.   Congreve  Rogers.     We  find  in   his 


THE    CURRAGHAIORE    HOUNDS.  6/ 

cover  generally,  and  nothing  gives  him  such  pleasure 
as  when  we  do ;  and  though  he  does  all  he  can  to  have 
the  foxes  preserved,  he  is  not  supported  as  he  ought 
to  be. 

The   Kilmacthomas   country,  which    we  call  that 
which  takes  in  Ballydurn,Kilmoylan,Currabaha,  Wood- 
house,  &c.,  is  an  extent  of  some  ten  miles  square,  and 
is  as  fine  a  hunting  country  as  ever  was  ridden  over  : 
big,  safe  fences,  and  good  galloping,  the  fields  all  grass, 
in  some  places  rather  small,  and  a  bog  now  and  again 
comes  in  the  way.    The  Rathgormack  country  is  what 
is  from  Croghawn  Hill  to  Gurteen,  and  is  just  like  the 
Kilmacthomas.     Some  of  the  Gaultier  district  is  very 
good — some  middling  enough — but  his  lordship  does 
not  hunt  that  portion  very  often.      If  he  put  a  gorse 
cover   somewhere  near  Belle  Lake,  and  looked  after 
the  Dunmore  and  Lesalan  covers,  this  would  afford 
him  another  day  a  week,  and  he  would  have  good  sport 
down  there,  as  foxes  are  plenty,  and  well  preserved  by 
Sir  Robert  Paul,  Mr.  Power  of  Faithlegg,  and  others. 
The   portions  he  got  from  the  Tipperarys  and  the  Kil- 
kennys   (the  latter  the  Ross  country),  are  the  cream 
of  our  *'  happy  hunting-grounds."     Nothing  can  beat 
them  for  fair  play  to   hounds  and  for  trying  what  the 
men  and  horses  are  made  of :  nearly  all  grass,  and  big, 
safe,  double  fences.     The  country  from   Carrigtruss, 
say  to  Knockbrack,  is  "  much  of  a  muchness ;"  very 
fair,  with  small  fences,  mostly  walls ;  but  some  bogs 
are   to   be  found   there.     Taking   the   Curraghmore 
country  "all  in  all"  it  is  a  very  good  one,  and  most 
certainly,  is  as  good  scenting  a  one  as  any  in  Ireland. 
Very   little    plough,   7iot    a    strand   of   tvire  (except 
on   the    railways)  ;    and  we  have  every  description 


68  IRISH    SPORT    AKD    SPORTSMEN. 

of  fence  to  negotiate,  walls,  double  and  single  fences 
(some  of  the  latter  faced  with  stone,  and  straight  as  a 
house),  water  and  timber  occasionally,  but  not  often. 
Whenever  you  want  a  horse,  if  you  get  one  that  has 
gone  straight  over  our  country,  you  may  be  certain 
of  a  safe  conveyance  over  any  country  in  Great 
Britain. 

We  have  not  many  big  woodlands  except  Curragh- 
more,  Kilcash,  and  Newtown ;  Coolnamuck  and  Church- 
town  used  to  be,  but  the  trees  have  been  cut  down  ; 
and  we  have  some  of  the  finest,  oldest,  and  prettiest 
gorses  in  Ireland.     What  lovely  covers  are  those  of 
Carrigtruss  and  Knockbrack ;    strongholds  of  foxes 
for   the   last  century.      Carrigeen,    Tubrid,    Wilmer, 
Ballydurn,  Rathgormack,    Ballyneil,   Kilmoylan,   and 
Kilmacthomas    (a   bad   scenting  cover).       Then  the 
new  gorses  his  lordship  planted,  viz.,   Earlies  Gorse, 
Weatherstown,  Rochestown,   MuUinahone,  and  surely 
we    must  not    forget  classic    old    Tory  Hill,    which 
is  a   land-mark  for    miles    around,  and     which    held 
many   good   foxes   and  afforded  sport  for  years  and 
years  past.     By  way  of  parenthesis,   I  will  tell    you 
what  old   Sir  John  Power   said   of   Tory  Hill  once. 
He  was  a  supporter  of  the  Whigs,  and  one  day,  after 
a  severe  run,  the  hounds   were  running  up  its  steep 
side,  and  Sir  John  found  his  horse  was  very  beaten  ; 
He  got  off,  and  leading  him  up,  he  was  heard  to  say, 
"  Damn  you,  Tory,  I  wish  you  and  every  other  Tory 
were  levelled  !"     Then  we  have  those  grand  nurseries 
for  foxes  in  summer,  and  from  which  we  have  many 
a    fine  run    in    winter  : — Clonassey,   Carrig-a-tubrid, 
Dowling,  Corbally,  Newtown,  and  Kilcash  ;    and    in 
the  lowlands  you  see  Bessborough,  Belleisle,  Cregg, 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  69 

Castletown  ;  and  in  the  distance  Mount  Neil,  with 
Mount  Congreve  at  the  other  side  of  the  Suir  ;  this 
latter,  perhaps  for  its  size,  is  the  best  of  all,  thanks  to 
the  care  Mr.  Congreve  takes  of  it.  Gardenmorris,  too, 
on  the  Waterford  side,  is  a  rare  place  for  shelter- 
ing our  game ;  so  also  are  Faithlegg  and  Ballina- 
mona. 

What  about  the  men  who  hunt  with  his  Lordship 
and  those  who  hunted  with  his  uncle  and  Briscoe  ? 
Well,  I  will  tell  you  as  well  as  I  can  recollect,  but  I 
don't  like  mentioning  names;  however,  I  dare  say 
they  won't  be  very  angry  at  my  doing  so,  even  though 
you  put  them  in  this  book  of  yours. 

The  best  welters  I  ever  saw  riding  to  hounds,  in 
their  day,  were  the  late  Lord  Henry,  William  Power 
of  Seafield,  the  present  Wray  Pallisser,  and  Johnny 
Webb  (the  bruising  constabulary  officer).  These  men 
all  rode  over  sixteen  stone — but  none  of  us  could  beat 
them,  either  in  a  quick  spin  or  a  long  hunting  run.  With 
the  exception  of  Lord  Waterford,  they  all  rode  to  sell 
as  well  as  for  sport — and  very  good  cattle  they  had. 
The  late  Sir  John  Power  was  as  good  a  man  as  ever 
rode  over  the  Curraghmore  country.  Tom  Lalor  of 
Cregg  could  never  be  beaten.  He  is  a  feather  weight, 
and  always  rode  well-bred  horses.  He  knew  nothing, 
and  cared  less  about  hounds.  All  he  cared  for  was  a 
brilliant  gallop,  no  matter  how  long  or  how  difficult  the 
country  might  be :  but  he  never  did  harm,  and  knew 
well  how  to  ride  to  hounds  as  they  should  be  ridden 
to. 

Billy  Mulcahy  was  a  very  hard  man  with  good 
hands,  but  he  was  always  over-riding  the  hounds, 
and   was  very  jealous.      They  called   him  *'  Quarry 


70  IRISH   SPORT  AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Mulcahy,"   from  his    having    ridden    into    a    quarry, 
killing  his  horse,  and  nearly  killing  himself. 

Congreve  Fleming,  then  living  at  Greenville,  was  a 
brilliant  man,  particularly  on  a  young  horse ;  his 
hands  and  seat  were  perfect.  What  good  company  he 
was  !  always  cracking  jokes,  and  never  could  refuse  a 
pleasant  convivial  meeting.  He  was,  and  h,  as  good 
sort  as  ever  lived,  and  so  was  his  father,  the  Captain. 
His  son  Arthur  was  also  a  fine  horseman.  Poor 
fellow !  he  died  some  years  ago. 

David,  George,  and  Fred  Malcomson  were  as  good 
a  lot  of  brothers  as  could  be  found.  In  fact,  I  never 
knew  three  of  a  family  I  would  not  match  them  against 
for  all  I  was  worth.  They  loved  hunting,  were 
thorough  sportsmen,  and  to  their  liberal  subscrip- 
tions and  donations  were  we  indebted  to  keeping  the 
hounds  up  for  many  years  of  Briscoe's  mastership. 
Their  hearts  were  kind,  and  their  pockets  open  to  any 
subscription.  David  and  Fred  are,  alas !  gone,  but 
George  is  well  and  hearty.     May  he  long  be  so. 

Larry  Dobbyn  was  a  wonderful  man  to  go,  too. 
Indeed  he  ought  to  have  been  classed  with  the  welters, 
as  he  certainly  rode  fifteen  stone  ;  and  what  an  active 
fellow  he  was  !  He  would  jump  off  his  horse  coming  to 
a  big  fence,  jump  it  with  him,  and  into  the  saddle  at 
the  other  side  without  losing  a  length. 

The  late  Earl  of  Huntingdon  was  a  very  hard  man 
to  hounds,  and  had  a  wonderfully  quick  eye.  On  old 
Jason  he  couldn't  be  beaten.  He  was  the  jolliest  and 
heartiest  of  men.  The  old  Marquis  used  always  call 
him  "the  Peer." 

Sir  Robert  Paul  was  a  fine  horseman,  and  keen  sports- 
man ;  he  kept  nothing  but  rare,  good  horses.   Bracelet, 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  7 1 

Jack  Sheppard,  Regalia,  and  many  others  often  car- 
ried him  in  the  first  flight.  He  was  very  fond  of  tan- 
dem, and  drove  well.  In  fact,  whatever  Sir  Robert  does 
he  does  well.  He  has  two  sons,  William  and  Robert, 
who  bid  fair  to  equal  him.  Both  are  tip-top  representa- 
tives of  a  worthy  sire,  and  up  to  every  kind  of 
sport. 

John  Walshe  of  Fanningstown  was  very  fond  of 
hunting,  and  knew  every  inch  of  the  country;  and 
no  matter  what  line  or  what  distance  a  run  might  be, 
he  was  sure  to  be  up  at  the  finish,  though  of  late 
years  he  kept  to  the  roads.  He  had  a  nice  pack  of 
harriers,  which  showed  good  sport  after  the  fur,  while 
they  prevented  the  foxes  lying  out.  They  were  hunted 
by  that  good  sportsman,  Ned  Briscoe  of  Harris- 
town. 

John  de  Montmorency  of  Castlemorrls,  was  a 
"true  blue"  sportsman,  and  one  of  the  best  landlords 
and  most  useful  country  gentlemen  in  Ireland. 

Mr.  Edward  Roberts,  the  respected  agent  for  the 
Curraghmore  estates  for  the  last  three  generations, 
used  in  old  times  to  go  well.  He  w^as  a  rare  judge 
of  a  horse.  No  pleasanter  evening  can  a  man  spend 
than  while  listening  to  him  recounting  "scenes 
of  long  ago,"  of  men  of  his  day.  A  finer  type  of 
"a  real  old  Irish  gentleman"  than  Mr.  Roberts  is 
not  to  be  found  now-a-days,  and  may  he  long  live  to 
continue  so. 

His  son  Arthur,  when  on  a  horse  he  knew,  went 
well.  So  did  Johnny  Medlycott,  but  he  was  a  better 
and  bolder  horseman.  It  was  no  joke  to  beat  either  of 
these  men  when  mounted  on  Riddle  and  Playboy. 

James  Anderson,  of  Gracedieu  was  of  the  type,  of 


72  IRISH   SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Mr.  Montmorency,  of  Castlemorrls — a  real  sportsman 
and  useful  country  gentleman.  He,  as  well  as  Sir 
Robert  Paul,  has  sons  who  emulate  their  father's 
goodness  both  in  and  off  the  field. 

John  Jones,  of  Mullinabro,  was,  in  his  day,  a  clinker. 
Nothing  would  stop  him,  and  to  this  moment  no  one  is 
fonder  of  the  sport  or  comes  out  oftener,  and  generally 
on  a  young  one,  but  always  on  a  well-bred  one.  He, 
too,  has  sons  who  go  well  and  straight.  What  good 
stories  I  have  heard  from  him,  and  rare  toasts  too ! 

Harry  Sargent  and  Joe  Strangman  were  very  con- 
stant men  with  these  hounds,  and  always  went  well. 
Very  few  good  runs  can  be  recorded  on  days  they  were 
out  that  their  names  don't  appear  in.  Sargent  had  a 
wonderful  horse  he  called  "the  Squire."  He  carried 
him  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  seasons.  When  the  Squire 
was  in  his  prime,  and  with  a  bay  horse  he  had  called 
Larry,  and  a  gray  called  Mainsail,  very  few  could  beat 
Sargent.  Strangman  had  very  good  horses  in  the 
Wizard,  Bretby,  Volunteer,  and  Brunette.  They  called 
him  the  "  bearded  flying  Quaker."  He  has  been  Hon. 
Sec.  to  the  Hunt  for  many  years,  and  no  one  could  take 
more  pains  than  he  does  with  the  onerous  duties  con- 
nected therewith,  in  testimony  of  which  the  members 
presented  him  with  a  costly  service  of  silver  some  years 
ago  at  a  hunt  dinner. 

Henry  Jephson  was  a  wonderful,  hard,  and  good 
man  in  Lord  Henry's  time.  He  was  the  best  of  good 
fellows,  and  liked  by  all.  He  was  up  to  every  sort  of 
sport,  and  was  called  "  Sporting  Harry."  Lord 
Waterford  always  had  him  with  him.  He  was  also 
called  "  Lord  Waterford's  man  Friday." 

Congreve    Rogers    had   good   hands     and     seat, 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  73 

always  rode  well-bred  horses,  was  and  is  a  thorough 
sportsman  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  He  was 
always  well  turned  out,  and  a  good  man  between 
the  flags  long  ago  when  we  had  the  races  in  Tramore. 
Many  a  time  I  saw  him  cheered  a  winner  to  the  scales. 
Glascott  of  Alderton,  and  Lambert  of  Carnagh,  were 
constant  attendants  from  Wexford  ;  no  men  went 
straighter  or  better  than  they. 

Dick  and  Tom  Morris,  Joe  Rivers,  Ned  Courtenay, 
Ned  Clibborn,  Clemt.  Sadlier,  John  Waring,  Charley 
Gregory,  Doctor  O'Ryan,  Billy  Johnson,  were  also 
good  men  and  true  ;  there  were  many  others,  but  time 
and  space  do  not  admit  of  any  reference  to  them. 

The  men  who  go  well  now  with  the  Curraghmores 
are :  Capt.  Slacke  (no  better  man  lu  the  iwrld  to  ride  a 
hunt,  whether  mounted  on  a  well-trained  or  a  green 
one,  it  is  all  alike  to  him),  Lords  Charles,  Marcus,  and 
William  Beresford,  when  at  home,  Tom  Lalor,  Willy 
and  Bob  Paul,  Willy  Anderson,  the  young  Jones  of  Mul- 
linabro',  the  young  Courtenays,  Spencer,  Joe  Strang- 
man,  Harry  Sargent,  Raymond  and  Arnold  de  la 
Poer,  Perry  of  Woodroofe,  Sir  Richard  Power,  Ralph 
Bunbury,  Hugh  Baker,  the  Mansfields  of  Lanscape, 
Brent  Neville,  who  always  has  a  good-looking  horse. 
Jimmy  Dobbyn  of  Tipperary,  Louis  Strangman,  and 
his  kinsmen  Johnny  and  Sam,  Fred  Power  of  Bellvue, 
John  Fanning,  John  Bell  of  Clonmel,  and  others.  The 
present  Lord  Huntingdon,  when  living  at  Whitechurch, 
used  to  bring  down  large  contingents  from  the  West, 
the  Humbles,  Odell,  Maxwell,  Dick  Roberts,  and 
others,  and  they  all  went  well  with  us.  We  have 
also  many  ladies,  married  and  unmarried,  who 
ride  remarkably  well    to    hounds;    but  I  shall   not 


74  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

tell  their  names,  for  fear  the  ruling  passion  of  the  sex, 
jealousy,  might  be  aroused.  We  are  always  glad  to 
see  them  out,  and  showing  us  the  way  too.  Let  us 
toast  them  :   "  The  Ladies,  God  bless  them  !" 

The  number  at  the  meets  of  the  Curraghmore  averages 
about  sixty ;   and  for  a  united,  orderly,  and  sporting 
field  of  good  fellows,  no  hunt  can  boast  of  a  better  lot. 
We  have  many  men  in  our  country  who,  though 
not  fox-hunters  themselves,  preserve  their  covers  for 
Lord   Waterford,  and  who  love  the  sport  just  as  much 
as   he   does   himself.     Notably   among   those  I  must 
name  :  Mr.  Congreve  of  Mount  Congreve,  Mr.  O'Shee 
of  Garden  morris,  Sir  Robert  Paul  of  Ballyglan  (he  has 
not  hunted  for  someyears),  Capt.  Dawson  of  Blenheim, 
and  Mr.  Power  of  Faithlegg,  who,  though  he  keeps  har- 
riers, seldom  comes  out  with  the  Curraghmore.     Lord 
Bessborough  is  one  of  the  very  best  supporters,  and 
when  at  home,  a  constant  attendant  in  the  field,  as  is 
Lady   Bessborough.     Capt.  Armstrong  of  Ballydavid, 
Hon.   Dudley   Fortescue,  Mr.  Christmas  of  Whitfield, 
Mr.  Carew  of  Ballinamona,  Mr.  Sweetman  of  Annaghs, 
Dr.  George  Mackesy,  who  owns  Lucy's  Rock  and  Glen- 
more  covers,    Mr.   Bowers  of  Clogga,   Ned    Briscoe, 
Henry  Bowers,  Mr.    Elliot    of    Rathcurbey,  Ambrose 
Lambert,  and  others,  do  all  in  their  power  to  preserve 
the  wily  tribe.     Then  such  a  good    lot    of  Farmers 
as  we  have  ;  one  and  all  preserve  the  foxes  ;  never  ob- 
ject to   our   doing  a  bit  of  damage  to  their  fences  or 
fields  ;  never  put   up  wire ;    and  do   not  often   object 
to    an   odd  hen  or   a  turkey's  disappearance.      It  is 
such   men  as  belong  to  the    latter   class  fox-hunting 
has  to  look  to  for  its  true  support,  and  blessed  is   the 
Curraghmore    in    having    such   a  supply    of   them. 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  75 

There    is  not  a  selfish  feather-game  preserver,  nor  a 
single  grumbling  farmer  in  the  county. 

The  present  Lord  Waterford  was  born   in    1844, 
and   succeeded    to    the    title    as    fifth    marquis,    in 
November,     1866.       The    marquisate    is    not   of   a 
very  ancient   date,  but  the    Barony  of  De  la   Poer 
is,  as  it  was  created  in    1375,  and  to    this    as    well 
as    to    other  titles  his    lordship    succeeded ;   but  as 
I  am  a  bad  chronologist,  I  must  refer  you  to  Burke 
if  you  desire  to  know  more  on  this  head.     He  was 
educated  at  Eton,  and  in  1862,  he  got  his  commis- 
sion in  the  First  Life  Guards.     He  represented  the 
county  of  Waterford  in  parliament  as  Lord  Tyrone  for 
some  time  before  his  elevation  to  the  House  of  Lords. 
While  in  the  Guards  he  evinced  a  strong  liking  for 
a  soldier's  life,  and  soon  got  imbued  with  that  love  of 
order  and  discipline  which  characterises  and  qualifies 
him,  as  it  eminently  does,  for  the  due  regulation  of  his 
gigantic  and   princely  establishment.     He  first  mar- 
ried Florence  Grosvenor,  second  daughter  of  the  late 
Major  Rowley,  and  niece  to  Sir  Charles  Rowley,  Bart. 
She  died   in    1873,  and   in  1874  he  married  the  pre- 
sent Marchioness,  Blanche,  only  daughter  of  the  Duke 
of  Beaufort.     As  already  mentioned,  he  took  up  the 
Curraghmore  from  the  county  in  1870.   He  gave  Duke 
the  horn,  and  under  him  put  G.  Hagar,  as  first  whip, 
and  Billy  Quin  as  second ;  Hagar  was  succeeded  the 
next  season  by  Dan  Ryan,  son  of  old  Johnny  Ryan  the 
former  huntsman,  and  now  he  has  Arthur  Wilson,  and 
John    Crowley   in    their  places.       Lord    Waterford's 
turn-out    of  his  hunting    establishment    is    about  as 
perfect  and  as  workmanlike  as    it    can  possibly   be. 
The  men  have  that  "smart"  appearance  that  none 


76  IRISH    SPORT  AND    SPORTSMEN. 

but  a  S7nart  master  can  enforce ;  and  though  their 
boots,  breeches,  coats,  bridles,  saddles,  and  general 
equipments  are  such  as  do  credit  to  his  lordship's 
tradesmen,  and  fit  as  well  as  the  neatest  Meltonians, 
no  one  can  mistake  their  being  servants.  Each  has 
two  horses  out  each  day,  and  their  mounts  are  as 
good  as  money  can  procure,  for  his  lordship  never 
buys  what  is  usually  called  "  servant's  horses,"  but 
gets  for  his  men  animals  that  will  leave  them  no  ex- 
cuse for  not  doing  their  business  properly.  The  horses 
his  lordship  rides  himself  are  of  the  weight-carrying 
sort,  as  he  rides  sixteen  stone ;  but  they  are  well- 
bred  and  good-looking,  and  under  his  weight  can 
gallop  and  live  through  any  run.  His  four-in-hand,  or 
mail  phaeton  and  pair,  as  he  drives  up  to  the  meet, 
are  such  as  would  call  for  approval  from  the  pen  of 
the  veriest  critic  on  the  turns-out  of  "  the  Row,"  on  a 
Saturday  in  May.  Lady  Waterford  attends  the  meets 
as  well  as  her  husband,  and  to  see  her  on  her  horse 
whether  riding  along  to  covert  or  sailing  beside  the 
pack  over  a  country  during  a  brilliant  run,  is,  indeed, 
to  see  a  female  centaur  !  She  can,  indeed,  ride  to 
hounds.  Nothing  can  exceed  Lord  and  Lady  Water- 
ford's  courtesy  in  the  field;  they  are  affable  to  all. 
His  lordship  rides  with  the  pluck  and  determination 
characteristic  of  every  Beresford ;  and  as  his  horses 
are  very  good,  and  brought  out  in  first-rate  con- 
dition, he  lives  through  every  run,  but  he  has  not 
yet  acquired  the  fine  hands  and  seat  which  his 
uncle  had  and  which  his  younger  brothers,  even 
the  sailor,  Lord  Charles,  have.  They  are  all  accovi- 
plished  horsemen,  and  no  doubt  before  long  he  will 
have   attained  these  attributes.      As    I    said    before 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  77 

he  is  an  undoubted  good  judge  of  both  horses  and 
hounds  ;  he  is  a  first-rate  shot,  but  neither  a  fisher- 
man, courser,  nor  yachtsman  ;  nor  is  he  fond  of  racing. 
The  Dowager  Marchioness  is  perhaps  as  popular  a  lady 
with  our  hunt  as  there  exists  in  any  hunt  in  Great  Britain. 
She  too  goes  over  the  country  in  the  most  artistic 
style,  though,  strange  to  say,  it  is  only  within  the  last 
few  years  she  has  taken  to  cross  the  country.  She  is 
also  most  genial  and  kind  in  her  manner  to  everyone. 

Love  of  fox-hunting  is,  no  doubt,  a  very  great 
desideratum  in  a  nobleman  in  the  high  position  Lord 
Waterford  is ;  but  society  demands  other  and  more 
important  duties  to  be  performed  by  a  man  so  circum- 
stanced, and  in  them  my  subject  shines  brightly. 

He  is  a  landlord  possessed  of  immense  landed, 
property,  and  he  has  made  himself  personally  ac- 
quainted with  every  tenant  on  his  estates :  he  knows 
their  wants,  and  sees  them  satisfied  without  distinction 
of  creed  or  politics.  In  the  management  of  the  busi- 
ness details  of  the  several  establishments  within  the 
confines  of  his  vast  demesne — the  farm-yard,  the 
farming,  the  woods  and  plantings,  the  stables,  kennels, 
and  all  else — he  takes  the  greatest  personal  interest, 
and  superintends  the  working  of  all,  and  has  all 
regulated  with  that  precision  as  regards  detail  and 
accounts  as  would  give  credit  to  Hardy  and  Townsend. 
He  has  established  a  factory  in  Kilmacthomas,  for 
the  making  of  the  famous  *'  Waterford  Frieze,"  in 
which  are  employed  from  200  to  300  hands ;  and  by 
his  sound  sense  he  has  made  it  a  very  money-making 
concern. 

Lady  Waterford  assists  her  noble  spouse  in  all 
these  laudable   undertakings,  and  has   instituted  in- 

6 


jS  IRISH  SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

dustrlal  schools,  over  which  she  personally  presides, 
and  she  visits  the  sick  and  ministers  to  their  wants 
in  the  most  charitable  manner. 

Duke  was  a  very  good  whipper,  and  learned  much 
under  Briscoe  ;  and  since  he  has  been  promoted  to  the 
post  of  huntsman  he  has  shown  that  he  can  fill  that 
position  equally  well.  He  rides  well,  he  lets  his  hounds 
work  for  themselves,  and  never  interferes  with  them 
until  it  is  necessary,  and  when  he  does  he  seldom 
disappoints  them.  He  is  most  persevering,  and  never 
gives  up  while  the  least  chance  remains  of  accounting 
for  his  fox.  The  only  fault  I  know  him  possessed  of 
as  a  workman  is,  he  sometimes  draws  his  coverts 
too  quickly,  and  leaves  a  fox  after  him  if  he  lies 
close. 

Billy  Quin,  and  Dan  Ryan,  were  very  good  whips 
under  him,  and  he  now  has  the  making  of  a  good  man 
in  Arthur  Wilson  ;  and  Johnny  Crowley  is  a  well 
behaved  boy  too. 

Johnny  Ryan,  his  lordship's  second  horseman,  is 
no  relative  to  old  Johnny  the  huntsman.  He  has  been 
in  the  service  of  the  Curraghmore  family  for  a  long 
time,  having  been  taken  up  by  Lord  Henry  at  the 
Curragh  many  years  ago. 

Lord  Henry  made  him  his  flat  and  steeplechase 
jockey,  and  he  steered  for  him  to  victory  many  a 
mount.  He  has  a  most  perfect  seat  and  hands, 
and  no  man  can  "make"  a  young  one  better  than 
he  can,  nor  does  a  master  possess  a  more  valuable 
servant  in  his  way  than  Lord  Waterford  possesses  in 
Johnny  Ryan. 

It  was  a  rare  sight  long  ago  to  see  **  old  Johnny" 
the  huntsman  handle  the  hounds,  and  how  he  used  to 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  79 

ride  to  them  !  I  think  he  had  the  prettiest  seat  on  a 
horse  I  ever  saw.  I  have  heard  that  he  was  very- 
like  Davis,  the  Royal  huntsman.  He  never  seemed  in  a 
hurry;  no  matter  what  pace  the  hounds  were  goingat 
he  was  always  with  them.  He  had  but  two  touches 
for  his  horn,  one  a  long,  single  blast  to  bring  them 
to  him,  the  other  a  "tot,  tot,  tot,  a-tot-a-tot,"  which 
made  our  hearts  jump  and  every  hound  fly  to  him, 
for  hearing  that  thrilling  blast  made  us  all  know  a 
fox  was  away.  I  never  heard  a  man  blow  a  horn 
better  than  he,  but  it  was  always  in  its  case  except 
when  absolutely  required.  He  told  me  a  curious 
story  once,  but  strange  as  it  is  it  is  a  fact.  Lord 
Henry  sent  a  draft  of  hounds  to  a  gentleman  in  the 
county  Clare  many  years  ago  ;  they  were  driven  in  the 
van  to  Fiddown  station,  five  miles  from  the  kennels, 
sent  by  train  to  Limerick,  and  thence  up  the  Shan- 
non by  boat,  and  some  ten  miles  into  the  county 
Clare,  to  the  gentleman's  residence.  In  ten  days* 
time  one  of  the  draft  (a  bitch,  I  forget  her  name) 
arrived  at  the  Curraghmore  kennels,  having  found 
her  way  back  by  herself. 

Like  all  old  establishments  of  the  kind,  Curragh- 
more has  its  many  retainers  in  the  persons  of  old 
servants  and  workmen.  Paddy  and  Billy  Quin  in 
the  stables  for  the  last  forty  years ;  Harney,  the 
gamekeeper,  just  as  long  ;  about  twenty  old  chaps 
who  have  grown  double  in  the  service  of  the  gardens, 
&c.  Then  old  Fleming,  Johnny  Bowers,  Clancy  and 
Whittle,  earth-stoppers  for  very  many  years.  Then, 
of  more  recent  date,  Ambrose  Power  and  Frank 
Bowers,  two  capital  earth-warners  for  the  Waterford  and 
Kilkenny  sides.     Talking  of  earth-stopping  reminds 


8o  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

me  of  *'  Tommy  Knockmore ;"  he  has  been  in  care  of 
Killeen  since  it  was  planted,  and  there  never  was  a 
better  keeper  ;  he  would  always  have  a  litter  in  the 
cover  though  it  is  not  an  acre  in  extent ;  and  no 
matter  how  scant  the  gorse  might  be,  if  there  was  a 
fox  within  five  miles  of  it,  he  would  have  him  there 
when  the  hounds  drew  it.  He  told  me  the  dodge  he 
practised,  which  is  a  most  efficacious  one,  though, 
perhaps,  not  particularly  considerate  to  his  neighbour- 
ing keepers.  However,  it  was  not  done  by  "  bagging.' ' 
I  ought  to  have  said  a  word  about  our  Hunt 
Steeplechases.  They  were  established  by  the  present 
Marquis  in  1870,  and  used  to  be  run  over  a  course  in 
the  Ballydurn  country ;  but  that  not  being  convenient, 
the  venue  was  changed  to  Williamstown,  two  miles 
from  Waterford,  where  they  have  since  been  held.  A 
beautiful  course  is  now  laid  out  there,  and  which  is  a 
natural  one:  noneof  your  artificial  cock-pits,  which  you 
see  all  over  the  country  now.  The  stand-houses  and 
paddocks  are  commodious;  and,  after  Punchestown,  the 
meeting  has  no  superior  in  Ireland  :  though  it  has 
not  the  costly  appointments  of  Cork,  Baldoyle,  or  Fairy 
House.  The  different  races  are  all  called  after  our 
principal  fox  coverts,  and  it  was  this  meeting  that  first 
revived  the  old  red-coat  races  of  long  ago,  and  which 
are  now  so  popular  in  Ireland.  Mr.  Harry  Sargent, 
assisted  by  Captain  Slacke,  has  always  managed  these 
races ;  and,  if  we  believe  the  newspapers,  he  has 
managed  them  well;  but  it  was  a  "labour  of  love" 
to  him,  and  he  understood  it,  and  would  not  under- 
take the  management  unless  he  was  allowed  to  do  it 
properly,  which  he  is  by  Lord  Waterford,  who  allows 
him  almost  a  carte  blanche  to  do  as  he  deems  best  for 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  8 1 

its  success.  His  lordship  cares  little  for  racing  as  a 
rule,  but  takes  great  interest  in  the  Hunt  Races,  which 
he  instituted  for  the  amusement  of  the  farmers,  and  as 
a  small  return  to  them  for  the  support  they  give  him 
in  the  hunting. 

I  omitted  to  mention  that  when  Lord  Huntingdon 
(then  Lord  Hastings)  gave  up  the  Dungarvan  and 
Whitechurch  country  to  take  his  present  country,  Lord 
Waterford  took  it ;  but  it  was  too  far  away  and  incon- 
venient, so  he  gave  it  up  after  a  year  or  two. 

Curraghmore  is  stituated  near  Portlaw,  a  small 
village,  ten  miles  from  Waterford,  and  one  of  the 
prettiest  in  Ireland,  owing  to  the  enterprise  and  em- 
ployment given  by  that  princely  firm,  Messrs.  Malcom- 
son  Brothers,  whose  headquarters  are  in  the  village, 
and  where  they  employ  some  2,000  hands  daily. 

The  Portlaw  entrance  to  Curraghmore  is  not 
exactly  so  imposing  as  you  might  expect,  and  for  that 
matter,  every  entrance  to  it  is  beneath  it.  However, 
once  within  the  walls,  one  very  soon  forgets  the  gate- 
ways, for  on  all  sides  we  see  that  which  gladdens  the 
eye  of  the  lover  of  the  picturesque  and  grand ;  but  from 
the  meaning  of  the  word  Curraghmore  we  imagine  we 
are  to  see  vast  plains  stretching  away  on  all  sides.  No 
such  thing.  The  hills  and  valleys  are  mostly  covered 
with  woods,  and  it  is  only  in  the  race-course  and  large 
sheep-walk  fronting  the  pleasure-grounds  that  we  see 
large  enclosures.  It  is,  however,  those  which  gave  origin 
to  the  name,  for  it  was  only  the  portion  of  the  present 
demesne  which  lies  on  the  Carrick  side  of  the  Clodiagh, 
that  always  belonged  to  the  Curraghmore  family,  the 
woods  of  Portlaw,  Baylock,and  Darrigal  being  of  recent 
acquisition  by  purchase  from  the  Duckett  and  Medly- 


82  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

cott  families.  These  woods  are  truly  magnificent,  and 
covering,  as  they  do,  to  the  top,  the  undulating  hills, 
and  being  principally  oak,  the  foliage  from  a  distance 
gives  you  the  idea  they  are  heath-covered  mountains. 
The  River  Clodiagh  flows  through  the  demesne, 
from  Lowry's  Bridge  to  Portlaw,  and  a  more  beautiful 
valley  than  it  is  I  don't  think  exists  in  Wicklow.  The 
view  to  be  had  from  Clonegam  Hill,  near  the  little 
churchyard,  is  very  grand  and  expansive,  command- 
ing the  greater  portion  of  the  demesne,  with  miles  of 
country  around,  and  the  Comeragh  mountains  in 
the  distance,  while  underneath  we  have  the  mansion 
and  the  courtyard,  of  which  we  get  almost  a  bird's- 
eye  view. 

The    gardens    are    nothing    to    speak     of,     nor 
are  the  pleasure-grounds,  though,  of  course,  the  best 
of  fruits  and  flowers  are  grown  in  them.     The  vast  de- 
mesne of  Curraghmore,  containing,  as  it  does,  4,000 
acres  within  the  wall,  and  3,000  acres  in  the  Portlaw 
and  Baylock  woods,  has  nothing  artificial  to  boast  of. 
It  is  all  naturally  grand  and  beautiful.     The  house  is 
built  at  one  end  of  the  extensive  courtyard,  and  is  of 
modest  exterior,  though  within  the  last  few  years  the 
present     Marquis    has    done    much    to    change    its 
appearance,  and  it  is  now  vastly  improved.     For  the 
last  thirty  years  the  different  heads  of  the  family  have 
been  getting  plans  and  specifications  for  its  remodel- 
ing and  doing  up,  but  none  pleased  until  the  pre- 
sent Marquis  got   the  aid    of  Mr.  Samuel  Roberts, 
the  well-known  and  able  friend  of  art,  of  the  Board 
of  Works.     This  gentleman   furnished  the  necessary 
plans,  and   under  him  was  the  work  done ;    and  now 
the  old  house  looks  like  a  modern  one,  built  for  comfort 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  83 

rather  than  beauty.  The  inside  is  exceedingly  well 
and  comfortably  laid  out,  but  not  to  the  same  extent 
of  magnificence  and  show  that  one  sees  in  houses  of 
other  noblemen  of  Lord  Waterford's  position.  The 
stables  form  each  side  of  the  courtyard,  and  they,  like 
the  house,  are  built  for  comfort,  use,  and  health,  rather 
than  for  showing  off  the  new  inventions  of  stable  fur- 
niture and  architecture.  They  contain  boxes  for  about 
thirty  horses ;  ranges  of  stalls  for  as  many  more ; 
very  extensive  harness  and  saddle-rooms  and  coach- 
houses. To  the  right  as  you  enter  the  court  are  two 
long  ranges  of  box-stalls,  built  at  the  rear  of  those 
forming  the  court ;  in  these  are  the  servants'  and  young 
horses,  and  in  which  is  accommodation  for  some  fifty. 
The  farmyard  has  the  same  characteristic,  all  for  utility, 
and  resistance  of  wear  and  tear. 

The  pointer  and  setter  kennels  adjoin,  of  course, 
old  Harney  the  gamekeeper's  house,  and  are  very 
extensive,  and  near  them  is  the  pheasantry ;  but  his 
lordship  does  not  care  much  for  the  long  tails,  and  has 
but  few. 

A  stroll  of  a  mile  along  the  banks  of  the  Clodiagh 
brings  us  to  the  kennels.  They  are  situated  close  to 
the  river,  with  a  southern  aspect.  They  have  eight  or 
ten  separate  lodging-houses,  with  a  large  feeding- 
house  and  drafting-yard  in  the  centre.  In  front  there 
is  a  large  enclosed  paddock  for  airing  the  hounds 
after  feeding,  and  in  this  lies  the  only  defect  in  them. 
It  is  on  a  steep  hill-side,  with  a  fall  to  the  kennels  ;  but 
as  the  drainage  is  good,  no  bad  effects  are  found,  and 
the  hounds  never  suffer  from  kennel  lameness.  Outside 
this  is  another  large  paddock,  in  which  the  brood  bitches 
lodge  in  wooden  huts  when  they  have  their  puppies. 


84  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

At  the  rear  of  the  kennels,  or  the  front  of  them, 
if  you  chose  to  call  it  so,  is  the  huntsman's  house, 
which  his  lordship  has  lately  added  to  considerably 
(as  Duke  and  his  wife  are  remarkably  good  subjects  to 
the  Queen,  and  have  added  to  the  population  some 
eight  or  ten  children).  Nothing  can  exceed  the  com- 
fort and  design  of  all.  It  requires  only  to  be  seen  to 
be  appreciated.  The  kennels  contain  from  fifty 
to  sixty  couple  of  entered  hounds,  and  about  twenty  or 
thirty  couple  are  put  forward  yearly — the  drafts  being 
Duke's  perquisites,  and  are  bespoken  years  beforehand. 

Lady  Catherine  Beresford  got  erected  a  cone- 
shaped  house  in  oneofthepleasure-grounds,  the  inside 
of  which  she  covered,  in  the  most  beautifully-arranged 
designs,  with  shells  of  all  kinds.  It  took  her  a  great 
many  years  to  complete  the  task,  all  of  which  she  did 
with  her  own  hands,  and  finished  in  165 1.  In  the 
centre  of  it  is  now  a  white  marble  statue  of  her  ladyship. 
On  a  hot  day  in  summer  a  visit  to  this  grotto,  as  I  may 
call  it,  is  most  enjoyable,  as  the  cool  air  is  delicious, 
and  an  hour  or  two  can  be  agreeably  spent  in  it,  ad- 
miring the  handiwork  and  taste  displayed  by  the  lady, 
particularly  if  you  have  a  lady  companion  with  you 
at  the  time. 

The  little  churchyard  on  the  top  of  Clonegam  hill 
is  the  resting-place  of  the  dead  worthies  of  the  house 
of  Beresford  for  many  generations.  In  it  are  also  laid 
the  members  of  the  Medlycott  and  other  families  of 
distinction.  Inside  the  little  church  are  magnificent 
full-length  marble  figures  of  Lords  Henry  and  John, 
the  third  and  fourth  Marquises,  and  in  a  niche,  ex- 
pressly cut  out  for  the  purpose,  the  finest  work 
ever  executed  by  the  celebrated  Boepm  is  laid.     It  is 


THE    CURRAGHMORE   HOUNDS. 


85 


the  marble  effigy  of  Lady  Florence,  the  present  Mar- 
quis' first  wife,  with  her  infant  child  reposing  in  her 
arms.  It  is  of  the  finest  Italian  marble,  and  is  so  laid 
out,  that  wherever  the  sun  shines  it  reflects  its  rays. 

I  know  no  place  where  a  sportsman  who  loves  to 
see  a  sporting  establishment  can  enjoy  himself  more 
than  he  can  at  Curraghmore,  which,  by  the  kindness  of 
Lord  Waterford,  and  the  universal  civility  he  receives 
from  his  employees,  he  can  do  with  ease  and  comfort, 
for  though  he  can't  see  artistic  beauty,  he  will  see 
natural  grandeur,  and  one  of  the  most  extensive  and 
best-managed  sporting  establishments  possessed  by 
any  nobleman  in  the  Kingdom. 

Now  I  have  given  you  all  the  information  in  my 
power,  and  will  sing  you  a  song  of  the  Curragh- 
more Hunt. 

THE  CURRAGHMORE  HUNT. 

An  ADDRESS  from  the  Annefield  Fox,  which  gave  the  Four  Cele- 
brated Runs  during  the  Seasons  of  1861-2. 

I  WAGGED  my  brush  the  other  day 

When  ever}'thing  was  still, 
I  am  a  Fox,  my  fame  is  known, 

I  live  on  Annefield  Hill. 

And  now,  ye  brother  Foxes  all, 

Come  listen  to  my  song, 
I'll  tell  you  about  a  Pack  of  Hounds, 

And  how  they  go  along. 

I've  given  them  four  grand  runs,* 

And  I'll  give  them  many  more, 
For  I'm  the  boy  to  go  the  pace 

From  the  Hounds  of  Curraghmore. 

*t7thDec.,  1861 — I  hour  and  40  minutes.  28th  Jan.,  1862 — 4  hours  and 
5  minutes,  31  miles.  24th  March,  1862 — i  hour  and  25  minutes,  nth  April, 
1862 — 2  hours  and  5  minutes. 


86  IRISH   SPORT   AND   SPORTSMEN. 

Of  one,  ye  Foxes,  must  beware, 
'Tis  Briscoe,  he's  the  Master, 

And  when  )'e  see  him  on  his  grey. 
Your  brushes  whisk,  and  go  the  faster. 

You'll  easily  know  him  by  a  fact, 
Which  between  us  I  will  mention. 

He  pays  the  Ladies  at  the  Meet 
Remarkable  attention. 


For  Ladies  patronise  this  Hunt, 
Rich,  poor,  the  great,  and  small. 

And  very  much  delighted  are 
When  a  fellow  gets  a  fall. 

There's  Johnny  Ryan,*  on  old  "Wall," 

He  looks  as  fresh  as  paint, 
I  do  not  like  to  look  at  him, 

For  fear  that  I  should  faint. 

Avoid  him,  then,  ye  Foxes  all. 
As  thro'  the  cover  he  crushes; 

And  if  ye  will  not  take  advice, 
Ye'll  surely  lose  your  brushes. 

Then  Duke,t  that  bloody-minded  whip, 

Oh  !  how  he  makes  me  run, 
I  wish  that  he  would  stay  at  home 

With  his  wife,  and  mind  his  son. 

But  there  is  one  ye  must  respect 

With  love  and  adoration, 
'Tis  Parson  Gregory  that  I  mean, 

A  Friend  to  all  our  nation. 


The  Primate,  just  before  he  died, 

On  that  eventful  day 
Appointed  him  our  race  to  shrive. 

And  o'er  out  corpse  to  pray. 

His  duty  is  so  well  performed 
Your  mind  may  be  at  rest ; 

Where'er  you  fall,  he  will  be  there, 
You'll  not  die  unconfessed. 


*  The  Huntsman.  t  The  Whipper-in. 


1 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  87 

Next  on  my  list's  a  little  man, 

His  name  is  Tommy  Lalor, 
And  on  his  little  head  he  wears 

A  hat,  to  make  him  taller. 

But  if  he's  small,  his  heart  is  great, 

He  never  is  so  happy 
As  when,  by  doing  all  he  can, 

He  beats  the  bold  Mulcahy. 

Mulcahy  tries  by  might  and  main 

To  beat  the  gallant  Tom, 
And  if  he  only  does  succeed 

He  roars  and  rides  along. 

A  grudge  he  owes  me  since  last  year,  * 

And  if  it  is  his  luck 
He  swears  he'll  eat  me,  and  I'm  sure 

His  mouth  is  large  enough. 

Now  mark  the  man's  good-humoured  face, 

Who  with  commanding  frown 
Replies  to  fellows' "  How  do  you  do  ?'* 

With  "  Please,  sir,  half-a-crown." 

He  rides  a  mare,  her  colour's  bay, 

Her  temper's  very  hot, 
He  blesses  her,  and  never  swears. 

And  his  name  is  Medlycott. 

George  Malcomson  next  comes  in  sight, 

A  portly  man  is  he, 
Though  heavy  his  stern,  his  heart  is  light 

As  ever  a  man's  can  be. 

Congy  Fleming  on  "  Magpie  "  sits 

In  a  very  seedy  coat, 
Ah  !  he's  the  lad  to  drain  a  flask, 

Or  tell^a  pleasant  joke. 

But  who's  the  hammerer  on  the  road  .'* 

I  do  not  know  from  Adam, 
By  the  way  he  rides,  I'm  sure  he  is 

Some  relative  of  Macadam. 

Ah  !  now  I  see,  it  is  John  Walshe, 

To  tell  you's  only  fair, 
You  need  not  fear  him  any  more, 

He's  taken  to  hunt  the  hare. 

*  William  Mulcahy'e  mare  died  after  the  run  of  the  28th  January,  1862. 


8^  IRISH  SPORT    AND  SPORTSMEN. 


There's  David  and  Fred  Malcomson, 
True  sportsmen  to  the  bone, 

Who  wives  have  got,  and  children  too, 
But  won't  be  kept  at  home. 

Most  hunts  can  boast  of  curious  men, 
Parson,  Methodist,  or  Shaker, 

But  who  can  boast  what  this  hunt  can — 
A  bearded,  flying  Quaker  !* 

A  sportsman  comes  from  Wexford  side 

A  forward  riding  man  ; 
When  Glascott's  going  with  the  hounds 

Oh  !  catch  him  then  who  can. 

Black-coated  Lambert  well  can  go, 
And  to  the  front  will  paddle, 

But  he'd  look  better  if  he  kept 
His  hand  from  oif  the  saddle. 

Then  Butler  rides  to  the  covert  side, 
That  amorous  gay  young  Peeler, 

He  rattles  on,  and  often  gets 
A  most  tremendous  squeeler. 

A  clicking  noise  I  thought  I  heard, 

'Tis  Rivers  on  the  grey, 
He  ticks  so  hard,  I'm  sure  his  horse 

Can  tell  the  time  of  day.f 

From  Waterford,  Harry  Sargent  comes. 
Right  forward  he  will  race 

And  better  still  he  seems  to  go 
Since  he's  got  a  hairy  face.  J 

The  Captain  §  fresh  from  foreign  parts, 
From  fighting  and  hard  knocks, 

"  Ram  Rusty  "  spurs,  and  much  prefers 
At  home  to  hunt  the  Fox. 

Each  hair  upon  my  body  stands, 
I  hear  some  ominous  sounds, 

Good-bye,  ye  foxes,  I  am  off, 
I  just  can  see  the  hounds. 

*  Joseph  Strangman,  a  "  first  flight  "  man. 

t  He  has  a  habit  of  always  "  click,  clicking,"  to  his  horse. 

I  He  let  his  beard  and  mustache  grow  this  season. 

§  Oapt.  Briscoe,  eldest  son  of  Henry  Briscoe,  the  Master. 


THE    CURRAGHMORE    HOUNDS.  89 

The  pace  they  go  it  makes  me  shake, 

My  blood  begins  to  frizzle, 
My  verse  is  clipped,  my  wind  I  want, 

For  for'ad  I  must  mizzle. 


Annefield  Covert,  Owning,  Co.  Kilkenny, 
February,  1863. 


One  toast  more:  **  Fox  hunting-  and  the  Curragh- 
more."     Goodnight.     I'm  off  to  Bedfordshire. 


90  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    WARD    UNION    HOUNDS. 

The  mention  of  the  ''Wards"  recalls  to  the  minds  of 
many  sportsmen,  old  and  young,  recollections  of 
pleasant  scenes,  extraordinary  feats,  and  happy  hunt- 
ing grounds.  Their  fame  is  more  than  European. 
In  the  new  world  as  well  as  in  the  old  they  are 
spoken  of  with  enthusiasm ;  and  many  there  are 
whose  destiny  has  placed  them  beneath  the  fierce 
glare  of  an  Indian  sun  who  owe  some  of  their  hap- 
piest hours  to  the  "  Wards." 

No  wonder  that  Dublin  includes  so  many  sports- 
men, and  sportswomen  too,  amongst  its  inhabitants. 
They  may,  and  do  call  you  dirty  Dublin,  but  who  sepa- 
rates that  epithet  from  one  of  endearment  belonging  to 
no  other  urban  agglomeration  ?  Despite  Anna  Liffey, 
a  quarrelsome  corporation,  and  fierce  party  spirit,  and 
the  other  ills  to  which  your  inhabitants  have  long 
been  heirs,  you  are  always  "  dear"  to  your  sons  and 
daughters.  There  are  amongst  the  inhabitants  many 
merchants,  and  merchant  princes  too,  who  are  ardent 
votaries  of  the  chase.  There  is  a  regular  influx  of 
Nimrods  during  the  winter  months,  and  the  citizens 
include  many  patrons  of  the  turf,  the  chase,  cricketers, 
rinkers,  and  pursuers  of  tribes  feathered  and  finny. 
A  sportsman,  whether  possessed  of  moderate  or 
ample  means,  could  not  reside  in  a  city  with  more 


THE    WARD    UNION    HOUNDS.  9 1 

facilities  for  enjoyment.  If  a  lover  of  foxhunting, 
he  frequently  has  an  opportunity  of  hunting  with 
the  Kildare,  Meath,  and  Louth  hounds ;  and  the 
"Wards"  meet  three  times  a  week  at  a  convenient 
rendezvous. 

If  the  harriers  have  attractions  for  him,  Mr. 
Brooke,  of  Summerton,  Castleknock,  has  a  good 
pack, about  12  couple,  18  inches  high,  and  he  invari- 
able lays  the  vejuie  for  their  trysts  near  the  capital. 
Mr.  Thomas  Turbett  keeps  a  nice  pack  of  beagles  at 
Finglass ;  and  by-the-by  I  was  near  forgetting  to 
mention  that  a  few  gentlemen  keep  a  pack  of  musical 
"  currant  jelly"  dogs  in  that  neighbourhood  also. 
Those  fond  of  shooting  will  find  game  in  abundance 
at  no  great  distance  ;  lovers  of  the  leash,  too,  will  find 
their  wants  amply  provided  for ;  and  disciples  of  Izaak 
Walton  can  kill  trout  or  salmon  within  a  few  miles  of 
the  metropolis.  The  *'  Phoenix"  affords  ample  oppor- 
tunities for  the  training  of  flat  and  steeplechase  horses 
or  hunters,  and  it  is — par  excellence — the  finest  park 
in  the  world — the  scenery  around  it  is  charming  ; 
and  on  a  fine  summer's  morning,  when  the  troops 
are  being  reviewed,  and  the  sons  of  Mars  are 
marching,  while  the  bands  discourse  sweet  music, 
I  know  of  no  place  of  its  kind  so  attractive  and 
picturesque. 

I  shall  now  endeavour  to  give  a  history  of  the 
Ward  Union  Hunt : — 

The  country  over  which  they  hunt  is  all  that  a 
hunting  man  could  desire  ;  most  of  the  fences  require 
a  deal  of  "doing,"  but  a  good,  bold  fencer  will 
get  over  them  without  much  difficulty.  The  "  going" 
is  generally  good  ;  indeed  the  committee,  with  a  wis- 


92  IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 

dom  and  thoughtfulness  worthy  of  commendation, 
seldom  allow  the  hounds  to  be  taken  out  when  such  is 
not  the  case,  as  they  have  a  kindly  regard  for  the 
interests  of  the  landowners:  there  can  be  no  better  proof 
of  this  than  \he  ente7ide  coi'diale\^'h.ich.  exists  between  the 
hunting  men  and  the  farmers  of  the  district.  Many 
"crack"  men  from  different  parts  of  England  have 
often  hunted  over  the  country ;  old  Meltonians,  Lei- 
cestershire celebrities,  followers  of  the  York  and 
Ainsty,  and  "  first-flight"  Pytchley  men  too.  '*  Many 
a  time  and  oft"  hard  riding  men  from  the  shires 
and  wolds  have  endeavoured  to  cut  down  the  Ward 
men. 

"Hard  riding  swells  from  Leicestershire, 
Northamptonshire,  and  Twickenham, 

Have  tried  to  give  the  Ward  Hunt  men 
A  licking  that  would  sicken  'em," 

but  didn't;  but  they  ever  bestowed  the  highest 
praise  on  the  country  and  the  pack.  It  is  the  pace 
that  kills  ;  and  those  hounds  can  and  do  go  fast  enough 
to  satisfy  the  greatest  "bruiser,"  or  most  reputed 
flyer. 

The  *'  fields"  generally  include  desperate  cornets, 
reckless  as  middies,  crack  cavalry  men,  and  steeple- 
chase riders  of  renown. 

In  1828-9  there  were  two  packs,  the  Dubber  and 
the  Hollywood,  kept  in  the  Dublin  country,  and  hunted 
over  what  is  now  the  Ward  Hunt  country.  In  1830, 
the  packs  were  amalgamated,  and  kept  by  Mr.  Ger- 
rard,  of  the  Bay,  and  called  the  "  Wards."  Captain 
John  Stanley,  son  of  Sir  Thomas  Stanley,  of  Hooton 
Hall,  Cheshire,  succeeded  Mr.  Gerrard  as  master: 
he  kept  them  for  two  seasons  ;  and  in  1836  Mr.  Peter 


THE    WARD    UNION    HOUNDS.  93 

Alley,  of  New  Park,  took  them.  Up  to  that  period 
they  used  to  hunt  "  bag" -foxes,  but  Mr.  Alley  got  a 
number  of  fallow-deer,  gave  up  fox-hunting,  and  after 
a  few  years  red-deer  were  procured. 

The  late  Lord  Howth,  in  1840,  brought  over  Mr. 
Broadley's  Staghounds  from  Leamington,  and  kept 
them,  with  a  subscription  from  the  military,  till  Lady 
Howth  died  in  1842  ;  he  then  sold  them  to  the  Dublin 
Garrison,  and  they  were  known  as  the  Garrison 
Hounds.  A  first-rate  pack  they  were— indeed  I  have 
heard  good  judges  say  that  they  were  the  fastest  they 
ever  saw. 

Captain  Forrester  hunted  them  for  a  few  years, 
and  then  they  were  presided  over  by  one  of  the  best 
horsemen  that  ever  sat  in  a  saddle.  Captain  Armit, 
who  rode  the  winners  of  many  important  races,  and 
was  a  great  favourite.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
brother  soldier,  the  Hon.  William  Hutchinson,  who 
with  his  brother,  the  late  Lord  Donoughmore,  and  his 
cousin,  Colonel  (then  Captain)  Richard  Bernard,  and 
other  relatives,  made  up  a  family  party  not  rivalled 
before  or  since.  Their  *'  larks"  are  still  fresh  in 
the  memory  of  many,  and  the  recountal  of  "  Dear 
Dickies',"  or  "  Bright  Billy's"  doings,  would 
fill  a  volume  by  itself.  The  latter  was  a  sports- 
man in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  and  a  braver 
never  won  or  wore  a  Victoria  Cross.  (He  tried 
hard  to  win  it.)  He  was  assisted  in  the  field  by 
Captain  Richard  Bernard — in  those  days  the  luckiest 
and,  perhaps,  the  pluckiest  of  all  contemporary  horse- 
men. The  sport  during  their  reign  was  splendid.  In 
1854,  the  Crimean  war  broke  out,  and  several  of  those 
who  hunted  with  and  supported  the  Garrison  hounds 

7 


94  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

were  ordered  off  to  take  part  in  that  sanguinary 
Struggle.  The  scarlet  hunting-coat  was  laid  aside, 
and  the  uniform  of  her  Majesty's  service  donned 
instead,  by  many  who  had  worshipped  faithfully  at  the 
shrine  of  Diana,  and  who  were  called  upon  now  to  pay 
tribute  to  another  deity.  Alas !  several  of  those 
brave  fellows  never  returned  to  Ireland  or  wore 
hunting  costume  again.     No,  in  Russian  soil  they, 

"  Their  warfare  o'er, 


Sleep  the  sleep  that  knows  no  breaking. 

Dream  of  battle-fields  no  more, 
Days  of  danger,  nights  of  waking." 

The  Duke  of  Wellington,  the  '*  great  Duke,"  always 
preferred  hunting  men  for  soldiers ;  and,  no  doubt,  he 
was  right,  there  are  none  so  bold,  and  his  judgment 
was  borne  out  at  Waterloo.  Many  of  those  who  had 
hunted  with  the  Garrison  hounds  charged  as  fear- 
lessly into  the  jaws  of  death,  on  the  heights  of  Alma, 
in  the  valley  of  Inkerman,  and  on  the  plains  of  Bala- 
clava, as  they  did  the  "yawners"  they  often  sailed 
over  in  the  Kilrue,  Fairyhouse,  DunshaughJin,  and 
Ashbourne  districts,  when  they  participated  in  the 
peaceful  mimic  warfare  of  the  chase  over  that  country 
which  is  so  admirably  adapted  for  a  hunting  cam- 
paign. Captain  W.  Hutchinson  never  returned  to 
carry  the  hunting  horn,  poor  fellow.  He  sleeps  by 
the  blue  waters  of  the  Bosphorus,  on  whose  bosom 
our  then  undreamed-of  ironclads  rock  to-day  awaiting, 
perhaps,  the  call  to  war.  He  died  of  camp  fever, 
regretted  by  an  army  and  all  Ireland.  Richard 
Bernard  has  been  more  fortunate  than  his  cousin  ;  he 
has  had  many  a  good  days'  hunting  since,  gained  new 
laurels  on  the  turf,  and  is  now  a  Colonel  of  his  county 


THE    WARD    UNION    HOUNDS.  95 

regiment,  Deputy-Ranger  of  the  Curragh,  and  the 
member  of  our  "  Irish  household,"  which  best  con- 
nects us  with  the  "  pleasant  part." 

When  the  war  broke  out,  the  military  proposed 
to  give  the  Ward  managers  ^200  per  annum,  if  they 
would  give  an  extra  day  each  week  (the  Wards  were 
then  a  bi-weekly  pack) ;  the  offer  was  gladly  accepted, 
and  the  arrangement  is  still  In  force,  albeit  the 
annual  subscription  is  a  somewhat  fluctuating  quan- 
tity. Mr.  Peter  Alley  kept  the  hounds  till  1863,  and 
at  his  death  his  brother  Charles  became  master,  and 
held  the  title  for  a  year,  when  the  delicate  state  of  his 
health  obliged  him  to  resign.  The  Messrs.  Alley 
deserve  great  praise  for  the  manner  in  which  they 
acted  during  their  reign  as  masters  of  the  *'  Wards." 

In  1864,  the  pack  was  handed  over  to  a  Com- 
mittee, and  Captain  Montgomery,  late  of  the  5th 
Dragoon  Guards,  was  appointed  master.  He  resigned 
in  1866,  and  a  Committee  of  three  have  managed 
them  ever  since  with  great  success.  On  Mondays  the 
meet  is  usually  some  miles  distant  from  the  city, 
but,  thanks  to  the  liberality  of  the  managers  and 
directors  of  the  Midland  Great  Western  line,  horses 
and  their  owners  are  conveyed  by  special  train  to  the 
nearest  station.  The  trains  start  from  and  return  to 
the  Broadstone  at  convenient  hours,  and  horse,  owner, 
,  and  servants  are  brought  down  and  back  for  the  mode- 
rate tariff  of  10^.  The  owner,  of  course,  travels  first 
class.  If  other  lines  followed  the  example  shown 
them  by  the  executive  of  this  one,  they  would  be 
"  wise  in  their  generation,"  and  confer  a  benefit  on  the 
shareholders,  hunting  men,  and  a  large  section  of  the 
community.     In  a  financial  point  of  view,  as  well  as  in 


96  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

every  other,  the  Ward  Union  Hunt  is  in  a  very 
flourishing  condition  ;  and  the  trio  of  efficient  officials 
who  comprise  the  Committee  deserve  the  highest 
praise  for  their  industry  and  ability  so  plainly  shown 
by  the  success  they  have  merited  and  achieved  in  the 
management  entrusted  to  them.  I  have  before  me 
the  balance-sheet  for  the  year  ending  1876,  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  Committee  have  "  financed" 
the  concern  speaks  volumes  in  favour  of  them. 

I  find  121  names  of  subscribers  of  £^  or  upwards 
included  in  the  list  of  members  and  subscribers.  The 
sum  total  amounted  to ^752. 

I  take  the  following  extract  from  the  Committee's 
circular  of  19th  August,  1875  • — "  The  average 
balance  to  credit  of  account  on  each  ist  of  May,  from 
1864  to  1874,  has  been  ^230.  The  balance,  ist  of 
May,  1874,  was  ^215  8^.  Ofd.  The  balance,  1st  of 
May,  1875,  to  DEBIT  was  ^21  i6s.  gd.  It  will  be 
seen  from  those  figures,  that  to  enable  the  Committee 
to  carry  on  the  establishment  as  heretofore,  there 
should  be  on  the  ist  of  May  in  each  year  a  balance 
of,  say  /"200  in  their  hands.  Will  you  have  the  good- 
ness to  inform  the  Committee  if  they  may  reckon  on 
your  support,  and  to  what  extent  in  aid  of  the  existing 
deficit." 

The  "whip"  had  the  desired  effect,  and  several 
answered  "  gamely"  to  it:  so  much  so  that ^123  was 
soon  contributed.  Mrs.  Morrogh  gave  £  i  o,  and  Messrs. 
Morrogh,  Thomas  Leonard,  the  late  William  Max- 
well, W.  Jameson,  and  J.  R.  O'Reilly  gave  ^10  each  ; 
Messrs.  P.  Aungier,  C  Aungier,  J.  Fitzgerald,  Joseph 
Hone,  S.  Mangan,  R.  Murdock,  W.  Murland,  jun., 
Joseph  Murphy,  W.  T.  Stuart,  and  Thomas  Turbett 


THE    WARD    UNION    HOUNDS.  97 

gave  ^5  each,  and  so  did  Captain  Leslie  Martin  ;  and 
Mr.  Carleton  gave  £y     Charles  Brindley  during  his 
many  years'  service  as  huntsman  has  given  the  utmost 
satisfaction.     He  is  an  adept  at  the  multifarious  duties 
attached  to  the  post  which  he  fills ;  and  he  is  a  most 
popular  servant.     He  was  born  in  England,  in  1817, 
and  from  his  earliest  years  evinced  a  love  for  out-door 
sports   and  pastimes,  and  a  great  regard  for  those 
animals  which  contribute  so  much  to  our  enjoyment — 
the   horse    and    hound — and  an   attachment    to    the 
national  pastime  of  hunting.     When  a  young  boy  he 
went  into  the  service  of  the  late  Thomas   Carr,   of 
Hednesford,    near   Stafford,   who   was   then    a    very 
successful  trainer.     He  remained  there  for  seven  years, 
and  during  that  time  rode  three  races,  without  success, 
at  Bromyard  and  Bridge  worth.     He  was  then  engaged 
by  the  late  Lord  Howth,  who  was  just  at  that  time  in 
his  "  palmiest  day."     He  kept  a  pack  of  harriers,  and 
Brindley   acted   as    second  horseman    and  whip,    his 
Lordship  hunting  the  hounds  himself.     In  1840,  when 
Lord  Howth  purchased  Mr.  Broadley's   Staghounds, 
and  brought  them  over  from  Leamington  to  Howth, 
"Charley"  continued  on  as  whipper-in.    In  1842,  Lady 
Howth  died ;    and,  as  I  have  already  stated,  the  Stag- 
hounds  were  then  disposed  of.     Captain  Tait  just  at 
that  time  retired  from  the  army,   and  went    to   live 
in    Ayrshire,   took  the  mastership    of  hounds    there, 
and  appointed  Brindley  whipper-in.     However,  after 
one  year's  absence,   "Charley"   returned  to  Ireland. 
The  then  master  of  the  "  Wards,"  Mr.  Peter  Alley,  was 
in  want  of  a   huntsman   at  the    time,    and    engaged 
him,  and  he  has   held   the  appointment   ever    since. 
Though  he  has  "over  Ashbourne  ditches  grown  gray," 


98  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

he  is  as  fond  of  the  sport  now  as  ever ;  his  heart  is  still 
as  keen  as  the  youngest  of  his  followers  in  the  field. 
I  hope  he  will  carry  the  horn  for  years  to  come.  His 
son  Jem  has  been  whip  to  him  for  several  seasons,  and 
knows  and  does  his  business  well,  and  his  urbane 
conduct  in  the  field  claims  the  highest  approbation. 
An  enumeration  of  the  good  men  and  true  who  have 
ridden  with  the  "Wards"  were  a  labour  of  love; 
but  it  would  require  a  "sizeable"  book  to  itself. 
Every  cavalry  regiment  in  the  service  has  given 
its  quota,  and  the  names,  Godman,  Slacke,  Ainsley, 
Annesley,  Hoey,  Candy,  Bates,  Bell,  Campbell, 
Forrester,  Forster,  Greene,  Warburton,  Johnstone, 
Barclay,  Townley,  Towers,  Tait,  Handly,  Musters, 
Lawrence,  Hutchinson,  Paulett,  Prettyman,  Kings- 
cote,  Beresford,  Dixon,  Fraser,  Little,  Severne,  Trotter, 
Kearsley, Clanmorris,  M'Calmont,  Lee  Barber,  and  Har- 
tigan  are  themselves  such  a  record  of  first-flight  soldiers 
as  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  annals  of  any  other  pack. 
I  regret  that  the  exigencies  of  space  forbids  my 
dilating  on  their  prowess,  but  I  must  rather  hasten  to 
notice  the  men  of  to-day,  whose  effigy  is  so  cunningly 
set  out  in  the  Ward  Hunt  picture,  which  has  been 
on  view  in  Grafton- street. 

On  the  right  is  the  late  Captain  John  Ferguson 
Montgomery,  of  Ballydrain,  Antrim,  of  which  county 
he  was  a  D.L.  and  magistrate.  No  better  supporter  of 
sport  than  he  was,  has  these  many  years  emerged  from 
the  North.  While  yet  in  mourning  for  his  gallant 
brother,  "killed  in  action"  in  the  Crimea,  he  made 
one  of  a  very  hard  -riding  trio,  who  occupied  in  common 
the  comfortable  hunting  quarters,  Roseboro',  between 
Johnstown    and    Naas.      Mr.    M'Gildowney    and   Mr. 


THE    WARD    UNION    HOUNDS.  QQ 

M'Neil  were  his  companions,  and  ranks  of  the  Antrim 
Rifles,  then  quite  the  crack  corps  of  the  Irish  territorial 
army,  as  often  rang-  with  the  recital  of  the  doings  of 
the  hard  riding  "Antrim  three,"  as  it  did  with  the 
feats  of  drill  by  "Jack  M'Kenzie's  chickens"  on  the 
drill-grounds.  Poor  Captain  Montgomery's  death  is 
too  recent  to  make  it  necessary  to  recall  the  circum- 
stances ;  but  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  his  death 
"in  harness"  was  not  one  which  the  good  sportsman 
himself  would  have  thought  inappropriate,  and  was 
not  uncharacteristic  of  a  man  who  brought  to  bear 
on  his  pleasure  the  deliberation  of  canny  Ulster,  and 
a  certain  recklessness  more  frequently  attributed  to 
the  natives  west  of  the  Shannon. 

Mr.  Preston  I  have  dealt  with  elsewhere.  Messrs. 
Duffy,  Greenhill,  Aungier,  Mangan,  and  Leonard,  are 
very  well  known  men  to  the  *'  Ward"  followers,  and 
deserve  to  be  remembered  in  any  memoir  of  hard 
riding  Irishmen ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  Mr. 
"  Tom"  Potterton,  who  adds  the  speciality,  which  called 
more  than  once  for  Viceregal  notice,  of  being  "  quite 
a  duck  "  in  brooks  or  waterholes,  especially  to  save  any 
of  the  good  deer  which  are  "quarry"  to  the  "Wards." 
The  two  Messrs.  D'Arcy  make  good  portraits.  The 
elder  of  the  two— uncle  of  the  other,  I  think  the 
most  forward  Irish  polo  player — is  an  ardent  sportsman, 
though  not  very  brilliant  horseman.  He  has  been 
Knight  of  the  Shire  for  Wexford,  and  whether  in  his 
place  in  parliament,  in  the  hunting-field,  or  presiding 
over  the  great  industry  which  gives  bread  to  so  many 
of  his  fellow-citizens,  ever  displays  a  broad  liberality 
which  has  gained  him  troops  of  friends.  Charlie 
Brindley,    "  the    tough    old   campaigner,"    has    been 


lOO  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

noticed.  Jem  Is  a  chip  of  the  old  block  ;  and  though 
not  such  a  workman  to  get  and  keep  with  hounds  as  his 
sire  was — when  was  there  another  ! — is  a  grand  horse- 
man. His  figure  intercepts  the  view  of  the  no  doubt 
reliable  mount  of  Mr.  J.  T.  Power,  formerly  Mr. 
D'Arcy's  colleague  in  the  representation  of  Wexford. 
He  is  scarcely  as  well  known  as  a  hunting  man  as  he  is  as 
holder  of  the  '^ribbons,"  in  which  he  rivals  his  brother- 
in-law,  Mr.  J.  R.  O'Reilly,  who  occupies  a  prominent 
place  in  the  opposite  "flank"  of  Mr.  Osborne's  very 
clever  picture.  Those  who  have  joined  in  the  plea- 
sures of  the  Ward  Union  Hunt  cannot,  these  many 
years  past,  have  been  unobservant  of  one  of  these 
phenomenal  horsemen  who  with  one  arm  can  do  so 
much  more  than  most  men  with  two.  Of  these,  Mr. 
T.  Butler,  of  Priestown,  is  a  very  notable  example ; 
and  warm  friends  of  this  right  good  fellow  in  camp 
and  barrack,  over  the  Queen's  broad  empire,  will 
recognise  with  pleasure  his  happy  portrait,  which  the 
artist  has  introducad  between  those  of  the  Brindley's 
— father  and  son. 

The  name  of  Watson  will  be  familiar  to  my  readers, 
while  all  will  allow  the  honourable  mention  which 
their  merits  as  sportsmen  entitle  them  to.  The  Mr. 
H.  Watson  of  this  picture  is  a  near  relative  of  Messrs. 
Robert  and  George  Watson,  the  respective  masters  of 
the  so  far  divided  packs,  the  Carlow  and  Island,  and 
Melbourne  hounds.  He,  unlike  them,  has  not  yet 
carried  the  horn ;  but  our  coaching  annals,  polo-grounds, 
and  hunting-fields  abound  In  records  of  his  accomplish- 
ments and  prowess.  Between  him  and  her  husband, 
the  chief  of  the  Ward  Executive,  Mr.  Osborne  pre- 
sents us  with  an  excellent  portrait  of  Mrs.  Leonard 


THE    WARD    UNION    HOUNDS.  lOI 

Morrogh.  Those  who  have  seen  her  performances  in 
the  hunting  field  will  be  glad  to  acknowledge  how 
suitably  this  lady  is  mated  to  the  gentleman  whose 
conduct  in  and  out  of  the  field  has  done  so  much  to 
establish  and  sustain  the  prestige  of  the  Ward  hounds. 
Mr.  Morrogh  is  an  admirable  horseman,  and  hailing 
as  he  does,  from  the  very  difficult  but  sport  loving 
neighbourhood  of  Fermoy,  where  he  was  "entered,"  it 
is  not  hard  to  account  for  those  qualities  which  distin- 
guish him  in  getting  through  the  queerest  places  in 
any  and  all  sorts  of  runs  on  the  accomplished  horses 
which  he  knows  so  well  how  to  purchase.  The  first 
celebrity  in  that  way  he  had  was  a  very  big  Sir 
Herculeus  grey  horse  which,  perhaps,  enjoyed  as 
deserved  a  reputation  as  any  other  hunter  in  any 
other  country. 

Mr.  Cranfield  will,  no  doubt,  obtain  many  pur- 
chasers  for  the  admirable  autotype  of  the  picture 
under  notice,  if  only  on  account  of  the  very  striking 
likeness  of  Lord  Spencer.  His  popularity  here  was 
unabated  by  any  political  considerations,  and  the  crowd 
of  good  sportsmen,  who  still  preserve  warm  recol- 
lections of  his  hospitalities  and  his  horsemanship,  will, 
no  doubt,  contribute  to  swell  the  numbers  of  Cran- 
field's  clientele.  And  Lord  Spencer's  friends  in  the 
Shires,  and  the  flourishing  Althorp  tenantry,  who  love 
him  so  well,  will  be  pleased  to  preserve  a  record  of 
the  time  when  some  twelve  of  the  latter,  the  guests  of 
their  noble  landlord  for  a  week,  tried  conclusions  with 
the  best  men  of  old  Ireland  over  the  "  grass"  of 
Dublin,  Meath,  and  Kildare.  The  writer  would  hope 
that  Lord  Spencer,  whether  as  Viceroy  or  unattached, 
may  find  his  way  to  Ireland  again  ;    and  within   the 


I02  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

covers  of  this  book  he  has  written  no  lines,  except  the 
dedication,  which  afforded  him  more  pleasure  than 
those  in  which  he  fearlessly  expresses  for  his  country- 
men their  admiration  of  Lord  Spencer's  character, 
and  the  cead  mille-failthe  with  which  they  would  hail 
his  return. 

Major- General  Smyth  occupies,  perhaps,  the 
most  prominent  position  in  the  foreground,  and  no 
admirer  of  horses  can  pass  over  the  admirable  manner 
in  which  his  good  hunter  is  treated  —  indeed  this 
applies  to  Lord  Spencer's,  the  Brindley's,  and  Dr. 
Duckett's  horses — but  that  is  saying  little,  not  known 
to  all  who  have  seen  the  artist's  equestrian  portraits. 
Technically  they  are  admirable  pictures  ;  and  the 
difficulties  of  holding  two  gray  horses  in  opposition 
on  a  foreground,  filled  up  by  the  "  pied  beauties," 
would  be  patent  to  any  artist  who  knows  how  much 
trouble  must  be  taken  to  avoid  destroying  all  harmony 
by  what  painters  call  "  spottiness."  The  very  special 
merit  of  this  picture  is,  however,  the  "character" 
with  which  the  hounds,  the  horses,  the  men,  the  very 
landscape  is  in  view.  Doctor  "Billy"  Duckett  sits 
there  by  his  many  friends,  and  we  see  his  every 
turn  as  if  dipping  in  his  often  used  snuff-box. 
Then  Mr.  Thompson,  Mr.  Meldon's  portly  figure, 
Mr.  D'Arcy,  and  Mr.  R.  J.  Montgomery's  keen- 
eyed,  weather-worn  face.  How  admirable  they  convey 
the  men  ! 

The  late  Mr.  Maxwell,  of  Cruiserath,  is  also  a 
"feature"  of  the  picture,  and  I  cannot  forbear  some 
kindly  mention  of  the  fine  old  sportsman,  who,  a  few 
months  age,  sat  for  this  portrait  in  the  full  vigour 
of   ripe    but    unstricken     manhood.       He    for    many 


THE    WARD    UNION    HOUNDS.  I03 

years  kept  a  pack  of  harriers  for  the  gratuitous 
amusement  of  his  grateful  neighbours.  Close 
behind  him  is  a  very  characteristic  portrait  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Harper,  and  but  that  he  has  become  in 
his  long  residence  amongst  us,  like  our  early  Norman 
conquerors,  more  Irish  than  the  Irish  themselves,  I 
should  be  disposed  to  treat  him  with  the  courtesy  we 
should  ever  extend  to  visitors.  The  recollections  of 
his  many  splendid  victories  between  the  flags  in  this 
tight  little  island,  have  obliterated  those  earlier  and 
very  frequent  triumphs  when  Mr.  Harper  was  wont, 
in  succession  to  his  fath  er,  to  sweep  the  Border  race- 
courses of  their  prizes  in  true  "Reiver"  fashion. 
Mr.  Harper's  father  was  of  the  school  which  gave  to 
Scotland  such  sportsmen  as  Ramsay  of  Barnton, 
Lord  Eglington,  Sir  Joseph  Boswell,  Lord  Glasgow, 
and  Mr.  Meiklam :  they  raced  for  stakes  without 
considering  the  *'  Ledger."  Mr.  T.  Harper,  the 
youngest  of  a  sporting  family,  commenced  in 
his  twelfth  year  a  career  of,  till  quite  lately, 
unvaried  success  by  scoring  the  Roxboroshire 
Border  Plate  at  Hawick,  where,  for  many  years,  as 
at  other  Border  meetings,  all  the  best  things  fell  to 
his  share. 

Such  well-known  faces  as  Mr.  J.  Hone,  Mr.  Turbett, 
and  Mr.  Jameson  are  easily  recognised.  No  better 
supporters  of  Stag-hunting  are  to  be  found ;  and 
there  is  no  one  who  goes  straighter  than  Mr.  Hone, 
though  Mr.  Coppinger,  and  Mr.  W.  A.  Maher,  his 
neighbours,  on  the  canvass,  are  rivals  in  the  field 
not  unworthy  of  him,  or  any  "flyer"  of  the  hunt, 
here  or  elsewhere.  Mr.  Drury,  Mr.  William 
Fitzgerald,    and    Mr.    James    Kelly,    all    good    men 


104  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

and  true,  complete  the  group  which  assembles 
close  by  the  Castle  of  Kilreisk,  which  is  seen  in  the 
background. 

The  Ward  Hounds  hunt  on  Monday,  Wednesday, 
and  Saturday.  There  are  at  present  32  couple  of 
working  hounds  in  the  kennel,  and  they  are  remark- 
ably good,  good-looking,  and  well  bred. 


THE    MEATH    HOUNDS.  I05 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    MEATH    HOUNDS. 

As  I  look  back  upon  the  annals  of  fox-hunting  in 
Meath,  I  find  that  for  considerably  more  than  one 
hundred  years  the  spirit  and  love  of  the  noble  science 
have  flourished  there.  But  in  bygone  days,  instead 
of  one  pack  supported  by  all,  and  hunting  the  whole 
country  as  at  present,  several  gentlemen  kept  private 
packs,  and  as  at  that  time  foxes  were  scarce  and 
coverts  few  they  did  not  limit  themselves  to  the  "  wily" 
animal  but  also  hunted  hares.  Indeed  such  was  the 
case  with  every  pack  in  Ireland  at  that  remote  period. 
The  first  date  I  can  find  relative  to  hunting  in  Meath 
is  that  of  1740.  Mr.  Lowther  of  Huddlesworth,  kept 
a  pack,  and  at  the  same  time,  or  very  soon  afterwards, 
packs  were  kept  by  Mr.  Gerrard  of  Gibstown,  Mr. 
Pollock  of  Mountainstown,  Mr.  Hopkins  of  Mitchels- 
town,  and  Mr.  Waller  of  Allenstown.  Much  good 
fellowship  appears  to  have  existed  between  all,  as  one 
hunted  one  day,  another  the  following,  and  occa- 
sionally all  the  packs  were  joined  together  for  one 
grand  day's  sport.  The  condition  of  the  pastures  of 
Meath  was  scarcely  as  good  then  as  at  present,  for  in 
some  places  where  hunting  is  just  now  easy  it  was  then 
rather  disagreeable,  and  it  very  often  happened  that 
huntsmen  had  to  dismount  and  run  on  foot,  the  boggy 


Io6  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

nature  of  the  ground  making  riding  Impossible.     In 
1745,  Mr.  Nicholson  of  Balrath,  kept  a  pack,  which 
was  the  first  kept  in  the  country  exclusively  devoted 
to  hunting  foxes,  and  some  Idea  of  the  difficulties  they 
had  to  contend  with  may  be  had  when  we  find  It  the 
practice  of  the  time  to  go  to  some  well-known  haunt 
of  the  fox  before  break  of  day,  where,  glad  to  shelter 
themselves  under  some   friendly  bank,   these    hardy 
sportsmen  used  to  await  the  return  of  the  fox  to  his 
earth,  and  at  the  first  dawn  of  the  wintry  morning  lay 
the  pack  on  his  trail.     We  can  well  imagine  how  wel- 
come the  gallop  he  led  them  must  have  been.     In 
1816,  this  state  of  things  came  to  an  end,  and  most  of 
those  packs  which  were  scattered  about  the  country 
were  joined  into  one  club,  which  consisted  of  twelve 
members,    viz.,    Messrs.    Christopher   A.    Nicholson, 
Waller,    John    Gerrard,    A.    H.    C.    Pollock,    C.    A. 
Tisdall,  Wm.  Cruise,   Robert  Longfield,  John  Payne 
Garnett,    Andrew    Cruise,    George    Everard,    Henry 
Pendleton,  and   Hamlet  Garnett,   four  of  whom  sub- 
scribed   ^50    each,    and    the   other   eight   £20   per 
annum.     They  were  called  the  ClonglU  Hounds,  and 
the  kennels  were  at  the  old  castle  of  that  name,  the 
ruins  of  which  may  still  be  seen.     On  the  death  of 
Knipe,    their   huntsman    (which    was    caused   by  his 
breaking  his  neck  in  a  fall  from  his  horse  near  Slane), 
John  Grennan,  with  his  sons.  Jack  and  Denny,  held 
office.      A    hard-riding   man    was    he,    and    always 
Inclined  for  a  forward  cast. 

The  management  of  the  pack  for  fourteen  years 
was  undertaken  by  Mr.  William  Waller  of  Aliens- 
town.  A  separate  pack  had  still  been  kept  by  Mr. 
Hopkins    of    MItchelstown,    but   in    1832,    this    was 


THE    MEATH    HOUNDS.  I07 

amalgamated  with  the  "Clongills,"  who  removed  their 
quarters  to  Mitchelstown,  near  Athboy,  Mr.  Hopkins 
being  master,  and  were  then  for  the  first  time  called 
the  Meath  Hounds.  There  were  at  this  time  very 
few  gorse  coverts  in  the  county,  and  foxes  certainly 
were  not  numerous ;  the  best  were  at  Bengarstown, 
Mitchelstown,  and  Balrath.  Swainstown  and  Kil- 
carty  were  then,  as  now,  famous  fox  haunts ;  the 
country  was  not  at  that  time  as  extensive  as  at  pre- 
sent, but  they  hunted  over  what  is  now  decidedly 
the  "cream"  of  "  Royal  Meath' s"  luxuriant  pastures. 
During  Mr.  Hopkins's  mastership  they  met  regularly 
once  a  month  at  Corbalton  Hall,  the  handsome  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Mr.  Corballis,  M.P.,  as  good  a 
sportsman  as  ever  lived,  and  one  who  represented  the 
county  in  parliament  for  many  years,  won  the  esteem  and 
regard  of  his  constituents — indeedof  all  true  Irishmen — 
and  who  exerted  himself  very  much  for  the  advancement 
of  the  hunting  interest.  Dan  Grennan  was  huntsman 
at  this  time.  The  next  master  was  Sir  C.  Dillon, 
with  Henry  Wilnow,  an  Englishman,  as  huntsman. 
He  was  followed  by  Mr.  T.  B.  Thompson,  who 
became  master  in  1836,  and  gave  them  up  in  1839  to 
Mr.  James  N.  Waller  of  Allenstown,  who  kept  them 
until  1841,  when  he  gave  them  up  to  a  committee 
consisting  of  Messrs.  John  Tisdall,  John  Pollock,  and 
Thomas  Rothwell. 

In  1845,  Mr.  Trench  Nugent  took  them.  This 
gentleman  gave  great  satisfaction  during  his  reign, 
and  he  was  subsequently  master  of  the  North  War- 
wickshire Hounds  for  some  years.  He  gave  them  up 
in  1852  to  the  late  Mr.  S.  A.  Reynell.  Then  a  new^  era 
opened  for  foxhunters  in  the  county  Meath.      Many 


I08  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

of  those  who  were  connected  with  the  many  packs 
which  were  in  the  county  before  he  took  the  title  of 
M.M.F.H.  were  undoubtedly  sportsmen  true  and 
tried,  but  no  man  ever  did  more  to  promote  the 
interest  of  foxhunters  in  Ireland  than  Mr.  Sam 
Reynell.  He  improved  the  country  immensely  ;  he 
established  coverts  in  all  directions,  and  the  gorse 
may  now  be  seen  flourishing  in  desirable  situations 
throughout  the  extensive  hunting-grounds  of  the 
"  Meaths."  Before  he  commenced  his  reign  no 
hounds  hunted  beyond  Trim,  whereas  now  their  dis- 
trict is,  without  exception,  I  think,  the  largest  in 
Ireland.  Most  of  my  readers  have  heard  of  Bengars- 
town  gorse.  When  Mr.  Reynell  took  the  pack  this 
covert  was  three  acres  in  extent ;  he  made  it  double 
the  size.  It  was  situated  on  his  own  property,  and 
notwithstanding  the  frequent  visitations  of  Reynard's 
enemies  to  it  he  is  seldom  an  absentee  now. 

"  They  may  come — they  may  draw  it  as  oft  as  they  will, 
The  bouquet  of  foxdom  will  cling  to  it  still." 

When  Mr.  Reynell  was  master  he  was  obliged  to  hunt 
only  five  days  a  fortnight,  but  he  was  one  of  those 
mighty  Nimrods  who  would,  if  possible,  hunt  six  days 
a  week,  and  run  a  drag  to  church  on  Sundays,  and 
he  used  frequently  hunt  four  and  five  days  a  week. 
He  received  ^i,ooo  per  annum,  and  a  few  years 
before  he  resigned  the  subscription  was  increased  to 
^i,20(3 — a  sum  not  at  all  sufficient  to  cover  the  out- 
lay. He  deserves  much  praise,  too,  for  having  founded 
that  useful  body  of  distinguished  sportsmen,  the  Fox- 
hunting committee  of  Ireland.  Will  and  Tom 
Mathews,  and  George  Cox,  now  with  Lord  Eglington, 
were  huntsmen  under  him  ;  but  in  the  latter  years  of 


THE  MEATH  HOUNDS. 


109 


his  reign  he  himself  hunted  the  hounds,  and  with  very 
great  success. 

On  his  giving  them  up,  in  1872,  they  were  taken 
by  the  present  master,  Mr.  Wm.  Newcome  Waller, 
with  M 'Bride  as  huntsman.  The  latter  was  succeeded, 
in  1876,  by  Frank  Goodall.  They  hunt  regularly  five 
days  a  week,  and  for  several  seasons  they  have  had 
uninterrupted  good  sport,  the  country  being  full  of 
foxes,  and  farmers  and  gentlemen  equally  keen  about 
their  preservation.  Before  concluding,  I  shall  say  a  few 
words  about  those  good  sportsmen,  past  and  present, 
who  have  distinguished  themselves  in  the  field.  In 
the  days  of  the  old  "  Clongills,"  Frank  Hopkins,  John 
O'Connor,  John  Thompson  of  Rathnally,  T.  Somer- 
ville  (brother  of  the  late  Lord  Athlumney,  and  one 
who,  I  am  glad  to  say,  is  even  still  able  to  show  a 
straight  line  across  country),  and  Mr.  Coddington  of 
Oldbridge,  were  all  known  as  very  good  men.  The 
Church  was  also  well  represented,  and  the  Arch- 
deacon of  Meath  (De  Lacy),  and  the  Rev.  Frank 
Saunderson,  from  Cavan,  were  very  hard  to  beat. 
In  more  modern  times,  Mr.  Robert  Wade  of  Clon- 
braney,  Mr.  Richard  Barnwall  of  Blumsberry,  were 
really  good  men,  also  the  late  Mr.  W.  S.  Garnett  of 
Rosneen. 

On  reference  to  the  archives  of  the  Meath 
Hounds,  I  find  that  the  ancestors  of  the  present 
master  have  been  long  connected  with  the  pack. 
No  man  living  is  more  devoted  to  the  **  noble 
science  "  than  he.  Though  the  task  of  officiating  as 
master  is  to  him  a  "labour  of  love,"  nevertheless, 
there  are  but  few  men  would  undertake  hunting  five 
days  a  week  over  such  an  extensive  territory ;  but  he 

8 


IIO  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

never  fails  to  put  in  an  appearance,  and  during  the 
summer  time  pays  great  attention  to  the  coverts — a 
duty,  I  fear,  overlooked  by  many  masters  of  hounds. 
The  kennels  are  situated  about  one  mile  from 
Allenstown  House,  and  they  are  excellent.  Kennel 
lameness  is  almost  unknown.  The  pack  is  Ai  ; 
strains  from  the  best  blood  procurable  are  to  be 
found  amongst  them,  and  drafts  are  procured  annually 
from  Curraghmore.  In  England,  as  well  as  in  this 
country,  M'Bride  has  acquired  a  good  reputation,  and 
I  have  frequently  heard  very  good  judges  speak 
highly  indeed  of  his  merits.  His  successor,  Goodall, 
is  also  a  very  accomplished  huntsman — as  by  pedi- 
gree he  ought  to  be.  The  whips  are  John  Bishop, 
J.  Colton,  and  H.  Rees.  The  hounds  hunt  every  day 
in  the  week  except  Wednesday,  and  the  pack  consists 
of  70  couple. 


THE    LOUTH    HOUNDS.  t  I  I 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    LOUTH    HOUNDS.* 

Few  occupations  are  so  congenial  to  my  taste  as  that 
of  inspecting  a  pack  of  hounds  on  the  "flags,"  and 
every  true  and  devoted  lover  of  the  "  noble  science  " 
will  coincide  with  me  in  thinking  that  a  sportsman  can 
desire  no  greater  pleasure.  I  fear  I  could  not  find  so 
many  to  agree  with  me  on  this  point  (if  they  would 
make  an  honest  confession)  as  in  the  days  of  our  fore- 
fathers. I  am  not  going  to  write  about  the  degeneracy 
of  the  age,  or  to  affirm  that  hunting  and  other  manly 
sports  and  pastimes  are  not  now  as  formerly,  or  that 
the  breed  of  horses  and  hounds  are  deteriorating. 
Our  canine  pets — foxhounds,  staghounds,  greyhounds, 
and  others — have  all  been  improved  in  every  particular 
by  judicious  breeding  and  management  within  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century.  Some  fifty  years  ago  there 
were  no  foxhounds  in  the  country  except  the  slow  old 
Irish  breed,  whereas  now  we  may  see  in  almost  every 
kennel  in  the  land  hounds  perfect  in  symmetry  and 
faultless  in  shape,  descended  from  importations  from 
the  kennels  of  such  hunting  celebrities  as  the  Duke 
of    Beauford,    Lords    Henry   Bentinck,    Portsmouth, 

*  This  chapter,  and  a  part  of  my  biography  of  Henry,  Marquis 
of  Waterford,  and  of  the  chapters  on  the  Meath,  Westmeath,  and 
Queen's  County  Hounds,  were  published  in  the  Irish  Sportsman 
some  months  ago.  They  were  written  by  me  for  that  paper  under 
the  nom  de  pluine  of  "  Harkaway." 


I  1 2  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Coventry,  Poltimore,  Fitzwilliam,  Spencer,  Yar- 
borough,  Fitzhardinge,  Scarborough,  Sir  Watkin 
Wvnn,  &c. — in  fact,  from  all  the  best  establishments 
in  Europe.  Our  ancestors  had  a  greater  love  for  hunt- 
ing and  hounds  than  we  have.  Many  go  out  now  to 
have  a  gallop  across  the  country,  many  to  *'  show  off" 
in  faultless  costume,  others  to  escort  some  fair  friend, 
and  carry  on  a  flirtation,  in  the  absence  of  pater 
and  mater  /amilias,  but  few  to  enjoy  the  working 
of  the  hounds ;  and  several  members  of  our  hunt  clubs 
— perhaps  the  majority  of  them — do  not  know  the 
name  or  pedigree  of  a  single  hound  in  their  pack,  and 
unless  the  "beauties"  race  "heads  up  and  sterns 
down,"  declare  the  sport  bad,  and  feel  called 
upon  to  grumble,  find  fault  with  the  master,  the 
huntsman,  or  his  aides,  although,  perhaps,  they  them- 
selves would  have  been  macadamising  on  the  high- 
ways and  byways,  whether  the  pace  was  funereal  or 
express.  Fortunately,  in  the  state  progressive  in 
which  the  world  at  large  rejoices,  it  is  not  to  be 
expected  that  our  sylvan  pleasures  should  remain 
where  they  were,  or  that  the  horse  and  hound  should 
escape  the  onward  march  of  improvement ;  neverthe- 
less, a  quiet,  patient,  judicious  huntsman  is  seldom 
seen  in  the  present  hark-holloa,  helter-skelter  genera- 
tion, when  few  seem  to  bear  in  mind  the  important 
fact  that  hounds  should  hunt  by  scent  and  view  and 
not  help  and  horn- 
It  is  not  my  intention  to  write  an  essay  on  hounds 
or  hunting,  but  I  think  that  the  few  remarks  I  have 
written  cannot  be  considered  out  of  place  when  dealing 
with  the  subject  which  now  occupies  my  mind. 

It  was  with  feelings  of  pleasure  that  I  started  on 


THE    LOUTH    HOUNDS.  II3 

Monday  morning  by  the  nine  a.m.  train  from  Amiens- 
street  en  route  to  Lisrenny.  Any  person  who  has 
travelled  on  this  line  could  not  have  failed  to  notice 
the  beautiful  country  through  which  the  railway 
passes.  I  had  an  ample  opportunity  of  admiring,  as 
I  most  certainly  did,  the  beauties  of  nature.  On  one 
side,  for  miles,  a  grand  marine  view  may  be  had, 
while  on  the  other  is  a  charming  country,  dotted  with 
stately  mansions  and  pretty  villas.  Clontarf  recalled 
to  mind  sanguinary  struggles,  the  Danes,  Corney 
Delaney,  **  ugh  the  hathens  and  Turks,"  Jack  Hinton, 
and  Charles  Lever.  Then,  as  Howth's  high  hill 
catches  my  eye,  my  thoughts  turn  in  another  channel, 
and  I  think  of  the  days  when  the  black  and  white 
jacket  of  the  late  lamented  lord  of  the  soil  was  carried 
first  past  the  post  by  Kingstown,  Mince-pie,  Nelaton, 
Royal  Arms,  Sutton,  Malahide,  and  other  good 
racers.  Balbriggan  suggests,  of  course,  schoolgirls 
and  hosiery.  After  a  pleasant  journey  of  an  hour 
and  a  half's  duration,  I  am  once  more  on  terra  firma 
at  Dunleer.  A  couple  of  miles  further  on,  as  I 
journeyed  to  Ardee,  I  espied  the  old  stand-house  at 
Mullacurry.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this  once 
popular  steeplechase  meeting  has  been  allowed  to 
fall  to  the  ground.  Many  a  grand  race  I  and  hundreds 
have  witnessed  over  this  good  course,  where  the 
sport  was  always  first-rate,  and  the  arrangements,  in 
every  detail,  almost  perfect.  I  hope  some  sportsmen 
in  the  country  will  endeavour  to  re-establish  an  annual 
re-imion  there.  When  Mr.  Philip  Callan,  M.P., 
resided  in  that  neighbourhood,  he  was  immortalised 
by  a  local  poet  for 

"  The  races  young  Callan  got  up  in  Ardee." 


I  14  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

He  was,  Indeed,  the  prime  mover  and  principal  pro- 
moter of  them,  and  he  used  to  watch  with  particular 
interest  the  artistic  performances  of  Messrs.  Moore, 
Whyte,  Exshaw,  Captain  Sn^ith,  the  brothers  Ryan, 
Gavin,  and  other  "  giants  in  the  pigskin."  After  a 
drive  of  about  eight  miles  I  arrived  at  Lisrenny 
House,  the  residence  of  the  master  of  the  Louth 
Hounds,  Mr.  W.  De  Salis  Filgate.  The  mansion  is  a 
very  comfortable  one,  nicely  situated  in  the  centre  of 
a  rich  country,  and  surrounded  by  fine  old  timber. 
Having  received  a  cordial  welcome  from  Mr.  Filgate, 
he  accompanied  me  to  the  kennels,  which  are  neat, 
clean,  and,  no  doubt,  healthy,  though  plain  and  small. 
The  pack  comprise  33  couple  of  hounds,  averaging,  I 
should  think,  about  24  inches.  There  are  not  many 
of  them  very  remarkable  for  beauty,  but  few  amongst 
them  are  really  faulty.  They  have  a  deal  of  work  to 
get  through,  and  there  is  so  much  plough  and  wood- 
land in  the  hunting  district  that  they  must  be  very 
steady  and  good  workers — as  they  undoubtedly  are. 
They  are  more  remarkable  for  sterling  worth  and 
great  substance  than  for  perfection  of  symmetry  and 
appearance.  They  were  brought  before  me  in  litters, 
and  the  junior  members  were  first  called  upon  to 
answer  to  their  names.  The  entry  last  year  was  much 
smaller  than  is  generally  the  case,  as  Mr.  Filgate  was 
particularly  unfortunate  with  his  bitches. 

The  first  lot  comprised  a  quartette  by  the  Belvoir 
Drayman,  from  Careless.  Caterer  is  one  of  the 
largest — indeed  I  think  the  biggest — dog  of  his  age  I 
ever  saw.  He  will,  no  doubt,  improve  in  appearance, 
but  is  not  a  very  attractive-looking  youngster  just 
now,  yet  he  has  a  good  character.     Of  the  others  I 


THE    LOUTH    HOUNDS.  II5 

preferred  Courtesy,  a  very  good-looking  hound. 
Violet,  by  Viceroy,  from  Rosey,  is  a  very  neat  bitch, 
but  not  built  on  a  big  scale.  Her  sire  has  proved  a 
very  great  acquisition  at  the  stud,  and  was  got  by  Sir 
Watkin  Wynn's  Cardinal,  out  of  Vengeance.  Gainer 
and  Gambler  are  by  Guider,  from  Affable ;  the  former 
very  good-looking,  the  latter  a  capital  worker, 
Harry  Hardy  assured  me.  A  trio  by  Viceroy,  out  of 
Darling,  are  promising,  and  one  of  them  (Daffodil)  is 
a  very  neat  and  symmetrical  hound.  Volatile — a 
black  and  white  by  Viceroy,  from  Bashful — I  admired 
greatly,  but  Vagabond,  one  of  the  same  litter,  I  did 
not  think  much  of.  Gallant,  by  the  Cambridgeshire 
Gransden,  is  not  faultless  by  any  means.  Countess 
and  Crazy,  by  the  same  sire,  out  of  Cheerful,  are  a 
pair  of  "beauties;"  the  most  fastidious  critic  could 
scarcely  find  a  fault  with  Crazy.  A  quartette  by  the 
Meath  Beauford,  from  Affable,  all  pleased  me,  and 
the  veriest  tyro  would  be  struck  with  the  good  looks 
of  Ambush.  Vagrant,  out  of  Cheerful,  by  Viceroy, 
is  a  very  good-looking  dog,  with  well-shaped  feet, 
capital  shoulders  and  loins.  The  cross  between  the 
Warwickshire  Nestor  and  Affable  by  the  Meath 
Argus,  out  of  Magic,  was  most  successful,  as  the  five 
of  the  latter  are  all  good,  strong,  useful-looking 
hounds.  Nimble  has  not  the  good  looks  of  the 
others,  but  Nestor  is  a  rare,  good-looking  dog  in  every 
respect,  and,  I  believe,  one  of  the  best  of  the  pack. 
Nelly,  the  only  other  of  this  litter,  was  taken  to 
Meath,  but  unfortunately  she  went  blind.  Nestor  was 
thought  a  great  deal  of ;  but  he  was  old  when  he  came 
over  here,  and  the  night  he  arrived  at  Lisrenny  he 
strayed  away,  but  was  found  in  the  county  Kildare, 


Il6  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

and  died  not  very  long  afterwards.  He  was,  indeed, 
a  great  loss.  Clasher  is  a  very  good-looking  dog  by 
Vaulter,  out  of  Cowslip.  Like  his  sire,  he  is  an 
excellent  hound,  and  is  generally  the  first  to  pick  up 
the  scent  at  a  check.  Wild  Boy  is  a  white  and  fawn 
by  Warwickshire  Wild  Boy,  from  Chauntress,  one  of 
the  same  litter.  Welcome  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  pick 
of  the  kennel,  few  better-looking  bitches  ever  pro- 
claimed a  find.  Strange  to  say,  she  has  to  be  kept 
with  the  dog  hounds,  as  she  would  fight  with  her  own 
sex.  Touchstone  and  Traffic  are  by  Vaulter,  from 
Tell-tale,  a  famous  bitch  ;  some  of  the  blood  has  been 
in  the  kennel  for  very  many  years.  Dewdrop  and 
Despot,  by  Cambridgeshire  Gransden.  out  of  Darling, 
are  both  good  and  good-looking.  I  regret  to  say  that 
one  of  the  same  litter  (Duster)  was  killed  recently  in 
a  field  by  a  gentleman  riding  over  him.  Mr.  Filgate 
says  that  he  never  owned  a  better  dog.  Abigail  by 
Warwickshire  Wild  Boy,  out  of  Ardent,  is  very  good 
looking,  and  a  first-rate  bitch.  Her  brother,  Charon, 
is  a  very  big  hound,  yet  a  well-put-together  one. 
Rufus  is  a  very  valuable  dog,  with  good  shapes,  low 
and  lengthy.  The  next  on  my  note-book,  Marmion, 
by  Majesty,  out  of  Charity,  is  first-rate  at  marking  to 
ground;  a  sister,  named  Madcap,  is  thought  a  great 
deal  about ;  the  third  of  the  litter,  Marplot,  I  did  not 
like  at  all.  A  fawn,  named  Lapwing,  by  Lord  Fitz- 
hardinge's  Gainsborough,  out  of  Liberty,  is  very  shy, 
but,  I  am  told,  very  good.  Comus  and  Careless  are 
by  Mr.  North's  Random,  from  Cheerful;  the  last- 
mentioned  is  highly  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Filgate. 
Bondsman,  by  Cambridgeshire  Scamper,  from  Brevity, 
is  one  of  the  best-bred  dogs  in  the  pack,  and  the  only 


THE    LOUTH    HOUNDS.  I  17 

one  of  the  litter.     When  he  retired,  I  saw  a  trio  by 
Vaulter,  out  of  Ardent— Ajax,  Albion,  and  Assheton. 
The  first-mentioned  has  been  in  the  infirmary,  and 
does  not  look  well ;   Ajax  is  very  good-looking,  and 
better  even  than  he  looks.     The  five-year-olds  were 
then  called  out.  Lounger,  by  Linkboy,  out  of  Vanquish, 
appeared  to  be  very  timid.     Cardinal,  by  Viceroy,  is 
one  that  would  please  any  critic,  and,  I  believe,  he  is 
very  like  his   grandsire    and   namesake — a  dog  that 
belonged     to     Sir     Watkin     Wynn.       Bellman,    by 
Brusher,  out  of  Chauntress,  is  a  "commoner;"  nor 
did   his   half-brother,    out   of  Tell-tale,   impress    me 
favourably.      Guider,  by  Warwickshire  Brusher,  out 
of  Gaiety,    is   a   true-shaped  hound,   indeed   perfect 
in  build.     The  six-year-old  bitch,  Darling,  is  by  Bel- 
voir  Drayman,  from  Liberty;  she  would  be  a  great 
acquisition   to  any  kennel.     Victory,   by  the    Meath 
Argus,  out  of  Violet,  pleased  me  very  much,  and  is  a 
wonder   on    plough.      Violet   was   by    the    Pytchley 
General,  out  of  Vestris.     Poor  old  Affable  has  done  a 
great  deal  in  the  hunting-field,  and  reared  several  of 
the  best  hounds  in  the  kennel  ;  she  is  a  grand  old 
*'  lady,"  and  is  by  the  Meath  Argus,  out  of  Magic,  by 
Mussulman,  out  of  Festive.     Affable' s  hunting  days 
are  now  over;  and  Advocate,  a  valuable  hound  by 
Asteroid  out  of  Violet,  was  killed,  in  1876,  by  a  kick 
from  a  horse. 

There  are  fourteen  hunters  in  the  stables — a  good 
stud  of  useful,  wear-and-tear  horses. 

The  following  brief  history  of  the  Louth  Hunt 
may  be  read  with  interest  :  In  the  early  part  of  this 
century,  Louth  was  hunted  by  several  packs  of  har- 
riers, and  the  first  attempt  at  establishing  a  county  pack 
was  about  1817,  when  the  late  Mr.  Sheills  of  Newtown 


Il8  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Damer,  and  Colonel  Filgate  of  Lisrenny,  joined  their 
packs  for  the  purpose.  The  pack  was  kept  some 
years  by  Mr.  Sheills,  and  the  first  record  we  have  of 
the  Louth  Foxhounds'  meets  being-  advertised  is  in 
1820.  When  Mr.  Sheills  gave  up  the  hounds,  they 
were  taken  by  the  late  Mr.  Fortescue  of  Stephens- 
town,  who  went  to  great  expense  in  joining  the 
country  and  getting  together  a  first-rate  pack  of 
hounds.  During  Mr.  Sheills'  time  a  man  named 
William  (or  Billy)  Kelly  was  huntsman,  and  he  was 
succeeded,  when  Mr.  Fortescue  took  them,  by  Patrick 
Cleary.  Mr.  Fortescue  gave  up  the  hounds  in  1837 
or  1838,  and  was  succeeded  for  about  three  seasons 
by  the  present  Mr.  Mervyn  Pratt  of  Cabra  Castle, 
who  hunted  the  hounds  himself,  his  first  whip  being 
Thomas  Mathews,  who  afterwards  became  huntsman, 
and  held  the  horn  till  1857.  After  Mr.  Pratt  resigned, 
they  were  for  a  season  or  two  in  the  hands  of  a 
committee,  with  the  late  Mr.  Straten  of  Dundalk  at  its 
head,  and  about  1842,  were  taken  by  Mr.  Arthur 
Upton,  till  1846,  when  they  again  fell  into  the  charge 
of  a  committee;  but  in  1848,  they  were  taken  by  Mr. 
William  Ruxton  of  Ardee  House,  who  carried  them 
on  till  1854.  The  present  Lord  Bellew  then  had 
them  for  one  season,  and  in  1855  they  were 
taken  by  Mr.  Robert  Haig  of  Dundalk,  who  kept 
them  for  five  years,  handing  them  over,  in  i860,  to 
the  present  master.  During  Mr.  Haig's  master- 
ship, in  1857,  Thomas  Mathews  was  supernnuated, 
and  he  was  succeeded  by  a  namesake,  aiiother 
Thomas  Mathews,  a  man  very  celebrated  in  his 
profession  both  in  England  and  in  Ireland.  When 
Mr.  Haig  retired  from  the  mastership,  Mathews  went 
to   the    Meath    Hounds    for   one   season,    and    then 


THE    LOUTH    HOUNDS.  IIQ 

returned  to  England,  where  he  hunted  the  Warwick- 
shire Hounds  for  several  seasons. 

Mr.  Filgate  began  with  Thomas  Powell  (who  had 
been  huntsman  to  the  Cottesmore  and  Lord  Henry 
Bentinck's  hounds)  as  huntsman  for  five  years,  but  in 
1865  he  assumed  the  horn  himself,  and  has  ever  since 
hunted  the  pack,  with  Harry  Hardy  as  first  whip  and 
kennel  huntsman. 

Louth  itself  is  a  rough  country,  with  a  great 
deal  of  plough,  and  the  best  portions  of  it  are 
the  parts  of  Meath  and  Dublin,  which  these  hounds 
hunt.  The  coverts,  as  a  rule,  are  mostly  demesnes, 
with  some  thirty-five  gorse  coverts  scattered  at 
intervals. 

The  family  of  Filgate  is  one  of  the  *'  oldest "  and 
most  popular  in  Louth ;  they  have  for  many  years 
been  connected  with  the  County  hounds,  and  have 
done  ?  o;Teat  deal  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  fox- 
hunters  m  their  native  land.  Being  one  of  a  family 
so  remarkable  for  their  love  of  hunting,  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  Mr.  William  De  Salis  Filgate,  while 
a  very  young  man,  gave  sufficient  indication  in  what 
direction  his  taste  lay  by  taking  the  mastership. 
The  length  of  time  that  he  has  filled  the  post 
speaks  trumpet-tongued  in  his  favour.  No  man 
ever  filled  the  role  more  worthily.  In  the  field  he  pre- 
serves the  gentlemanly  demeanour  that  characterises 
every  action  of  his  life,  and  renders  hunting  with  him 
so  agreeable.  He  is  passionately  fond  of  his  hounds, 
and  is  a  very  good  huntsman — indeed  I  may  say 
there  are 

"  Few  more  skilled  the  noisy  pack  to  guide, 
To  urge  the  chase,  to  cheer  them,  or  to  chide." 

The  fact  that  during  the  seventeen  years  which  he 


I20  IRISH   SPORT    AND   SPORTSMEN. 

has  had  the  hounds,  he  has  had  only  five  changes  of 
his  hunt-servants  is,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  a  good 
sign.  In  many  countries  the  frequent  changing  of 
masters,  huntsmen,  and  whips,  militates  greatly 
against  the  sport.  Huntsmen  and  whips  must  know 
a  country  thoroughly  well  to  be  perfect  in  their  busi- 
ness. A  master  should  pay  strict  attention  to  the 
breeding  of  his  hounds,  and  unless  he  is  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  different  peculiarities  of  all  mem- 
bers of  the  pack  he  can  never  breed  first-class  hounds. 
This  knowledge  is  not  easily  acquired.  Not  only 
must  a  man  be  well  informed  in  stud  lore,  but  he  must 
have  seen  and  studied  the  results  of  the  different 
crosses  in  blood  before  he  can  be  versed  in  the  science 
of  breeding.  Harry  Hardy  is  a  most  popular  servant, 
and  a  very  good  one  in  every  respect.  He  came  to 
Lisrenny  as  whip  in  i860,  and  has  been  there  ever 
since,  save  that  he  left,  and  lived  in  England  for  a 
season  or  two,  and  then  returned.  He  first  served  as 
whip  to  Mr.  Briscoe.  The  sport  this  season  has  been 
first-class ;  Mr.  Filgate  assured  me  that  he  never  had 
better  sport  in  the  month  of  November.  I  am  sorry 
to  say  the  '*  fields"  are  generally  very  small.  Foxes 
are  numerous  throughout  his  country.  I  may  remark 
that  an  earth  near  the  kennel  is  occupied  by  one  or 
two  pet  foxes,  and  add  of  Squire  Filgate  that  at  all 
seasons 

"  A  fox  is  his  delight — 
But  most  a  wild  one  for  the  morning." 

I  have  to  thank  him  for  a  great  deal  of  kindness 
and  hospitality,  and  I  hope  my  readers  will  derive  as 
much  pleasure  from  reading  this  notice  of  his  hunting 
establishment  as  my  visit  afforded  me ;  if  they  do 
they  will  be  thoroughly  pleased. 


EN   ROUTE    TO    GALWAY.  121 


CHAPTER  VT. 

EN    ROUTE    TO    GALWAY. 

"  YoiCK !  Yolck  !  Yol  I  Get  away,  hark  to  Tell-tale  !'* 
shouts  Will  Freeman,  in  Punchestown  covert.  "  This 
ought  to  be  a  good  scenting-day  —  cloudy,  and  a 
southerly  wind,  too,"  remarks  my  nearest  neighbour. 
"They  have  found,"  says  Mr.  Fleetwood  Rynd,  who, 
well  mounted  as  usual,  is  standing  in  his  stirrups  look- 
ing over  the  covert-bank  ;  and  in  a  moment  afterwards 
we  hear  a  whimper,  the  "  music  rose  in  snatches, "-and 
after  a  few  minutes  more  have  elapsed,  every  hound 
joins  in  a  chorus ;  the  spiny  gorse  is  waving  to  and 
fro,  as  we  all  get  as  close  as  we  can  to  the  hunting- 
gate,  and  are  on  the  qui-vive.  Captain  R.  Mansfield  is 
stationed  in  the  gate,  and  says  quietly  :  "  He  has  stole 
away,"  as  he  sees  Lord  Clonmel,  mounted  on  his 
beautiful  chocolate  chestnut,  at  the  lower  end,  on  the 
race-course  side,  with  his  hat  in  the  air.  "  Gone 
a-a-way,  gone  a-a-way !"  shouts  Will  Freeman,  and 
he  cheers  the  hounds  to  their  fox. 

'*  Hold  hard,  hold  hard  !"  cries  Captain  R.  Mans- 
field, as  he  pulls  across  the  pass-way  (he  goes  well,  but, 
like  a  good  sportsman,  he  likes  to  give  hounds  a 
chance).  The  "field"  is  steady  for  a  few  moments,  then 
we  hear  the  horn  and  crush  through  the  narrow  gate, 
several  in  their  haste  gallop  past  Byrne's  house,  and 
on  to  the  Grand-stand,  thinking  that  reynard,  as  is 


122  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

generally  the  case,  has  "  skiddadled"  in  the  direction 
of  Eadestown  before  they  perceive  that  the  hounds 
are  racing  towards  Elverstown.  Across  a  few  fields 
they  are  overridden  :  it  is  always  so  when  they 
go  this  line,  as  there  are  but  few  fences,  and  the 
scent  lies  well.  "  Shame  on  you,  gentlemen  ;  do 
hold  hard,  please,  and  give  them  a  chance!"  ex- 
claims Mr.  Edmund  Mansfield,  most  courteous  of  mas- 
ters, whose  mild  rebuke,  never  given  except  when 
necessary,  has  more  good  effect  than  the  more  em- 
phatic language  of  another  would  have.  We  leave 
the  Black  Hill  to  our  left,  and  soon  meet  a  nasty  thorn 
fence :  we  cannot  see  over,  and  can  scarcely  see 
through.  Mr.  H.  E.  Linde,  mounted  on  his  chaser, 
Christmas  Gift,  charges  it,  gets  well  over,  and  enjoys 
a  lead  for  a  time.  Mr.  Robert  Kennedy  can't  be 
stopped  on  his  little  gray  mare,  and  sometimes  nego- 
ciates  the  most  intricate  fences  on  her.  On  this  oc- 
casion he  gets  up  through  the  bushes  in  a  place  where 
few  follow.  However,  after  a  brief  delay  all  the  first- 
flight  men  get  over.  "  Who  are  those  gentlemen  who 
sit  their  horses  so  remarkably  well?"  inquires  my 
friend,  Jack  Gostraight,  who  is  a  stranger.  "  Colonel 
Forster  and  Captain  Richard  Moore  of  Killashee." 
"  Did  you  ever  see  men  with  better  seats  in  a  saddle  ?" 
"  I  never  did  ;  the  Colonel  is  evidently  master  of  the 
horse,  in  more  than  one  sense  of  the  word  ;  and  the 
Lancer  appears  to  be  a  perfect  mhiage  horseman." 
Just  then  I  see  several  in  front  of  me  stopped  at  a 
very  big  bank,  and  one  gentleman  in  scarlet,  riding  a 
very  good-looking  black  horse,  goes  straight  at  it,  and 
does  it  in  brilliant  style,  just  as  I  get  near  enough  to 
recognise  him — it  is  H.  R.  H.  the  Duke  of  Connaught, 


EN    ROUTE    TO    GAL  WAY.  1 23 

on  Black  Knight,  late  Captlvator.  The  pace  is 
"killing ;"  for  Elverstown  we  are  bound;  the  "weeds" 
are  done  now,  and  the  *'  duffers  "  are  furlongs  behind. 
"  Ware-wire,"  exclaims  Major  Lawless,  who  is  first  on 
to  the  road,  near  the  "  Longhouse,"  all  right,  and  on  we 
go  up  the  opposite  hill  towards  the  next  fence,  when 
Baron  de  Robeck  (who  is  as  usual  in  the  front  rank) 
shouts  :  **  This  way,  this  way  !  you  will  be  'pounded' 
there  ;  follow  me."  So  we  do.  The  Baron  has  not  a 
particle  of  jealousy  in  his  composition,  and  is  always 
anxious  to  see  others  with  the  hounds  as  well  as  him- 
self. The  next  we  meet  is  a  nasty  fence ;  Mr.  Alex- 
ander Graydon  is  the  first  up.  *'  That  is  very  big," 
he  says,  turning  round  in  his  saddle,  having  got  over 
with  a  struggle.  *'  The  bigger  the  better,''  exclaims  that 
good  horseman,  Mr.  Joe  Kilbee  of  Cannycourt,  as  he 
jumps  it  close  in  his  wake.  The  next  we  meet  is  a 
regular  "yawner,"  and  nearly  all  make  for  a  gate 
which  is  beside  it.  "  Give  place  to  the  ladies,  gentle- 
men," says  a  man  beside  me,  as  Miss  Beauman,  Miss 
Kilbee,  and  Miss  O'Kelly,  all  come  up  together  :  they 
seldom  look  for  gate  or  gap,  and  on  this  occasion  all 
go  at  the  ditch,  and  are  landed  safely  into  the  next 
field.  The  "varmint"  is  headed  near  Elverstown, 
then  makes  back  towards  Punchestown  for  a  short 
distance  before  he  points  his  mask  for  Eadestown  ; 
they  hunt  on  by  Hoystead's  hook  to  the  road.  The  fox 
then  makes  towards  Athgarrett ;  the  field  has  become 
really  select,  and  as  they  race  up  the  hill,  the  only 
persons  with  the  hounds  are  H.  R.  H.  the  Duke  of 
Connaught,  Lord  Cloncurry  on  Polly,  his  brother.  Major 
Lawless,  on  a  favourite  hunter,  Mr.  Percy  La  Touche 
on  a  gray,  Mr.  Fortescue  Tynte  on  Sweet  Pea,  Mr.  Wm. 


124  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Blacker  on  Snowstorm,  Mr.  Wm.  Kennedy  on  his 
chestnut,  Baron  de  Robeck,  Major  Dent,  Mr.  E.  Mans- 
field, Freeman,  and  the  first  whip. 

My  poor  nag  is  completely  "  done,"  and  I  merely 
catch  a  glimpse  of  those  in  the  distance — I  wonder 
will  I  ever  get  him  over  this  narrow  bank  ?  "Come 
up,  go  on  !  —bump-bump-bum  ! — Oh,  by  Jove  !  we're 
down — a  "cropper!"  I  .have  him  by  the  bridle, 
though — no,  he's  gone — fire  in  my  eyes  too — 'twill 
be  a  case  of  concussion.  "Get  up,  get  up,"  says  a 
voice  beside  me,  and  a  hand  is  on  my  shoulder.    "  All 

right,  all  right — I'm  not  hurt — catch  the  d d  brute,, 

catch  him."  "  Tickets,  please — show  your  ticket,  sir. 
Athenry,  Athenry,  Athenry !"  shouts  a  sleepy  porter. 
I  push  back  my  travelling-cap,  rub  my  eyes.  What 
the  deuce  is  this  ?  Oh  !  I  thought  I  was  riding  a  run, 
and  here  I  am  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  at 
Athenry.  The  guard  has  been  shaking  me  for  the 
last  five  minutes,  holding  his  lamp  within  a  couple  of 
inches  of  my  face  (this  accounts  for  the  lire  in  my 
eyes).  "All  right,  guard;  I've  been  dreaming." 
"  So  I  thought,  sir,  for  you  pulled  at  the  chain  of  my 
whistle  till  you  smashed  it."  "No  matter;  get  out 
my  traps;  and  here's  half-a-crown  to  wet  your 
whistle." 

"  I  have  the  dog-cart  outside,  sir,  and  will  have 
you  at  master's  in  forty  minutes."  "All  right,  John; 
goon,"  In  forty  minutes  afterwards  I  have  an  old 
friend  (who  has  invited  me  down  to  spend  a  few  days 
with  him,  and  has  promised  to  give  me  a  mount  with 
the  Gal  way  Hounds,  yclept  the  "  Blazers")  by  the  hand, 
and  soon  afterwards  am  talking  of  the  likelihood  of  a 
good  run  on  the  morrow,  and  enjoying  his  hospitality. 


EN    ROUTE    TO    GALWAY.  1 25 

*'  I  hope  you  had  a  pleasant  journey  from  Dublin," 
he  says. 

"  Oh  !  yes.  I  fell  asleep  after  passing  Mullingar, 
and  was  soon  dreaming  that  I  was  riding  a  grand 
run  in  Kildare.  People  will  tell  you  dreams  go  by 
contraries ;  don't  believe  it,  though.  I  dreamed  we 
were  going  over  the  line  a  Punchestown  fox  generally 
takes,  and  those  who  I  thought  I  saw  riding  in  the 
first  flight  were  the  very  men  who  generally  do.  I 
could  scarcely  bring  myself  to  believe  that  it  was  only 
a  fancy." 

"  Oh!  you  must  have  seen  such  a  run  recently, 
that  accounts  for  it." 

**  Well,  now,  I  remember  I  did  see  such  a  one  the 
other  day,  and  my  dream  was  very  like  what  actually 
occurred." 

"  We  will  have  an  early  start  for  the  meet,  and  the 
small  hours  have  come  already — so  to  bed." 

After  dinner  next  day  we  adjourned  to  my  friend's 
"snuggery,"  and  our  conversation  I  may  set  down 
for  the  behoof  of  all  who  wish  to  know  of  the  Galway 
Hounds. 


126  IRISH   SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS. 

"Now,"  says  my  host,  "have  a  weed." 

"  Thank  you.  I  must  cross-examine  you  about  the 
'  Blazers,'  their  history,  &c.  &c.  You  know  all  about 
my  book.  I  paid  a  visit  to  a  friend  of  mine  in  Kil- 
kenny Christmas  week,  and  since  then  spent  a  few 
days  with  an  old  acquaintance  in  Waterford,  and  they 
gave  me  a  great  deal  of  information  about  their 
hounds  ;  and  I  am  sure  you  know  a  good  deal  about 
the  Galway  pack.  So  I  made  up  my  mind  the  mo- 
ment I  received  your  invitation  to  accept  it,  although 
very  busy,  as  I  am  sure  you  will  tell  me  all  you 
know." 

"  Certainly,  with  pleasure,  and  will  not  state  any- 
thing except  what  I  am  certain  is  correct.  In  the 
first  place,  you  must  know  that  the  present  Master  of 
the  Galway  Hounds,  Mr.  Burton  R.  P.  Persse,  can 
boast  of  a  distinguished  line  of  ancestors,  all  of  whom 
were,  as  he  is,  decidedly  '  men  for  Galway,'  and  re- 
markable for  their  love  of  fox-hunting,  their  popu- 
larity, many  estimable  qualities,  and  sportsman-like 
conduct  at  all  times.  They  were  celebrated  for  their 
knowledge  of  hunting  and  good  horsemanship.  The 
grandfather  of  Burton  Persse  was  so  distinguished 
in  this  respect  that  he  rejoiced  in  the  sobriquet  of 
♦the  Irish  Meynell.'" 

"Yes,  so  I  heard;  and  Mr.  Burton  Persse  told  me 


THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS.  1 27 

some  time  ago  that  he  had  at  one  time  records  of  the 
hunt  which  dated  back  to  the  early  part  of  the  last 
century  ;  he  unfortunately  lent  them  to  a  friend  of  his 
who  lost  them,  and  the  oldest  now  in  his  possession  is 
one  of  1803." 

"  Yes,  his  grandfather  had  hounds  for  many  years 
before  that ;  he  used  to  turn  them  out  in  splendid 
style,  and  dress  his  hunt-servants  in  *  orange  plush,' 
but  he  himself  always  wore  the  scarlet." 

**Did  he  reside  at  Moyode  ?" 

"  Yes,  in  Persse  Lodge,  which  stood  where  Moyode 
Castle  is  now,  and  the  kennels  were,  I  think,  near 
where  they  are  at  present.  Of  course  they  were  far 
inferior  to  the  present  kennels." 

"Were  there  other  hounds  kept  in  the  county  at 
that  time  ?" 

'*  There  were  a  few  small  packs,  I  believe,  but  the 
late  Colonel  Giles  Eyre,  of  Eyrecourt  Castle,  for 
several  years  kept  a  large  pack  and  hunted  the  lower 
end  of  Galway,  also  part  of  King's  Co.  and  Tipperary, 
or  Ormond.  Of  course  you  often  heard  of  him;  and 
you  remember  Lever's  song  : — 

"  '  The  King  of  Oude 
Is  mighty  proud, 

And  so  were  onst  the  Caysars ; 
But  ould  Giles  Eyre 
Would  make  them  stare, 
Av  he  had  them  with  the  Blazers. 
To  the  devil  I'd  fling  ould  Runjut  Singh, 
He's  only  a  prince  in  a  small  way, 
And  knows  nothing  at  all  of  a  six-foot  wall. 
Oh  !  he'd  never  do  for  Galway.' 

The  Colonel  was  very  wealthy,  and  spared  no  expense 
in  improving  the  breed  of  his  pack,  and  in  mounting 


128  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

his  servants,  and  all  that,  and  spent  his  money  like  the 
Galway-men  of  his  day.  He  expended  a  large  sum  on 
the  hounds,  too,  but  bred  more  for  stoutness  than  speed ; 
he  carried  this  too  far  by  crossing  with  the  blood- 
hound and  mastiff.  Their  courage  and  temper  be- 
came so  high  that  they  would  hardly  brook  correc- 
tion ;  and  the  old  huntsman,  Nick  Carolan,  having 
indulged  too  freely  in  his  *  beloved  poteen,'  went  into 
the  kennel  one  night  without  his  whip  and  they  ate 
him. 

"  In  1803,  the  late  Robert  Parsons  Persse  formed 
a  pack,  and  it  was  principally  from  the  kennel  of  the 
present  master's  grandfather,  '  the  Irish  Meynell,'  that 
he  founded  it,  as  he  reduced  his  establishment  then 
and  gave  all  his  large  hounds  to  him  (he  was  his 
nephew)  ;  but  'the  Irish  Meynell'  kept  until  within 
a  few  years  of  his  death  the  small  pack  and  the  best 
blood  in  his  kennel,  which  the  present  master's  father 
kept  up  until  he  handed  them  over  to  him.  So  that 
for  considerably  over  one  hundred  years  the  best  and 
purest  foxhound  blood  has  been  kept  in  these  kennels 
by  the  three  generations." 

*'  How  long  did  R.  P.  Persse  keep  them,  and  did 
he  continue  the  orange  plush  uniform  ?" 

•'  He  kept  them  till  1829.  He  resided  at  Castle- 
Boy  ;  and  they  were  known  as  the  '  Castle-Boy 
Hunt.'  A  club,  composed  of  the  aristocracy  of  Gal- 
way,  was  formed  ;  and  the  uniform  was  scarlet,  white 
collar,  and  '  Castle-Boy  Hunt '  on  the  buttons." 

"  It  was  during  Robert  Parsons  Persse's  master- 
ship that  the  cognoman  'Blazers'  was  invented,  was 
it  not  ?" 

"  It  was  ;    two   reasons  are  assigned  for  the  alias 


THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS.  129 

which  it  has  borne  so  long.     One  story  is,  that  at  a 
hunt   dinner,    it   was   proposed   by  Mr.    Persse,  and 
seconded  by  Robert  French  of  Rahasane,   that  they 
should  be  called  the  *  Blazers,'  out  of  compliment  to 
Mr.  Robert  D'Arcy  of  Woodville,  and  James  Burke 
of  St.  Cleran's,  both  of  whom  had  ruby  locks,  and  were 
consequently  called  the  *  Blazers.'     Mr.  D'Arcy  was 
at   that   time  treasurer  of  the  hunt.     Some  say  that 
it   originated   in    this   way:     While  Robert   Parsons 
Persse  was  master  the  hounds  used  to  go  once  a  year 
to  Birr,  where  they  were  met  by  the  members  of  the 
Ormond  Hunt.     After  the  day's  hunting  was  over  the 
men   of  both    hunts    dined    together.      Many    queer 
stories  are    told   of    the  extraordinary   *  doings '    at 
these  festive  reunions.     To  cement   good   fellowship 
they  assembled  ;  the  loving  cup  passed  quickly  round, 
for  the  men  of  the  period  after  worshipping  at  the 
shrine  of  Diana  by  day  were  wont  to  honour  Bacchus 
at  night,      They  were  veritable   'umbrella  nights;* 
and  during  one  of  those  midnight  orgies  they  set  fire 
to  the  establishment  of  host  Dooley,  and  it  was  burnt 
to  the  ground  ;  hence,  according  to  many,  the  deriva- 
tion of  the  title.     But  I   believe  the  other  story  to  be 
the  correct  one.     Mr.  Robert  Parsons  Persse  died  in 
1829,  and  then  the  hounds  returned  to  the  kennels, 
where  they  have  been  ever  since." 

**  Why,  I  thought  Mr.  Christopher  St.  George  suc- 
ceeded Robert  Parsons  Persse." 

"  Mr.  St.  George  kept  a  private  pack  for  a  short 
time  after  Robert  Parsons  Persse' s  death,  but  the 
ancestors  of  the  one  now  in  existence  never  left 
the  Persse  family  ;  and  it  was  not  until  1840  that  the 
first  subscription   pack   was   established    in    Gal  way. 


130  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

under  the  title  of  the  *  County  Galway  Hunt.*  Mr. 
St.  George  lived  in  Tyrone  House,  and  hunted  the 
hounds  himself;  he  spared  no  expense,  and  was  well 
supported  by  Willie  Hall  and  two  whips." 

**  What  became  of  the  hounds  when  he  gave 
them  up?'* 

"  He  handed  them  over  to  his  relatives,  Anthony 
Nugent,  now  the  Earl  of  Westmeath,  and  Mr. 
Hyacinth  Daly  of  Raford.'* 

**  Where  were  they  kept  then  ?" 

**  At  Raford,  and  were  managed  by  Mr.  Hyacinth 
Daly,  jun.,  who  was  a  fine  sportsman,  and  had  a 
grand  stud  of  hunters,  as  well  as  several  steeplechase 
horses  ;  he  had  them  only  a  short  time,  when  he, 
poor  fellow,  died  very  young.  However  his  father 
retained  them  for  a  few  years  afterwards— until  his 
demise,  I  believe." 

"  Well,  who  succeeded  to  the  mastership?" 

**  A  Committee  had  them  for  a  short  time.'* 

**  Who  were  on  the  Committee  ?" 

"  Mr.  St.  George,  Lord  Westmeath,  and  Mr. 
Robert  Bodkin  of  Annagh.  They  determined  to 
make  them  a  county  pack,  and  Mr.  R.  Bodkin  exerted 
himself  to  the  utmost.  The  gentlemen  of  the  county 
promised  him  their  support,  and  subscribed  liberally 
— this  was  in  1840 — and  they  appointed  Mr.  John 
Dennis  master.  They  handed  over  a  good  pack  to 
him.  I  need  scarcely  tell  you,  that  John  Dennis  was 
one  of  the  best  sportsmen  that  ever  breathed,  perhaps 
the  best  rider  that  ever  sat  in  a  saddle,  and  there 
were  few  better  men  to  ride  a  steeplechase. 
To  pilot  a  rough  horse,  there  certainly  was  no 
better  in  the  world  ;  he  won  many  steeplechases,  and 


THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS.  I3I 

for  years  used  to  ride  in  the  principal  races  in  this 
country ;  he  generally  had  a  few  chasers  in  his  stable, 
and  always  a  rare  stud  of  hunters.  A  better  display 
of  horsemanship  never  was  witnessed  than  his  on 
Dan  O'Connell,  when  he  rode  him  for  the  Liverpool 
Grand  National — I  forget  in  what  year — the  horse 
then  belonged  to  *  Sporting  Mick  Yourrell,'  as  he  was 
generally  called ;  he  bolted  when  going  well  not  far 
from  home.  Another  of  the  many  wonderful  proofs 
afforded  by  Mr.  John  Dennis  of  his  prowess  in  the 
pig-skin  was  his  marvellous  feat,  accomplished  thirty 
years  ago,  when  riding  Fra  Diavolo  in  a  four-mile 
steeplechase,  over  the  Macroom  Course,  Roscommon 
walls,  many  of  them  over  five  feet  high.  The  horse's 
sight  had  been  failing  for  some  time,  and  during  the 
race  he  lost  it  completely,  yet  he  won." 

"  Oh !  nonsense." 

•*  It  is  a  fact,  and  I  can  get  many  men  who  will 
bear  me  out  in  what  I  say,  and  one  of  them  is  a 
gentleman  residing  at  the  Curragh:  but  to  continue  my 
story ;  he  had  his  opponents  in  difficulties  a  long  way 
from  home ;  he  was  seen  to  blunder  over  the  last 
three  walls,  and  he  actually  rolled  over  the  last  one, 
yet  Mr.  Dennis  kept  in  the  saddle.  All  who  knew 
the  horse  were  amazed,  as  he  never  was  known  to 
fall  over  a  wall ;  he  won,  and  when  he  returned  to 
the  enclosure  it  was  found  that  the  horse  was  stone 

BLIND. 

**  At  Lismacrory  racecourse,  near  Birr,  when 
a  comparatively  old  man,  he  accomplished  one  of  his 
memorable  feats.  Mr.  '  Charlie'  Lockwood  once  said 
of  him,  *  Jack  manages  a  horse  by  Legerdemain.'  I 
suppose  the  description  was  not  a  pun  on  the  deriva- 


132  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

tion  of  the  word,  but  Mr.  Lockwood's  ignorance  of 
French  did  not  take  from  the  point  of  his  description. 
If  ever  light-hands  did  wonders,  Mr.  Dennis's  did,  and 
so  trained  did  his  horses  become  that  they  worked  as 
he  willed.  The  feat  I  refer  to  was  a  proof  of  this. 
He  had  an  old  horse,  a  gray,  called  Monarch,  which 
he  was  riding  as  a  hack  on  the  racecourse !  I 
think  it  was  the  year  of  the  great  struggle  between 
Brunette  and  Sam  Slick — Ehcu,  what  horses !  The 
meeting  was  over,  and  some  one  complained  of  the 
height  of  a  wall  being  raised  for  a  match  between 
two  gentlemen  hailing  trans-shannonwards.  *  Pshaw' 
said  Dennis,  '  I'd  ride  Monarch  over  it  without  a 
bridle.'  A  bet  for  some  small  sum  resulted,  and  Mr. 
Dennis  rode  Monarch,  at  and  over  five  feet  of  a  well- 
built  wall,  his  aids  being  his  seat,  his  own  and  his 
good  horse's  training,  pluck,  and  confidence,  and  a 
pair  of  cabbage  stumps,  with  which  an  admirer  from 
the  West  armed  him  to  guide  *  the  auld  horse,  and 
shame  the  blusthering  devils  that  didn't  know  the 
baste.'  " 

•*  I  have  heard  that  story  before;  but  he  accom- 
plished a  still  greater  feat,  as  he  rode  a  horse  of  his, 
I  believe  it  was  Monarch,  over  six  six-feet  walls  with 
nothing  to  guide  him  but  a  halter  and  his  whip." 

*'  Yes,  some  say  six,  but  there  is  no  doubt  about 
his  having  ridden  him  thus  over  four.  Many  years 
ago  he  rode  a  horse,  I  don't  remember  his  name,  at 
a  meeting  held  this  side  of  the  Shannon,  when  the 
country  was  in  a  disturbed  state  owing  to  an  election 
or  something  of  the  sort.  Mr.  Dennis  was  a  great 
favourite,  but  he  displeased  some  of  the  Galwegians 
at  this  time,  and  they  made  an  attack  on  him  while 


THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS.  133 

he  was  riding  the  race.  They  pelted  him  with 
stones,  many  of  them  hit  him ;  and  when  he  was 
coming  at  the  last  fence,  a  wall  over  five  feet  high, 
some  ruffians,  in  order  to  stop  him,  pulled  an  ass  and 
car  across  it,  so  that  he  could  not  get  over  unless  he 
jumped  the  vehicle  or  donkey  and  the  wall  together. 
The  plucky  sportsman  was  not  to  be  baffled;  he  sent 
his  horse  at  it,  and  he  flew  the  cart  and  wall  in  grand 
style  :  he  must  have  cleared  nearly  thirty  feet  in  the 
jump." 

**  He  showed  first-rate  sport  while  he  was  master, 
you  say;  and  used  to  have  large  fields  too." 

"  Capital  sport ;  a  great  many  used  to  attend  the 
meets,  and  hard  riding  fellows  they  were.  The 
favourite  covert  was  Castle  Lambert,  on  the  property 
of  Walter  Lambert,  who  was  a  thorough  sportsman, 
and  a  capital  rider  to  hounds.  There  was  always  a 
fox  in  his  coverts ;  there  were  double  stone  walls, 
five-and-half  feet  high,  bounding  each  park,  and 
Lambert  had  holes  made  in  them  just  large  enough 
to  let  the  fox  through,  in  order  to  ensure  his  taking 
the  stiff  line.  He  built  the  walls  purposely  to  '  try 
the  mettle  of  the  boys,'  as  he  used  to  say ;  and  to 
see  them  charging  them  was  indeed  a  sight  calcu- 
lated to  bring  the  '  crimson  to  the  forehead  and  the 
lustre  to  the  eye.' 

**  Mr.  Dennis  died  rather  suddenly,  at  Spadacinni's 
Hotel,  Dublin.  He  was  a  bachelor,  and  some  years 
before  his  death  inherited  from  his  uncle  a  large 
property ;  it  was  called  the  Birmingham  Estate.  I 
could  tell  you  many  stories  of  the  wonderful  feats  of 
Hycie  Dixon,  Lord  Clanricarde,  and  George  Henry 
Moore  (peace    to    their  ashes,   their  like  we  seldom 


134  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

see).     Dixon  was  a  fine  rider,  and   so  was  George 
Moore." 

**  The  latter  was  as  good  a  man  to  ride  a  race  as  a 
hunt,  I  am  told." 

*'  He  was,  and  he  won  several  races  ;  indeed,  he 
was  a  sort  of  Admirable  Crichton.  In  the  early  days  of 
steeplechasing,  when  Mr.  George  Osbaldeston,  Lord 
Waterford,  Jem  Mason,  and  Dick  Christian  were  wont 
to  ride  their  matches  five  miles,  but  taking  them  on 
line,  and  never  to  keep  the  road  for  more  than  one 
hundred  yards,  Mr.  Moore  shared  with  the  late  Mr. 
Val  Maher  of  Ballinkeale,  and  Lord  Waterford,  the 
honour  of  upholding  Irish  horsemanship  at  Melton. 
Nimrod  sung  their  praises,  and  he  took  part  in  the 
celebrated  run — the  article  descriptive  of  which 
brought  unwonted  fame  to  the  *  Quarterly'  A  ripe 
scholar — indeed  quite  curiously  erudite — an  accom- 
plished linguist,  a  connoisseur,  an  athlete,  and  a 
sportsman  all  round.  Can  we  wonder  that  he  was 
popular,  especially  when  he  added  to  all  his  other 
extraordinary  accomplishments  a  melodious  and 
commanding  oratory,  which  made  his  hearers,  on  the 
platform  and  in  the  senate,  hang  lovingly  on  his 
ringing,  heart-striking  periods  ?" 

*'  He  was  lucky  on  the  turf,  was  he  not  .^" 
•*  He  was ;  he  won  many  races  in  Ireland,  and  was 
a  confederate  of  the  late  Marquis  of  Waterford — Lord 
Henry  I  mean,  for  some  time — and  his  horses  won 
valuable  stakes  in  England.  He  won  the  Northamp- 
tonshire Stakes  with  Wolfdog,  and  after  that  his  inti- 
mate friends  used  to  call  him  '  the  Dog.'  He  won  no 
money  over  the  race  though,  and  was  so  disgusted 
at  not  having  backed  the  right  one,   that  he  retired 


THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS.  1 35 

from  the  turf  for  some  years ;  however,  he  came  on 
again,  and  won  the  Stewards'  Plate  and  Chesterfield 
Plate,  at  Goodwood,  with  Erin-go-Bragh.  Some 
years  before  his  death  he  gave  up  racing.  He  died 
in  1870. 

**In  1850,  Mr.  John  Mahon  of  Ballydonnellan 
succeeded  Mr.  Dennis,  and  kept  the  hounds  for  three 
years,  during  which  time  the  sport  was  good." 

•'  What  became  of  the  pack  at  Moyode  ?  You 
said  they  returned  there  after  Robert  Parsons  Persse 
died." 

*'  They  did,  and  the  present  master's  father 
hunted  what  we  called  the  *  home  circuit'  with  them, 
and  continued  to  do  so  till  '48,  when  his  son  became 
old  enough  to  undertake  the  management  of  them. 
He  kept  them  on ;  and  when  Mr.  Mahon  gave  up,  in 
'53,  Mr.  Persse  undertook  to  hunt  the  whole  country  ; 
he  has  done  so  ever  since  in  a  manner  which  has 
reflected  the  highest  credit  on  himself,  and  given  tke 
utmost  satisfaction  to  every  one." 

'*  You  have  not  yet  told  me  about  the  hunt- 
servants." 

"  Any  person  who  has  heard  of  the  *  Blazers,* 
has  heard  of  the  celebrated  Sam  Smith.  When  Mr. 
Robert  Parsons  Persse  had  the  hounds  he  was 
whipper-in,  and  afterwards  huntsman  for  a  short  time  ; 
then  when  they  came  back  to  Moyode,  he  returned 
with  them,  and  hunted  them  until  the  present  master 
took  them  (he  has  always  hunted  the  hounds  him- 
self), and  Sam  was  first  whip  and  kennel  hunts- 
man. For  some  seasons  before  his  death,  he  was  the 
recipient  of  a  pension  from  Mr.  Persse.  He  died  in 
1875.     H^  was  ninety  years  of  age,  and  spent  his 


136  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

whole  life  (with  the  exception  of  three  years,  during 
which  time  he  was  huntsman  to  the  Staghounds  kept 
by  the  late  Lord  Howth)  in  the  service  of  the  Persse 
family,  and  lived  also  as  huntsman  for  one  or  two 
seasons  with  Mr.  H.  Daly  of  Raford.  Richard  Conroy 
whipped  under  Sam  Smith,  but  you  tell  me  you  have 
heard  all  about  him." 

'*  Oh,  yes  !  I  alluded  to  him  in  the  history  of  the 
Ormond  Hunt." 

''  Michael  Boyle  served  as  first  whip,  and 
kennel  huntsman  for  about  ten  seasons,  he  then  went 
to  Mr.  Longworth,  and  was  his  huntsman  for  some 
time.  When  Boyle  left,  eleven  years  ago,  Joseph 
Turpin  came  from  the  Cottesmore  Hounds,  where  he 
lived  with  Sir  John  Trollope  (afterwards  Lord  Kes- 
teven)  as  whip.  He  left  last  summer,  and  George 
Browne  is  promoted,  and  John  Croft,  from  the  Bads- 
worth,  acts  as  second  whip.  George  Browne  came 
to  these  hounds,  four  years  ago,  from  Shropshire, 
where  he  learned  his  business,  and  learned  it  well 
too." 

**  Well,  what  about  the  stables  and  kennels  ?" 

"  The  stabling  is  excellent ;  perfect,  I  might  say, 
in  every  particular;  and  the  kennels  are  large,  airy, 
and  kept  as  well  as  possible.  The  hounds  are  as  good 
a  pack  as  there  is  in  Ireland.  And  no  wonder.  The 
ancestors  of  the  hounds  now  in  the  Moyode  kennel 
were  celebrities  in  Castle-Boy  more  than  seventy 
years  ago ;  and  long  before  that,  as  I  have  already  told 
you,  the  Persse' s  kept  fox-hounds.  And  I  have  also 
told  you  that  the  present  master,  his  grandsire,  and 
father  were  judges  of  hounds,  lovers  of  hunting,  and 
spared  neither  time  nor  expense  in  endeavouring  to 


THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS.  1 37 

make  the  pack  perfect.  There  are  fifty  couple  of 
hounds  now  in  the  kennels  ;  fourteen  were  entered 
last  year,  and  they  turned  out  very  well-  Mr.  Burton 
Persse  keeps  a  very  good  stud  of  hunters  :  there  is  no 
better  judge  of  a  horse.  He  has  had  a  few  good 
steeplechasers — Topthorne,  Arab  Maid,  Zuleika,  Ab- 
dalla,  Sultana,  The  Huntsman,  Stella,  and  many 
others  previously.  He  is  a  very  good  man  to  ride, 
and  has  often  sported  silk." 

*'  What  is  the  extent  of  the  hunting  district,  and 
where  are  the  best  parts  of  it  ?" 

"  The  country  from  Loughrea  to  Pallas,  and  from 
Loughrea  to  Fairfield  is  magnificent  and  almost  en- 
tirely rich  grassland — indeed  nearly  all  the  country  is 
grass,  and  rides  light.  The  kennels  are  within  three 
miles  of  Athenry,  where  good  accommodation  can  be 
had  for  man  and  horse  at  the  Railway  Hotel,  or  Kin- 
sella's.  The  hunting  days  are  Tuesdays,  Thursdays, 
and  Saturdays.  The  sum  guaranteed  to  Mr.  Persse 
is^iooo  per  annum,  and  I  need  scarcely  tell  you  that 
it  does  not  nearly  cover  the  expenses." 

**  Will  you  mention  the  names  of  those  who  were 
first-flight  men  in  days  long  gone  by  ?" 

*'  I  will.  In  no  part  of  England  or  Ireland  will 
you  find  better  men  to  ride  than  in  Connaught.  I 
cannot  remember  all  who  were  deserving  of  being 
included  in  the  list  of  the  '  leaders  of  the  chase,* 
but  I  will  mention  a  few  who  were  wonderful  riders. 
Lord  Clanricarde  and  John  Dennis,  were  *  clinkers  * 
in  the  hunting-field  and  between  the  flags.  Burton 
Persse,  father  of  the  present  M.  F.  H.,  was  considered 
the  best  rider  to  hounds  in  his  time,  and  had  most 
perfect  hands.     Parsons   Persse,  his  brother,  was  an 


138  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

accomplished  rider  and  won  a  great  many  steeple- 
chases, and  owned  several  famous  horses,  among 
others,  Economist,  sire  of  the  great  Harkaway.  John 
Lambert  of  Aggard,  Walter  Lambert  of  Castlelam- 
bert,  and  Robert  Ffrench  of  Monivea  Castle,  were  first- 
rate  riders.  Robert  Bodkin  of  Annagh  was  a  good 
man,  too,  on  a  horse  he  had  called  Kenilworth  ;  he 
was  '  a  bad'un  to  beat.'  John  Mahon  of  Weston, 
Nicholas  Blake  of  Frenchfort,  Martin  Blake  of  Merlin 
Park,  Parson  D'Arcy,  and  Pierce  Joyce  of  Mervue, 
were  all  good  men  in  their  day.  I  need  scarcely  tell 
you,  as  of  course  you  often  heard  of  many  of  his 
astounding  feats  in  the  saddle,  that  the  late  Lord 
Clanricarde  was  as  accomplished  and  bold  a  horse- 
man as  rode  over  a  stone  wall  in  Connaught  or  any- 
where else.  Did  you  ever  read  the  memoir  of  his 
Lordship  which  appeared  in  Bailys  Magazine  eleven 
years  ago  ?" 

"I  did  not?" 

•*  Well,  I  have  it  here ;  it  is  about  the  best  bio- 
graphy, in  my  opinion,  that  ever  appeared  in  that 
excellent  periodical  ;  and,  I  need  not  add,  that  it  is 
well  worth  reading." 

*'  It  must  be  very  interesting,  indeed.  Please 
read  it  for  me.     Baily  says  : — 

"  '  The  Marquis  of  Clanricarde,  whose  portrait  we  would  have 
presented  to  our  readers  before  this,  but  for  his  public  and  private 
engagements  preventing  him  honouring  our  artist  with  a  sitting,  is 
the  most  fitting  representative  of  the  Sportsman  of  Ireland  in  the 
present  age  ;  and  it  is  only  due  to  himself  and  ourselves  that  his 
deeds  on  the  Steeplechase  Course  and  in  the  Hunting  Field  should 
have  some  more  enduring  memorial  than  that  conveyed  by  a  local 
newspaper  paragraph. 


THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS.  1 39 

" '  The  family  of  De  Burgh,  from  whence  the  subject  of  our 
memoir  is  sprung,  ranks  among  the  most  distinguished  in  Ireland, 
and  deduces  an  uninterrupted  line  of  powerful  nobles  from  the 
Conquest.  The  Marquis  of  Clanricarde,  the  present  head  of  it, 
was  born  on  the  20th  of  December,  1802,  and  succeeded  his  father 
as  fourth  Earl  on  the  27th  of  July,  1808,  and  in  1825  he  was  ad- 
vanced by  Letters  Patent  to  the  Irish  Marquisate,  and  created  a 
Baron  of  the  United  Kingdom.  Eton  and  Oxford  can  claim  him 
among  their  alumni  ;  but  at  this  distance  of  time  no  anecdotes  of 
his  school  or  college  career  are  current,  but  it  may  be  taken  for 
granted  he  was  a  young  man  of  promise,  or  that  great  statesman, 
Mr.  Canning,  whose  daughter  he  married,  would  not  have  selected 
him  as  his  private  secretary.  Commencing  life  at  a  period  when 
Irish  wit,  Irish  society  as  it  was  of  old,  and  Lever's  heroes  were 
still  flourishing,  and  the  Galway  Blazers  were  yet  extant  within  his 
native  county.  Lord  Clanricarde  entered  heart  and  soul  into  all 
the  hilarity  which  surrounded  the  sporting  circles  of  his  immediate 
neighbourhood.  At  that  time  daring  horsemanship  and  sporting 
accomplishments  were  considered  as  the  high  road  to  distinction, 
and,  with  the  social  advantages  which  he  possessed,  tutors  were 
not  wanting  for  so  apt  a  pupil ;  and  after  perfecting  his  education 
in  the  art  of  riding  over  high  walls — and  no  better  school  can  be 
found  to  attain  to  first-class  horsemanship — his  Lordship  made  his 
</(f'(5?^/ on  the  Curragh  in  1822,  winning  the  first  Corinthians  ever 
ran  in  Ireland  on  Penguin,  by  Waxy  Pope,  beating  six  others.  In 
the  following  year  he  repeated  the  victory  with  the  same  animal, 
beating  the  celebrated  Roller.  He  also  won  a  good  race  on  the 
flat  at  Loughrea,  in  his  native  county,  on  a  wretched-looking 
animal  called  Sarsaparilla,  belonging  to  the  parish  priest,  which 
so  delighted  the  peasantry,  that  as  they  cheered  his  Lordship  com- 
ing back  to  scale,  they  exclaimed  :  '  Sure  if  he  was  on  an  ass  of 
Father  Peter's,  wouldn't  he  have  a  right  to  win  !'  But  to  the  turf 
Lord  Clanricarde  was  never  really  partial,  while  to  steeplechasing, 
on  the  other  hand,  he  devoted  himself  with  all  the  enthusiasm  of 
Irish  youth  ;  and  he  may  be  said  to  have  won  his  spurs  shortly 
after  leaving  Oxford,  in  1822,  over  the  Roxborough  course  in  Gal- 
way, on  Hawk,  by  Scherdone.  The  course  was  four  miles  over  a 
stiff  country,  including  four  five-feet  walls,  and  the  last  one  mea- 
sured five  feet  nine  inches  at  the  spot  where  the  Hawk  took  it. 
He  won  the  same  stake  the   next  year  on  Mr.  Persse's  Rollo  ;  but 


14©  IRISH   SPORT  AND    SPORTSMEN. 

nine  inches  had  been  taken  off  the  last-mentioned  wall.  In  1830, 
at  Luton  Hoo,  in  what  was  called  the  first  St.  Albans'  Steeple- 
chase, got  up  by  the  well-known  Tommy  Coleman,  and  for  which 
sixteen  started,  he  ran  second  to  Lord  Ranelagh's  gray  gelding, 
Wonder,  ridden  by  Captain  M'Douall  of  the  Life  Guards,  with  a 
little  Irish  horse  called  Nailer,  who  had  just  only  landed  from  Ire- 
land in  hunting  condition.  The  course  was  an  unflagged  one,  and 
that  Lord  Clanricarde's  fame  had  reached  Hertfordshire  was 
clear  when  Captain  M'Douall  in  asking  how  he  was  to  ride  the 
Wonder,  was  told  simply  to  pay  no  attention  to  anybody,  but  to 
wait  upon  Lord  Clanricarde.  True  to  his  orders.  Captain 
M'Douall  never  deserted  his  pilot,  and  at  one  period  in  the  race 
exclaimed,  '  Halloa  !  you're  going  wrong  1'  But  the  turn  proved 
correct,  as  the  first  and  second  came  in  some  minutes  before  the 
others  appeared.  Nailer  having  at  the  end  to  succumb  to  the  supe- 
rior turn  of  speed  of  Wonder.  His  two  next  appearances  in  the 
Metropolitan  district  were  more  successful,  as  he  won  two  Grand 
Steeplechases  on  Mr.  Elmore's  famous  Moonraker,  beating  good 
fields  of  first-class  horses.  The  last  of  these  races  finished  over 
a  very  strong  line  at  the  Windmill,  near  Old  Oak  Farm,  on  the 
Edgeware-road  ;  and  on  this  occasion,  it  was  always  reported  that 
Moonraker,  who  was  a  hard  puller  and  a  very  big  jumper,  cleared 
a  lane.  At  the  period  to  which  we  refer,  Lord  Clanricarde  had 
been  a  frequent  attendant  with  Mr.Grantley  Berkeley's  stag-hounds, 
which  were  then  kept  at  Cranford,  and  having  distinguished  him- 
self in  several  runs  over  the  Harrow  country,  Mr.  Berkeley,  after 
he  became  the  master  of  the  Oakley  Hounds,  got  up  a  steeple- 
chase at  Bedford,  and  asked  Lord  Clanricarde  to  ride  for  him. 
Parliament  was  sitting,  and  there  were  no  railways  in  those  days, 
but  his  Lordship  was  not  to  be  denied,  for  he  rode  a  couple  of 
hacks  down  the  road  to  Bedford,  rode  his  friend's  horse  in  the 
steeplechase,  rode  back  again  to  town,  and  attended  in  his  place 
in  the  House  of  Lords  in  the  evening. 

"  '  Having  sketched,  somewhat  too  briefly  we  fear,  Lord  Clan- 
ricarde's sporting  exploits,  we  will  now  discuss  his  merits  as  a 
horseman,  and  we  are  not  saying  too  much  in  stating  he  may  be 
classed  among  the  most  remarkable  men  across  country  of  the  day. 
His  forte  lies  in  possessing  the  art  of  imparting  confidence,  or 
enforcing  obedience  to  every  horse  he  gets  on.  He  can  ride  a 
brute  with  the  vigour  and  determination  of  a  Dick  Christian,  he^can 


THE    GALWAY   HOUNDS.  I4I 

humour  and  encourage  a  timid  or  half-broken  horse  by  patience 
and  good  temper,  or  he  can  guide  a  finished  hunter  like  a  gentle- 
man. While  gifted  with  the  skill  of  a  perfect  menage  rider,  he 
exemplifies,  as  he  goes  over  a  country,  that  horses,  when  let  alone 
at  their  fences,  seldom  fall.  Impressed  with  the  necessity  of  hav- 
ing a  full  command  over  his  horse,  he  generally  rides  with  severe 
bridles,  and  is  most  particular  about  the  fitting  of  his  curb,  which 
he  may  be  seen  altering  several  times  during  a  day's  hunting ;  such 
tackle  requires  good  hands,  nor  are  they  wanting.  His  seat  is 
graceful,  his  style  of  riding  simple,  not  a  symptom  of  the  more 
modern  steeplechasing  element  being  visible.  Never  flurried  or 
in  a  hurry,  whether  the  fence  is  a  mere  water-cut  or  a  binder  lean- 
ing towards  him,  or  stiff  timber  with  bad  taking  off:  it  seems  a 
matter  of  perfect  indifference  as  he  holds  on  the  even  tenor  of  his 
way.  Certain  malpractices  to  secure  a  start,  or  to  take  any  unfair 
advantage  by  overriding  hounds,  he  never  availed  himself  of,  nor 
was  he  over  particular  in  selecting  the  weak  spot  in  a  fence,  for 
with  him  the  shortest  way  was  the  best  way.  It  is  a  pleasant  sen- 
sation to  get  away  on  a  good  horse  abreast  of  the  leading  hound, 
but  many  a  good  man  succumbs  when  he  misses  his  start,  having, 
perhaps,  fifty  men  before  him  and  fifty  men  around  him  ;  and  few 
have  pluck  and  resolution  to  overcome  difficulties — such  as  the 
certainty  of  being  ridden  on  if  your  horse  makes  a  mistake,  or  the 
collisions  threatened  by  bad  and  reckless  riders.  But  a  bad  start 
never  deterred  Lord  Clanricarde  ;  for  he  could  tread  his  way  with 
perfect  ease  through  a  crowd,  and  bide  his  time  with  patience 
until  a  check  or  lucky  turn  let  him  up  to  the  front ;  and  when  the 
pace  had  begun  to  tell,  when  horses'  legs  were  dropping  into  the 
opposite  ditches,  when  the  timber  rattled  under  their  feet,  or  the 
sob  of  distress  gave  warning  that  induce  most  prudent  men  to  look 
out  for  the  nearest  by-road  or  line  of  gates,  he  could  assist  a  beaten 
horse  over  a  country  with  consummate  judgment  and  skill. 

"  '  To  him  nought  came  amiss, 
One  horse  or  that,  one  country  or  this. 
He  through  falls  and  bad  starts  undauntedly  still 
Rides  to  the  motto  :  Be  with  them  I  -will. 

" '  Running  such  risks,  he  could  scarce  come  off  scathless,  and 
although  frequently  knocked  about,  his  activity,  his  presence  of 
mind,  and  his  spare  figure  often  saved  him  from  serious  conse- 
quences.    But  no  man  ever  received  punishment  more  unflinch- 

ID 


142  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

ingly.  Early  in  1854,  on  a  Saturday,  in  Leicestershire,  a  weedy 
Birdcatcher  horse  gave  him  an  awkward  fall  at  timber ;  and  he 
felt  his  collar-bone  go  crack.  But,  getting  up  again,  he  had  not 
gone  three  fields  when  a  piece  of  water  appeared,  and  the  horse 
never  rising  at  it,  he  got  under  him,  and  was  at  once  extricated 
half-drowned  and  much  bruised,  and,  as  it  turned  out,  with  his 
collar-bone  broken  in  another  place.  On  the  following  Tuesday, 
however,  he  was  at  his  post  in  the  House  of  Lords,  and  spoke  for 
forty-five  minutes  without  a  check,  on  the  impending  Russian  war. 
We  should  state,  however,  that  the  deep  interest  which  the  Mar- 
quis has  ever  taken  in  politics  made  hunting  and  the  stud  second- 
ary considerations  ;  and  the  rapidity  and  seeming  carelessness 
with  which  preparations  were  made  for  a  visit  to  Melton  or  The 
Shires  were  quite  appalling,  and  aff'orded  a  remarkable  contrast 
to  the  practice  of  the  present,  when  Mason,  Newcombe,  Darby, 
and  Sheward  require  many  weeks'  notice  before  collecting  a  Lei- 
cestershire stud  for  fastidious  gentlemen.  On  one  day  the  Marquis 
would  appear  on  a  plain,  hunting-like  horse,  on  the  next  on  a 
weedy  thoroughbred,  on  the  third  on  an  ancient  far  advanced  in 
his  teens,  or  very  groggy  on  his  legs,  and  perhaps  a  couple  of 
awkward  horses  to  ride  completed  the  stud.  From  Melton  they 
were  then  perhaps  transported  to  do  duty  over  the  stone  walls  in 
Galway,  or  among  the  intricate  fences  in  Kilkenny  or  Kildare. 

"  *  It  seemed  a  perfect  matter  of  indifi'erence  to  him  what  he 
rode,  as  the  following  anecdote  will  illustrate.  Passing  through 
Dublin,  he  called  on  a  well-known  friend  of  every  sportsman. 
'  Hunt,'  he  said,  '  can  you  let  me  have  a  horse  to  ride  with  the 
Kildare  Hounds  .'"  '  I  am  very  sorry,  my  Lord,  I  have  nothing  to 
offer  you  just  at  present,'  was  the  reply,  '  What !  not  a  horse  in 
your  stable  ?'  '  Nothing,  my  Lord,  but  a  one-eyed  horse  1  bought 
from  a  miller  to  carry  a  whip.  I  hear  he  has  been  hunted,  but  I 
know  nothing  about  him,  and  he  is  in  moderate  trim.'  '  Never 
mind  ;  send  him  on.     I  will  be  at  the  meet.' 

"  'The  well-known  covert  of  Laragh  was  the  first  the  hounds 
drew ;  and  the  first  fence  was  the  brook  (now  bridged  over),  simply 
a  ditch  about  fourteen  feet  in  width,  with  a  high  bank  on  the  op- 
posite side.  The  field  diverged  to  easy  parts  of  the  fence  ;  but  the 
Marquis  on  the  chestnut  (afterwards  called  Nelson),  came  straight 
down  at  it,  got  well  over,  and  went  first  in  a  gallop  of  seventeen 
minutes. 


THE   GAL  WAY    HOUNDS.  143 

"  *  As  might  be  anticipated  in  so  long  a  career,  Lord  Clan- 
ricarde  has  from  time  to  time  been  the  owner  of  good  horses  : 
among  the  best  in  former  days  were  Leatherhead,  a  gray  horse 
that  had  the  honour  of  being  the  last  that  Mr.  Val  Maher  ever  went 
in  his  old  form  on  in  Leicestershire.  This  horse  hunted  up  to  the 
age  of  twenty-seven,  and  at  that  age  jumped  an  undeniably  big 
fence  on  Barrow  Hill.  Angelo,  'a  perfect  fencer,'  carried  the 
Marquis  for  ten  years  ;  then  Gehazi,  '  a  leper '  as  white  as  snow  ; 
and  in  later  years  Caustic,  who  in  1864  won  the  Irish  Grand  Na- 
tional within  three  weeks  of  his  appearance  at  a  Leicestershire 
covert- side.  It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  more  awkward  horse  to 
ride  hunting  than  Caustic,  with  his  head  all  in  the  wrong  place,  a 
loose  neck,  a  hard,  unyielding  mouth,  and  a  desire  to  go  as  hard 
as  he  can  at  every  fence.  Mr.  Long,  who  rode  him  in  the  Na- 
tional Race,  to  this  day  describes  his  '  sensations,'  as  the  horse 
rattled  in  and  out  of  the  lane  at  Punchestown  with  him. 

"  '  In  politics  the  Marquis  of  Clanricarde  has  ever  been  a  de- 
cided Liberal,  and  has  supported  with  earnest  eloquence  measures 
that  have  been  introduced  into  Parliament  to  forward  the  interests 
of  Ireland.  He  has  also  filled  the  offices  of  Ambassador  to  St. 
Petersburg  and  Postmaster-General.  We  may  also  conclude  by 
remarking  that  Lord  Dunkellin — whose  motion  in  the  House  of 
Commons  on  the  Reform  Bill  led  to  the  break-up  of  the  Russell 
Administration — is  the  eldest  son  of  the  Marquis,  and  will  succeed 
him  in  his  titles  and  estates.' 

"  Poor  Lord  Dunkellin  did  not  long  survive  the  date 
of  this  notice.  He  predeceased  his  father  by  some 
years,  and  Ireland  lost  in  him  a  nobleman  who  in  all 
the  relations  of  his  life  did  credit  to  an  illustrious  old 
race.  As  soldier,  statesman,  scholar,  and  gentleman 
he  had  few  equals,  and  his  early  death  was  no  less 
than  a  national  misfortune." 

"  Who  are  the  best  men  of  the  present  day  ?" 
"  Messrs.  Burton  Persse,  Frank  Joyce  of  Mervue, 
John  Eyre,  jun.,  Acheson  French,  Lord  Dunsandle, 
Thos.  TuUy,  Pierce  Joyce,  jun.,  Robert  Blake  of  Brook- 
lodge  ;  the  late  Lord  Clanmorris,  who  died  suddenly 


144  IRISH   SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

last  year,  was  a  capital  sportsman  and  devoted  to 
hunting — he  was  a  great  loss  to  everyone,  but  espe- 
cially to  the  hunt,  as  he  was  our  best  supporter  ;  John 
Blakeney  of  Abbert,  John  Comyn  (who  is  the  able 
and  energetic  secretary  of  the  hunt),  and  Mr.  Henry 
Persse.  And  no  one  goes  harder  or  further  than  Mr. 
Andy  Dolphin ;  Major  French  and  Mr.  Christopher 
Usher  go  well  too.  I  have  told  you  all  I  know  about 
the  Galway  '  Blazers,'  and  now  I  will  sing  you  a  song 
which  was  written  a  few  years  ago  by  as  good  a  fel- 
low as  I  ever  knew.  He  has  gone  to  *  the  land  of 
to-morrow.'  Those  who  knew  the  author  will  recog- 
nise the  style  which  pervaded  all  his  happy  compo- 
sitions ;  and  if  it  recalls  the  memory  of  so  cheery  a 
good  fellow,  it  will  evoke  some  pleasant  recollections 
such  as  the  many  friends  of  poor  Charlie  Kerr  were 
indebted  to  him  for. 

"  THE  GALWAY  '  BLAZERS.' 

"  I  read  in  the  papers  of  runs  that,  be  japers, 

Just  sound  to  my  ear  in  a  small  way  ; 
If  yez  want  for  real  sport,  faith  ye'd  better  resort 

To  neglected  but  grand-goin'  Galway. 

"  Your  horse  must  have  mettle,  wid  hounds  in  such  fettle, 

And  walls  that  are  terrible  tazers  ; 
His  condition  the  best,  for  he's  sure  to  be  prest, 

If  yez  mean  to  ride  up  wid  the  **  Blazers." 

"  If  you  go  there  a  stranger,  bedad  there's  no  danger, 

They'll  trate  ye  to  all  o'  the  best,  boys  ; 
For  lord,  lout,  an'  squire  good  ridin'  admire — 

All  sportsmen  they  welkim  with  zest,  boys. 

"  By  the  side  of  that  gorse,  on  his  stuffy  blood  horse, 

Sits  the  master,  whose  hounds  none  surpass ; 
And  the  man  that  would  bate  him  might  as  well  try  to  ate  him — 

He'll  soon  make  acquaintance  wid  grass. 


THE    GALWAY    HOUNDS.  1 45 

"  And  now  for  his  hounds.     To  his  fame  it  redounds 

That  he  owns  the  best  pack  in  the  world  ; 
O'er  the  fields  in  a  cluster  they  run  such  a  '  buster,' 

Like  leaves  by  a  hurricane  *  whorled.' 

"  Such  loins  and  such  shoulders  skim  walls  built  o'bouldhers, 

Tho'  Rinard  may  make  bould  resistance  ; 
They've  dash,  blood  an'  strength,  limbs,  nose,  too,  an'  length. 

So  they  care  not  for  pace  nor  for  distance. 

*'  No  noise  or  disorder,  the  fields  in  good  order, 

All  coming  for  sport,  not  for  *  gaggin' ;' 
Yez  must  be  pretty  smart  and  try  bould  for  a  start, 

For  here  there  is  really  no  '  laggin'.' 

"  Now  of  fair  girlsT  sing,  who,  like  birds  on  the  wing, 
Lead  the  first  flight  throughout  the  whole  gallop  ; 

Yet  sit  graceful,  an'  go  when  they  hear  *  Tallyho' — 
*  Och,'  the  divil  a  man  they  can't  '  wallop.' 

*'  Thin  •  Hurrah  for  the  Blazers,'  an'  '  the  ladies  that  plaze  us,' 

May  Burton  hunt  fifty  years  more,  shure  ; 
As  thro'  luck  an'  disaster,  as  huntsman  an'  master, 

He  has  hunted  the  country  a  score,  shure." 

*'  Very  good ;  I  suppose  I  must  respond  to  your 
call,  so  I'll  sing  my  favourite  song  : 

"  THE  IRISH  HUNTER. 

"  I've  as  good  an  Irish  hunter  as  ever  trod  the  lea, 

How  neatly  he  picks  up  his  foot,  how  well  he  bends  his  knee  ; 
And  such  a  head  and  rein  he's  got !  and  such  a  depth  of  girth, 
With  hocks,  and  loins,  and  quarters,  to  bring  him  through  the 
dirt. 

Jolly  boys,  jolly  boys  1 

Hurrah  for  the  fox  and  the  hounds. 

Jolly  boys ! 

"  He  looks  a  little  plain  at  first,  but  jump  upon  his  back, 

And  in  a  moment  you'll  find  out  he's  no  common  plain  bred 
hack. 
He  feels  as  strong  as  any  horse,  yet  airy  as  a  feather. 

Oh!    that's  the  lad   to   carry   you   through   plough,    grass,    or 
heather. 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 


146  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

"  To  see  him  by  the  covert  side,  a  snaffle  bridle  on, 

While  other  horses  prance  and  fret,  how  quietly  he  stands ; 
But  when  the  hounds  their  fox  have  found,  and  settled  on  him 
steady, 
He  champs  his  bit,  and  shakes  his  head,  to  let  you  know  he's 
ready. 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 

"  Now,  I'll  tell  you  of  a  glorious  run  we  had  the  other  day, 

When  my  good  old  Irish  hunter  he  came  through  all  the  way ; 
For  he's  no  weed  or  flashy  one,  no  mere  hunter  in  a  stall — 
But  what  good  sportsmen  like  to  style  through  steel,  and  whale- 
bone all. 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 

*•  The  place  of  meet  was  Punchestown,  the  hour  eleven  o'clock, 
When  Mansfield  with  his  beauties  came  up  quietly  at  a  trot ; 

The  field  being  placed,  the  hounds  thrown  in  we're  all  on  tippy  toe. 
When  Freeman  from  the  southern  end,  cries  out:  Yoick,  tally  ho ! 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 

"  Now  let  the  hounds  get  well  away  !  Hold  hard  !  a  field  or  two — 
And  let  the  beauties  hunt  his  line,  and  run  him  straight  and  true : 

Pick  up  your  reins — hold  down  your  hands — now  don't  be  in  a 
flurry ; 
For  a  true-trained  Irish  hunter  he  wont  leap  it  in  a  hurry. 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 

"  The  first  we  meet's  a  double  bank,  a  grip  both  out  and  in, 
He  tops  the  ditch,  he  kicks  the  bank,  and  off"  he  goes  again  ; 

Some  narrow-backed  ones,  a  wall  or  two,  aye,  stiff"  ones  on  my  word. 
But  my  gallant  Irish  hunter,  oh,  he  does  them  like  a  bird. 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 

•'  The  next  we  meet's  a  nasty  one,  a  deep  drop  with  a  lane. 
Where  if  he  makes  the  slightest  mistake  we're  to  grief  'tis  very 
plain  ; 

But  my  gallant  Irish  hunter  to  defeat  he  ne'er  would  yield — 
He  goes  at  it  forty  miles  an  hour  and  trigs  from  field  to  field. 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 

'•  Now  up  a  hill  I  take  a  pull  to  give  him  time  to  breathe. 

And  as  my  friends  go  past  me  their  jeering  I  don't  heed  ; 
For  when  they  get  unto  the  top,  they're  blowing  fit  to  die, 

I  take  old  '  Paudeen'  by  the  head,  and  say :  Gentlemen,  good- 
bye ! 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 


THE    GAL  WAY  HOUNDS.  1 47 

"  And  now  the  pace  is  mending,  and  the  *  garrons"  spurt  is  done, 
The  field  become  select,  and  they  drop  off  one  by  one  ; 

And  when   Freeman  cries  *who-whoop!'   and   sings  the  death 
halloo! 
There  are  none  to  join  the  chorus  but  myself  and  one  or  two. 

Jolly  boys,  &c. 

"  Here  is  to  this  gallant  Irish  hunter,  may  he  never  lose  a  shoe ; 

May  all  his  knocks  and  ills  wear  off  like  morning  dew. 
May  his  rider  always  lie  in  front,  and  ride  him  straight  and  true, 

And  remember  that  he's  *  Irish,'  and  his  nag  is  Irish  too. 

Jolly  boys,  &c." 

"  May  Burton  Persse  hunt  the  *  Blazers*  for  many- 
years  to  come  in  '  grand-goin'  Galway.  A  more 
devoted  fox-hunter  never  lived,  and  there  is  no  more 
popular  sportsman  in  the  kingdom." 


148  IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    CARLOW    AND    ISLAND    HUNT    HOUNDS. 

Although  the  Carlow  and  Island  Hunt  does  not 
rank  in  the  same  class  as  the  "Blazers,"  Kildare, 
Meath,  or  Curraghmore  Hounds,  I  will  venture 
to  assert  that  Mr.  Robert  Watson  has,  for  many 
years,  afforded  the  Carlovians  an  opportunity  of 
enjoying  as  good  sport  as  their  neighbours. 

As  to  the  history  of  the  pack  there  is  little  to  be 
said,  consequently  this  is  one  of  the  shortest  chapters 
in  my  book.  Few  different  presidents  have  ruled  over 
them,  for  the  honoured  name  of  Watson  has  long 
been  inseparably  associated  with  the  Carlow  Hounds. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  present  century, 
the  Kildare  Hounds  used  to  hunt  a  greater  portion  of 
the  Carlow  country,  particularly  in  the  vicinity  of 
Burton  Hall,  and  Oak  Park.  When  Sir  John  Power 
held  the  reins  of  office  in  Kilkenny,  he,  periodically, 
hunted  the  western  portion  of  the  country,  and  occa- 
sionally Coolattin.  About  the  year  1808,  the  late 
Mr.  John  Watson,  father  of  the  present  master,  com- 
menced to  hunt  foxes.  Before  then  there  were  other 
packs  in  the  county,  but  they  were  disposed  of  soon 
after  Mr.  Watson  started  his.  A  few  years  afterwards 
it  was  thought  desirable  to  start  a  subscription  pack. 


THE    CARLOW    AND    ISLAND    HUNT    HOUNDS.       1 49 

to  hunt  the  entire  county,  and  hounds  were  procured, 
and  kept  by  Mr.  John  Whelan  of  Rath. 

In  1826,  the  late  Mr.  Watson  got  the  country 
again.  He  carried  the  horn  himself  for  many  years, 
and  then  Tom  Smith  (afterwards  huntsman  to  the 
Brocklesby)  hunted  them  for  a  season. 

In  1845,  M'*-  Robert  Watson  succeeded  his  father, 
and  has  been  master  ever  since.  He  is,  I  need 
scarcely  say,  quite  devoted  to  the  glorious  pastime. 
Comparisons  are  odious,  but  I  think  none  will  cavil 
with  me  for  stating  that  he  is  the  best  gentleman 
huntsman  in  Ireland,  and  a  most  competent  judge  of 
hounds.  No  breeder  can  be  more  painstaking,  and 
the  result  of  his  good  judgment  and  exertions  is,  that 
he  has  now  a  grand  pack  of  hounds.  He  is  cheery  in 
the  field,  but  a  stern  commander;  keeps  his  com- 
panions in  the  chase  in  good  order,  and  insists  that 
they  will  ride  to  see  hounds  kill  and  not  to  kill 
hounds  :  and,  as  many  other  masters  do,  sometimes 
gives  unruly  ones  a  little  "  Dawson  pie."  One  day, 
having  come  to  a  check,  with  a  bad  scent,  and  the 
fox  a  long  way  ahead,  he  was  making  a  careful  cast 
forwards,  when  a  rather  junior  member  of  the  hunt, 
but  relative  of  his  own,  came  up  to  him,  saying: 
"  Robert,  don't  you  think  the  fox  has  gone  to  your 
right  more?"  "Yes,  if  I  was  a  damn  fool,"'  was  the 
quick  rejoinder.  When  I  say  that  Mick  Connors  has 
been  whipper-in  to  Mr.  Watson  for  the  last  twenty- 
four  years,  and  came  to  him  with  the  Island  Hounds, 
being  for  some  years  previously  whipper-in  to  the  late 
Mr.  Bolton,  I  need  pass  no  enconiums  on  him. 

There  are  generally  forty-eight  couple  of  working 
hounds  in  the    kennels,   which    are    situated   at    Mr. 


150  IRISH  SPORT    AND  SPORTSMEN. 

Watson's  residence,  Ballydarton,  Bagnalstown.  They 
have  all  been  bred  there,  principally  crossed  with  the 
Belvoir,  Brocklesby,  and  Fitzwilliam  blood.  The 
hunting  district  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  kingdom, 
and  comprises  all  Carlow,  a  small  portion  of  the 
Queen's  County,  and  Kildare ;  and,  since  1853,  that 
part  of  Wexford  known  as  the  Island  country,  for- 
merly hunted  by  the  late  Mr.  Bolton.  This  division 
is  a  fine  wild  country,  with  light  hills,  and  includes  a 
large  portion  of  the  north  of  Wexford.  The  Ferns 
part  of  the  Island  territory,  and  the  Kildare  side  of 
Carlow,  is  the  **  cream"  of  the  country. 

Nearly  all  the  gentlemen  of  the  county  subscribe 
liberally  to  the  hunt  fund.  Lord  Fitzwilliam,  Messrs. 
H.  Bruen,  M.P.,  Arthur  Kavanagh,  M.P.,  F.  M'Clin- 
tock  Bunbury,  J.  M'Clintock  Bunbury,  H.  Eustace, 
William  Duckett,  Charles  M.  Doyne,  Captain  Denis, 
Pack  Beresford,  Sir  Charles  Burton,  Bart,  Sir  Thomas 
Butler,  Bart.,  and  Mr.  Edward  Irvine,  are  amongst  the 
most  liberal  ;  but  no  hunt  can  boast  of  more  general 
support,  although,  in  proportion  to  the  extent  of 
the  country,  the  number  of  resident  gentlemen  and 
hunting  men  is  small.  Very  few  sportsmen  reside  on 
the  Wicklow  or  Wexford  sides  of  the  district,  so 
that  the  meets  in  the  locality  are  generally  badly 
attended.  The  "  fields"  average  there  about  twenty; 
and  on  the  Carlow  side  forty. 

I  will  now  mention  a  few  who  were  first-flight  men 
during  the  late  Mr.  Watson's  mastership.  There 
were  at  that  time,  as  now,  many  '*  clinkers"  amongst 
the  followers  of  the  Carlow  Hounds.  I  cannot  name 
them  all,  but  the  following  were  generally  leaders  of 
the  van — Mr.  John  Watson,  as  a  horseman,   earned 


THE    CARLOW   AND    ISLAND    HUNT    HOUNDS.         15I 

well-merited  distinction,  and  was  as  good  a  rider 
to  hounds  as  any  of  his  cotemporaries  ;  of  Captain 
Casey,  I  may  say  the  same;  Colonel  Bruen,  and 
his  brother  John,  not  only  in  the  Emerald  Isle, 
but  in  many  an  English  shire,  earned  fame  as 
horsemen.  On  more  than  one  page  of  this 
volume  the  name  of  Mr.  Horace  Rochford  of  Clo- 
grennon,  is  mentioned.  He  is  a  famous  sportsman ; 
as  a  rider  to  hounds,  a  polo-player,  and  a  cricketter, 
he  was  nulli  secundus ;  and  he  still  keenly  enjoys  all 
manly  pastimes,  and  is  far  superior  to  many  of  his 
junior  rivals  at  those  fine  sports.  The  Messrs. 
Bunbury  (2),  Steward  Duckett,  Bagenal,  H.  Bruen, 
Charles  Doyne,  and  Harman  Cooper,  are  first-rate 
men  to  hounds ;  and  so  is  the  popular  master,  who, 
I  hope,  will  continue  to  show  good  sport  for  many 
years  to  come. 

I  cannot  pass  over  the  name  of  Watson  without 
making  mention  of  the  brother  of  the  master  of  the 
Carlow  and  Island  Hounds,  who,  some  fourteen  or 
fifteen  thousand  miles  away,  in  her  Majesty's  most 
flourishing  colony,  has  acclimatised,  and  made  racy  of 
the  soil,  the  noble  sport  of  fox-hunting.  Two-and- 
twenty  years  ago,  Mr.  George  Watson  first  "laid  on'* 
the  Melbourne  foxhounds  to  a  jackal  (the  late  Colonel 
Roberts,  agent  for  the  purchase  of  Indian  **  re- 
mounts," had  imported  twenty  of  the  wily  Indian 
substitute  for  Reynard).  Since  then  Mr.  Watson  has 
not  only  succeeded  in  establishing  a  pack  of  foxhounds, 
and  mainly  at  his  own  expense,  but  has  imbued  the 
**  sparse"  dwellers  of  the  *'  New  Continent"  with  a 
hunting  spirit,  the  exposition  of  which  is  represented 
by  the  hunt  meets  in  the  daily  papers  of  no  less  than 


152  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

five  packs  of  hounds  in  Victoria  alone.  In  the  colony 
the  pursuit  of  jackals,  or  *' corn-fed  kangaroos,"  is  no 
longer  necessary.  Foxes  have  been  imported,  and 
are  too  plenty.  In  the  very  interests  of  the  pastoral 
inhabitants,  it  will  be  necessary  to  keep  the  "  red- 
men"  down.  And  when  the  sporting  history  of  this 
already  great  country  comes  to  be  written,  men  must 
connect  with  the  names  Watson  and  Carlow  the 
initiation  and  establishment  of  a  noble  sport.  Mr. 
George  Watson  has  not  permitted,  in  his  pursuit  of 
the  splendid  fortune  he  has  acquired,  his  early  pro- 
clivities to  be  diverted ;  and  the  Australian  Calendar 
has  no  name  of  a  gentleman  rider  with  so  many 
"  brackets"  opposite  as  his. 


THE    TIPPERARY    HOUNDS.  1 53 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    TIPPERARY    HOUNDS. 

"  Gallant  Tipperary  !  "  Strange,  is  It  not,  that  I 
should  begin  my  brief  notice  of  the  Tipperary 
Hounds  with  this  hackneyed  phrase.  I  deem  the 
title — first  applied  in  the  heat  of  battle  by  the  great 
conqueror  of  Scinde,  Sir  Charles  Napier,  to  the 
22nd  regiment — so  apt,  that  I  cannot  refrain  from 
using  it.  The  inhabitants  of  the  county  have 
been  misrepresented,  and  some  years  ago  many 
Englishmen  and  foreigners  were  foolish  enough  to 
believe  that  it  would  be  safer  to  take  a  trip  through 
the  most  uncivilised  part  of  the  American  Continent 
than  to  the  Rock  of  Cashel.  Yet,  the  natives  are 
quiet,  peaceable  people,  and  devotedly  attached  to 
all  field-sports,  or,  as  they  say  themselves,  a  '*  trifle 
of  divarsion"  of  any  sort.  The  boys  of  Tipperary 
are  remarkable  for  their  cheery  humour  in  love,  war, 
or  a  foxhunt.  They  are,  indeed,  "  gallant  and  gay," 
and  decidedly  liberal  in  their  hospitality  and  political 
opinions.  People  of  all  classes  in  the  county  are 
glad  to  see  the  hounds  in  their  neighbourhood. 
Hunting  has  been  at  all  times  popular  there  with 
"gentle  and  simple."  Landlord  and  tenant,  the  red 
coat  and  the  broadcloth,  have  met  at  the  cover-side 
in    amicable    warfare     long     before     '*  equalising" 


154  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

theories  had  Inoculated  the  brain  with  fixity  of  tenure 
as    the    panacea   for   all    our   country's   ills.      Their 
*'  fixity  of  tenure"  was,  in  the  saddle,  the  only  "evic- 
tion" thought  of  the  fox.     Some  seventy  years  ago, 
Mr.  Tom  Barton  kept  a  pack  of  foxhounds  at  his  resi- 
dence, Grove,  and  hunted  what  is  now  the  Tipperary 
Hunt  district.     Mr.  Barton  was  a  devoted  disciple  of 
Diana's,  and  enjoyed  a  deserved  popularity.    Although 
his  hounds  were  not  as  "  level  as  a  die,"  or  as  ''  hand- 
some as  paint,"  he  showed  very  good  sport  during  a 
regijne  of  about  twenty  years.      His  huntsman  was 
Johnny  Ryan,  the  grandfather  of  the  veteran  of  that 
name,  who  rode  the  winners  of  many  valuable  steeple- 
chases for  Henry,  Marquis  of  Waterford,  and  who  for 
many  years  hunted  the  Waterford  Hounds.     Mr.   T. 
Barton  was  succeeded  in  the  mastership  by  his  brother 
William,  who  kept  them  for  a  few  seasons — they  were 
called  "  The  Grove  Hounds."  Mr.  William  Barton  knew 
the  value  of  good  breeding,  and  spared  neither  expense 
nor  trouble  in  his  endeavours  to  improve  the  pack. 
An  uncle  of  his,  who  resided  in  England,  procured 
drafts  from  the  best  kennels  in  the  shires  for  him. 
One  draft  of  a  dog  and  bitch  was  a  remarkable  one — 
the  bitch,  whose  name  was  Mercury,  had  performed 
some  extraordinary  feat  in  running  a  drag  at  Ascot 
before  she  was  imported  to  this  country,  and,  of  course, 
was  highly  valued  by  Mr.   Barton ;    she  was  mated 
with  the  dog  sent  to  Ireland  with  her,   and  produced 
twenty-one  puppies,   all  of  which   turned  out  to  be 
first-class  hounds.      Mr.   Barton  became  so  delicate 
that  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  hunting,  and  he  sold 
his  pack  to  Captain  Jacob  of  Mobarnane,  who  showed 
good  sport  for  the  few  seasons  he  hunted  the  country, 


THE    TIPPERARY    HOUNDS.  1 55 

and  got  some  very  good  drafts  from  Colonel  Thorn- 
bury's  kennel.  In  1841,  Henry,  Marquis  of  Water- 
ford,  purchased  the  pack  from  Captain  Jacob,  and  the 
hounds  were  removed  to  Rockwell,  near  New  Inn. 
The  Marquis  improved  the  country  very  much,  had 
gorse  coverts  sown  in  the  most  desirable  places,  and 
got  hounds  from  Mr.  Villebois,  who  then  had,  I 
think,  the  Craven  Hounds,  and  Lord  Lonsdale,  whose 
sturdy  border-blooded  pack  imbued  the  *'  Tips"  with 
the  enduring  qualities  they  retain  to  this  hour.  The 
Marquis  was,  indeed,  devotedly  attached  to  all 
field  sports.  Whether  the  scent  was  good  or  bad, 
no  day  was  too  long  for  him.  Probably,  some 
of  my  readers  have  heard  the  story  of  Goodall's 
jumping  over  the  moon,  which  he  did  as  reflected 
in  the  Melton  brook,  when  he  hunted  the  Belvoir 
Hounds  during  Lord  Forrester's  mastership,  and  who, 
whenever  a  gentleman  asked  him  what  o'clock  it 
was,  invariably  replied :  "  I  never  carry  a  watch, 
sir,  as  my  lord  always  draws  until  dark."  I  daresay 
Lord  Waterford  might  say  that  he  too  jumped  over 
the  goddess  of  the  night ;  reflected  in  some  brook  in 
Tipperary,  for  he  used  sometimes  ride  to  his  hounds 
when  Luna  was  shining  brightly.  One  evening,  in 
the  month  of  March,  his  lordship's  hounds  found  a 
fox  in  Bansha,  and  ran  him  to  ground  near  Thomas- 
town.  The  Marquis  said  he  should  be  dug  out,  and 
bagged.  Spades  were  trumps,  and  Reynard  was  put 
into  a  sack,  and  brought  several  miles  towards  the 
kennel.  "Now,"  said  his  lordship,  "we're  near  home; 
let  him  go.  Give  him  good  *  law,'  and  we  will  have 
a  run  ;  he  will,  probably,  bring  us  towards  home." 
Reynard  did  not,  but  he  gave  them  an  extraordinary 


156  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

run.  There  was  a  full  moon,  and  a  good  scent ;  and 
the  Marquis,  on  a  horse  called  Surprise,  and  Ryan,  the 
huntsman,  on  a  one-eyed  horse,  rode  in  brilliant  style 
throughout.  The  fox  was  run  into  while  endeavour- 
ing to  jump  a  high  wall  near  Thomastown,  at  twenty 
minutes  past  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

The  music  of  the  hounds,  crossing  the  country  at 
such  an  hour,  caused  no  small  amount  of  wonder.  A 
peasant  who  heard  the  Marquis's  thrilling  who-whoop! 
and  the  chimes  of  the  pack,  as  the  gallant  old  varmint 
was  held  high  for  a  throw,  was  so  terrified  that  he 
almost  died  of  the  fright  ;  and  for  many  a  day  stories 
were  told  by  the  country-folk  about  this  memorable 
chase ;  and  more  than  one  amongst  them  firmly  be- 
lieved that  it  was  his  Satanic  Majesty  and  his  hell- 
hounds that  they  saw.  Lord  Waterford  hunted  the 
country  for  six  seasons.  He  had  kennels  built  at 
Lakefield,  near  Fethard,  but  they  were  maliciously 
burnt  down  ;  this  annoyed  him  so  much  that  he  gave 
up  the  hounds.  But  he  presented  several  couple  of 
them,  five  horses,  and  a  subscription  of  ;^  100  a  year 
to  a  committee  of  Tipperary  gentlemen  to  hunt  the 
country. 

As  particulars  of  Lord  Waterford's  very  eventful 
career  as  a  sportsman  are  given  in  a  portion  of  this 
work,  I  need  pass  no  eulogy  on  him  here,  though  I 
cannot  in  a  book  such  as  this  but  mention  the  thrill 
of  sorrow  felt  throughout  Ireland  for  the  sad  fate  that 
befel  that  public  benefactor  on  the  memorable  March 
afternoon  upon  which  he  was  killed,  when 

"  Mayboy  stumbled  o'er  the  rotten  wall." 
The  committee  had  the  hounds  for  a  short  time, 


/ 

THE    TIPPERARY    HOUNDS.  1 57 

and  then  Mr.  Millet  kept  t*hem  at  St.  Johnstown.     He 
resigned  after  oite   season.     Mr.  George  Gough,  of 
Birdhill,  succeeded  him ;    and  he,  too,  soon  resigned 
in   favour  of  Mr.  John  Going ;  and,  I  may  say,  in  the 
words  of  a  countryman  of  his  own,  "  a  better  sports- 
man could  not  have  them."     He  enjoyed  the   popu- 
larity his  many  endearing  qualities  entitled  him  to — 
frank,  cheery,  good-natured,  and  generous — no  wonder 
he  was  esteemed  by  a  legion  of  friends;  and  great 
was  the  regret  of  the  foxhunters  of  Tipperary  when 
ill  health  obliged  Mr.  Going  to  resign,  in  1873,  after  a 
reign  of  over  twenty  years.    His  successor  and  nephew, 
Mr.  B.  F.  Going  of  Ballyphillip,  Killenaule,  had  them 
until   the   close  of  the   seasons,    1876-7,    and  gave 
the  utmost  satisfaction.      He  loves  the  sport ;    un- 
derstands hunting,  and  the  breeding  of  hounds,  and 
their  kennel  management.     Nimrod,  in  his  advice  to 
masters  of  hounds,  says.    *'  Remember  the  apostolic 
precept,  *  be  courteous.'  "     Mr.  Going  is  particularly 
so,  and  a  favourite  not  only  with  the  gentlemen  of  his 
own  rank  and  station,  but  also  with  the  farmers  and 
peasants ;  and  on  those  classes  hunting  men  are  de- 
pendent to  a  great  extent  for  their  sport.     Patrick 
Coady,  who  graduated  at  Curraghmore,  was  hunts- 
man to  Mr.  John  Going  for  thirteen  seasons ;  subse- 
quently, John  Heffernan  carried  the  horn  for  a  season 
or  two.     In  1873,  Jem  Maiden  was  appointed,  and  he 
held  the  situation  until  the  end  of  the  season  1876  -7, 
and,  Mr.   Going  assured  me,   discharged   his  duties 
admirably.       Mr.   Bellamy,   an    English    gentleman, 
remarkable   for  his  love  of  sport,   succeeded  to  the 
mastership,  in  1877. 

TheTipperary  hunting  district  is  a  fine  grasscountry. 

1 1 


158  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

The  coverts  number  about  sixty,  and  foxes  are  very 
numerous.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  master 
receives  rather  lukewarm  support — were  such  not  the 
case,  he  could  hunt  the  country  six  days  a  week. 
However,  there  are  a  few  who  subscribe  very  liberally 
to  the  funds.  Notably,  Lord  Clonmel,  Lord  Donough- 
more,  Lord  Lismore,  Messrs.  George  Gough,  sen., 
William  Riall,  and  William  Going. 

The  **  fields"  are  generally  small,  averaging  from 
twenty  to  fifty.  There  are  many  first-rate  riders 
among  the  followers  of  the  pack.  Place  aux  dames — 
Miss  C.  Quinn  and  Miss  L.  Quinn  are  generally 
amongst  the  first  rank.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say, 
that  Messrs.  George  Gough,  sen.  and  jun.,  W.  A. 
Riall,  B.  Going,  H.  C.  Cliborn,  T.  Perry,  J.  Langley, 
M.  Russell,  and  T.  Phillips,  are  certainly  deserving  of 
honourable  mention  in  any  record  such  as  this. 

The  pack  are  a  mixed  lot,  averaging  in  height 
twenty-three  inches,  and  are  bred  from  the  Curragh- 
more,  the  Burton  Puckridge,  Mr.  Lane  Fox's,  Sir 
Watkin  Wynn's,  and  the  Kilkenny  kennels.  The 
kennels  are  very  conveniently  situated  near  Fethard, 
where  they  have  been  these  many  years  past.  They 
are  at  present  occupied  by  twenty-eight  couple  of 
working  hounds.  Tuesdays  and  Saturdays  are  the 
hunting  days. 


THE    WESTMEATH    HOUNDS.  1 59 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    WESTMEATH    HOUNDS. 

Although  the  Westmeath  Hounds  are  not  quite  so 
familiarly  known  as  most  of  the  packs  which  I  have 
already  written  about,  a  task  such  as  mine  would  be 
very  far  from  complete  were  I  to  omit  a  lengthened 
and  accurate  history  of  the  pack  since  it  was  first  es- 
tablished, and  I  have  taken  some  care  to  procure  all 
particulars  relative  to  the  hounds. 

They  were  originally  formed  from  a  pack  that  ex- 
isted at  Killynon,  under  the  mastership  of  the  late  Mr. 
S.  Reynell,  ex-master  of  the  "Meaths,"  and  the  country 
was  hunted  by  him  from  about  1842  to  1847  ^^  1848, 
when  they,  with  many  other  packs  in  this  country, 
ceased  to  exist.  They  were  again  revived  in 
1853  by  Sir  Richard  Levinge,  the  country  having 
been  hunted  about  three  days  a  month  by  the 
East  Meath  Hounds  by  arrangement  for  some  sea- 
sons previous.  Sir  Richard  Levinge  formed  his 
pack  mainly  from  Sir  Richard  Sutton's  and  the  Oak- 
ley, with  some  drafts  from  other  kennels.  Jack  Raw- 
son  was  his  huntsman,  and  a  subscription  was  opened 
to  give  Sir  Richard  ;^4oo  a  year  for  hunting  the  county 
two  days  a  week.  Foxes  were  then  scarce,  and  there 
were  very  few  gorse  coverts,  yet  good  sport  was  shown 
by  the  Baronet  for  two  seasons,  and  it  is  to  him  alone 


l60  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

the  people  of  the  county  are  indebted  for  having  the 
present  pack  of  foxhounds.  Mr.  J.  A.  Rochford  Boyd, 
in  1856,  purchased  the  pack  from  Sir  Richard  Levinge, 
and  they  were  removed  from  Knockdrin  to  Middleton 
Park,  where  they  remained  for  a  couple  of  years,  and 
Rawson  was  succeeded  by  Jack  Mossom.  Mr.  Boyd 
was  not  unsuccessful  in  his  endeavours  to  show  sport. 
He  was  a  good  master ;  and,  as  he  kept  a  splendid 
stud  of  hunters,  he  as  well  as  his  servants  was  invari- 
ably well  mounted. 

In  1858,  however,  there  was  another  change,  and 
Mr.  Fetherston-Haugh  Briscoe  became  master,  and 
the  hounds  were  brought  to  the  Grangemore  kennels, 
situated  at  the  Killucan  end  of  the  county.  Mitchell, 
who  had  been  first  whip  in  Kildare,  was  appointed 
huntsman,  assisted  by  Joseph  Barton  as  whip.  Bril- 
liant sport  was  participated  in  by  large  fields  ;  foxes 
became  more  numerous,  and  Mr.  Briscoe  hunted  five 
days  a  fortnight,  and  afterwards  three  days  a  week ; 
but  two  years  saw  the  end  of  his  reign.  The 
hounds  remained  in  the  same  kennels,  when  Lord 
Vaux  of  Harrowden,  in  the  most  sportsmanlike  man- 
ner, came  to  the  assistance  of  the  hunting  community 
and  formed  a  committee,  consisting  of  Mr.  J.  A.  Roch- 
ford Boyd,  Mr.  Fetherston-Haugh  Briscoe,  and  him- 
self, to  carry  on  the  hunting  of  the  country.  His 
lordship  had  always  supported  the  foxhunting  inte- 
rests, and  he  induced  eight  gentlemen  to  subscribe  in 
order  to  purchase  the  pack  from  Mr.  Briscoe,  which 
they  did  for  ;!^4oo,  that  they  should  have  them  as  a 
county  pack.  Under  the  management  of  the  com- 
mittee the  sport  for  a  season  was  pretty  fair,  and 
then,  fortunately,  Mr.  G-  Dease  (now  a  gallant  major), 


THE    WESTMEATH    HOUNDS.  l6l 

brother  of  the  owner,  of  Turbetstown,  took  the  pack, 
and  removed  it  to  Turbetstown,  at  the  other  extreme 
end  of  the  county. 

In  1 86 1,  Joseph  Burton  was  promoted  to  the  horn, 
assisted  by  Robert  Thompson,  from  Lord  Middleton's, 
and  there  was  a  fair  season's  sport,  only  marred  by  a 
casualty,  which  caused  great  regret — the  breaking  of 
the  master's  leg  by  a  fall  in  the  middle  of  the  season. 
J.  Burton  was,  at  the  end  of  the  season,  succeeded  by 
Robert  Smith,  from  the  Badsworth,  who  promised  well, 
but  fell  sick  in  1863,  and  died  after  a  few  days'  illness. 
The  master  then  carried  the  horn  till  the  end  of  the 
season,  when  Wm.  Fisher,  from  the  Hampshire,  was 
engaged' as  huntsman,  R.  Thompson  still  acting  as 
whipper-in.  The  sport  was  only  moderate,  owing  to 
the  want  of  foxes. 

In  1864,  the  hounds  were  removed  to  Clonlost, 
near  Killucan,  where  Major  Dease  went  to  reside  on 
^.his  marriage,  renting  the  place  from  Colonel  Nugent, 
the  staff  continuing  as  before.  In  the  year  following, 
Major  Dease  undertook  to  carry  the  horn  himself, 
William  Fisher  remaining  on  as  kennel  huntsman  and 
first  whip,  and  R.  Thompson  as  second. 

In  1866,  the  master,  having  given  up  Clonlost,  re- 
moved to  Culleen,  about  one  mile  and  a-half  from 
Mullingar,  and  there,  on  a  plot  of  ground  rented  from 
Mr.  Tuite,  county  kennels  were  built,  where  the  hounds 
have  remained  ever  since.  In  that  year  the  pack  was 
strengthened  by  a  present  of  several  very  good  hounds 
from  Lord  Portsmouth,  and  they  hunted  three  days  a 
week,  under  the  joint  management  of  Major  Dease 
and  his  brother-in-law,  Sir  William  Trockmorton,  well 
known  since  then  as  the  master  of  the  Vale  of  White 


1 62  IRISH    SPORT  AND   SPORTSMEN. 

Horse,  till,  in  1875,  he  was  succeeded  by  Lord 
Shannon. 

In  1868,  Major  Dease  resigned.  His  reign  will  be 
long  remembered,  as  his  judicious  management  in 
every  respect  bore  its  fruit ;  the  sport  was  truly  ex- 
cellent, foxes  became  more  numerous,  gorse  coverts 
were  made,  the  fowl  fund  carefully  looked  after — in 
fact,  he  did  all  that  lay  in  his  power  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  his  brother  sportsmen,  and  his  great  popu- 
larity, knowledge,  real  love  of  the  pastime,  and  his 
indefatigable  exertions  enabled  him  to  do  an  immense 
deal.  On  his  resignation,  a  handsome  testimonial — a 
piece  of  plate  value  nearly  ^300 — was  presented  to 
him,  and  he  well  deserved  this  token  of  the  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held.  He  received  only  ^800  a  year, 
a  sum  which  did  not  nearly  defray  the  expense. 
For  the  last  two  seasons  of  his  management,  Robert 
Thompson  was  kennel  huntsman,  and  Will  Brice 
second  whip. 

A  worthy  successor  to  him  soon  came  to  the  front 
in  Mr.  Morton  C.  MacDonald.  After  three  years' 
experience  of  Irish  hunting  in  Meath  he  took  the  hounds 
and  horn,  and  the  energy  he  displayed,  the  pains  he 
took  to  improve  the  pack,  the  liberality  of  his  expen- 
diture in  encouraging  the  preservation  of  foxes,  and 
getting  up  a  sporting  spirit  in  the  county,  were  the 
means  of  insuring  three  good  seasons'  sport.  In 
his  time  Mr.  Longworth  sold  his  hounds,  and 
they  were  added  to  the  Westmeath.  He  kept  a 
pack  for  many  years  at  his  own  expense,  and  his 
country  which  was  added  to  the  Westmeath  dis- 
trict extended  from  Streamstown  to  Athlone,  about 
ten  miles  wide  on  either  side  of  the  M.  G.  W.  Railway, 


THE    WESTMEATH    HOUNDS.  1 63 

but  the  hunting  territory  now  reaches  from  Delvin  to 
Athlone.  A  handsome  testimonial  was  also  given 
to  Mr.  Morton  MacDonald  when  he  retired  in  favour 
of  a  committee,  consisting  of  Mr.  S.  Winter,  Mr.  J.  R. 
Malone,  and  Mr.  J.  Tuite.  I  should  mention  that  R. 
Thompson  continued  as  first  whip  during  Mr.  Morton 
MacDonald's  mastership. 

The  committee,  after  a  few  months,  found  a  master, 
the  late  Captain  R.  Coote   of  Bellamont   Forest,  Co. 
Cavan,  who  was  well  known  in  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's 
country,and  Tocock,  who  was  huntsman  for  a  short  time 
to  Mr.  Morton  MacDonald,  continued  to  act  as  such. 
In    1872,   Captain   the  Hon.   R.  Greville  Nugent 
succeeded  Captain  Coote.     He  had  Tocock  as  kennel 
huntsman  during  his  first  season,  and  Tom  Drayton 
the  second  ;   he  carried  the    horn    himself,    but    re- 
signed after  two  seasons  to  the  great  regret  of  every 
sportsman   in   the  county.      The  Hon.  Greville  Nu- 
gent, alias  "Mr.  St.  James,"  is  one  of  the  most  es- 
teemed  and  noted  patrons    of  the    turf  in    Ireland. 
He     served     for     some    years    in    the    Coldstream 
Guards,   and   was   one  of  the   most  popular  officers 
in    that    "  crack"    corps.      About    ten    years   ago, 
he    first    "  sported"    silk,    and    soon    acquired   the 
reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  successful  and 
artistic  steeplechase  riders  in  the  kingdom.    More  than 
once  he  stood  at  head  of  the  annual  list  of  successful 
gentlemen  riders  in  Ireland ;  and  his  performance  In 
Punchestown  in  1 875,  when  he  rode  the  winners  of  four 
races,  Is  one  of  the  most  memorable  feats  recorded  in 
the  Irish  Racing  Calendar.     Few  men  have  filled  the 
role  of  M.  F.  H.   more  worthily.      He  Is  a  member 
of  a  family    which    has    for  many   years  past    been 


% 


164  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

liberal  supporters  of  the  Westmeath  Hounds.  His 
fame  will  survive  some  generations  of  sportsmen,  and 
his  cheery  humour  and  many  good  traits  of  character 
have  earned  for  him  a  widespread  popularity  which  I 
hope  he  will  live  long  to  enjoy. 

A  successor  could  not  be  found,  and  again  the 
pack  came  to  be  managed  by  a  committee,  consisting 
of  a  trio  of  good  and  popular  sportsmen,  Captain  J. 
R.  Malone,  Mr  Ambrose  More  O'Ferrall,  and  Mr. 
Richard  Reynell,  who  had  been  secretary  to  the  hunt 
from  the  time  Mr.  Fetherston-Haugh  Briscoe  took 
office;  Mr.  Joly  was  then  appointed  secretary. 
Rose,  from  the  Stafford  Hounds,  brought  over  as 
huntsman,  and  Will  Mathews,  who  came  in  1872,  con- 
tinued as  whip.  Owing  to  the  frequent  changes  of 
masters,  things  had  got  out  of  order,  and  the  com- 
mittee had  a  good  deal  to  do  to  set  them  right,  but 
fortunately  success  attended  their  efforts,  and  a  fair 
season's  sport  was  the  result.  Two  of  the  committee 
resigned  (Captain  J.  R.  Malone  and  Mr.  Ambrose 
More  O'Ferrall)  after  one  season,  and  Sir  Walter 
Nugent  and  Lord  Kilmaine  joined  Mr.  Richard  Rey- 
nell in  the  management.  The  improvement  com- 
menced the  previous  year  continued,  and  a  most 
successful  season  ensued  ;  nineteen  brace  of  foxes  were 
killed,  and  hunting  prospects  brightened  considerably 
during  the  year. 

In  1876,  fortunately  for  Westmeath  hunting  folk, 
a  popular  young  gentleman,  Mr.  Montague  Chapman, 
eldest  son  of  Sir  Benjamin  Chapman  of  Killeed  Castle, 
one  of  the  largest  landed  proprietors  in  the  county, 
got  the  title  of  M.  W.  F.  H.,   and  Mathews,   a  very 


THE    WESTMEATH    HOUNDS.  1 65 

good  man  in  the  field  and  kennel,  is  huntsman,  with 
J.  Mason  and  Frank  Toop  as  whips. 

There  are  forty-three  couple  of  good,  useful  work- 
ing hounds  in  the  kennel  at  present.  The  country  is 
fairly  stocked  with  foxes,  to  be  found  chiefly  in  the 
natural  woods  and  demesnes,  there  not  being  many 
artificial  coverts  ;  but  they  are  all  the  better  for  that, 
and  take  some  killing.  Parts  of  the  country  are  hilly 
and  not  too  easy  to  get  over  ;  but  west  of  MuUingar 
is  a  fine  grass  country,  with  coverts  few  and  far  be- 
tween, and  there  a  fox  must  run  for  his  life,  for 
he  cannot  easily  find  a  haven  of  refuge.  Mr.  R* 
W.  Reynell  of  Killynon,  and  Mr.  Henry  Murray  of 
Mount  Murray,  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  fathers  of 
the  hunt ;  both  were  good  riders  in  their  day,  and 
very  hard  indeed  to  beat,  the  latter  especially  being  a 
very  fine  horseman,  and  in  former  days  Major  Dease 
was  a  veritable  "  clinker."  In  the  first  flight  is  now 
always  to  be  seen  Captain  J.  R.  Malone,  no  ordinary 
welter-weight  ;  Mr.  O'Reilly  is  always  very  hard  to 
beat,  and  Lord  Kilmaine  is  generally  the  leader  of  the 
"  light  brigade."  Mr.  C.  Coffy  of  Newcastle,  also  rides 
well,  and  is  an  ardent  lover  of  hunting.  It  would 
be  strange  if  his  tastes  did  not  incline  in  a  manner 
which  pre-eminently  entitles  him  to  mention  in  my 
memoranda  of  the  chase,  as,  if  there  is  any  tfuth  in 
the  old  saw,  "breeding  will  tell,"  he  is  a  natural 
sportsman.  He  keeps  a  very  good  pack  of  harriers, 
as  did  his  father  before  him  for  very  many  years. 
Few  names  have  been  so  long  associated  with  the 
Irish  turf  as  that  of  Mr.  Richard  Coffy,  who  bred  and 
raced  many  famous   racers  and  chasers  —  The  De- 


1 66  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

formed,  Twilight,  Yaller  Gal,  Newcastle,  Fertullagh, 
Gardiner,  and  Juryman,  to  wit.  The  subscription 
amounts  to  ;/^i,ioo  a  year;  they  hunt  three  days  a 
week,  and  if  there  were  a  few  more  gorse  coverts  the 
country  is  quite  large  enough  for  an  additional  day 
each  week  ;  the  average  number  of  the  field  is  about 
thirty ;  and  with  more  game  the  country  would  take 
a  high  place. 


THE    CASHELMORE    HOUNDS.  1 67 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE    CASHELMORE    HOUNDS. 

More  than  a  hundred  years  have  elapsed  since  the 
tuneful  notes  of  the  Cashelmore  Hounds  were  first 
heard  in  the  far-west  of  the  county  of  Cork. 

"  In  years  long  numbered  with  the  things  that  were 
Before  the  flood,  a  jolly  pair, 
Jack  Beamish  and  his  huntsman  bold, 
Jack  Bouig,  man  of  slender  mould, 
With  cheery  sound  of  hound  and  horn, 
Awaked  the  echoes  in  the  morn  ; 
And  with  their  dogs  of  Irish  blood, 
The  hare  and  fox  alike  pursued." 

This  pack  was  established  in  the  last  century,  but 
at  what  precise  time  it  is  now  impossible  to  say.  It 
is  a  well-known  fact,  stated  by  Nimrod  and  other 
sporting  writers,  that  the  pursuit  of  the  deer  was  the 
first  hunting  The  hare  then  came  to  be  hunted, 
probably  when  the  supply  of  deer  ran  short,  and  the 
fox  last  of  all — in  fact  fox-hunting,  pure  and  simple, 
is  of  very  modern  introduction — the  fox  being  looked 
upon,  as  no  doubt  he  is,  a  perfectly  worthless  animal 
when  captured,  and  our  wise  forefathers  having  an 
eye  to  the  utile  as  well  as  the  dulce^  liked  to  have 
some  good  by  their  day's  work.  The  fox  at  that 
time  was  destroyed  as  a  nuisance  and  vermin,  rather 
than  preserved  as  he  is   at  present— a  run  at  a  fox 


1 68  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

was  rather  the  exception  than  the  rule,  and  hounds 
hunted  both  fox  and  hare  as  stated  above  of  the 
Cashelmore  Hounds.  Hunting  itself  is  of  very- 
ancient  origin — we  read  of  it  in  the  Bible.  The 
ancient  Persians  taught  their  sons  three  things — '*  to 
ride,  to  shoot,  and  to  speak  the  truth."  Shooting  in 
those  days  was  a  companion  of  the  chase,  not  sepa- 
rated from  it  as  at  present,  and  the  horseman  who 
could  get  abreast  of  the  quarry  and  bring  him  down 
with  a  well  directed  arrow  from  the  bow,  was  con- 
sidered the  same  as  he  who  now  takes  the  brush. 
Through  the  ages  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  and  iron, 
the  Babylonian,  Medo-Persian,  Grecian,  and  Roman 
dynasties  that  have  ruled  the  world,  hunting  has  held 
its  ground,  and  we  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not 
continue  to  the  end  of  time. 

The  present  master  of  the  Cashelmore  Hounds, 
Mr.  Thomas  Beamish,  was  born  in  the  year  1802. 
By  his  friends  he  is  still  always  called  by  the  short 
and  familiar  name  of  Tom  Beamish.  He  never 
remembers  Cashelmore  without  hounds,  and  says 
they  were  there  long  before  he  was  born.  A  labour- 
ing man,  who  lived  all  his  life  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  died  at  the  commencement  of  the  present  year  at 
the  full  age  of  a  hundred  years,  said  that  the  hounds 
were  there  long  before  his  recollection.  John 
Beamish,  father  of  the  present  master,  died  in  the 
year  1848,  at  a  very  advanced  age.  His  father — 
John  also — died  early  in  the  century,  and  the  present 
master  well  remembers  having  been  out  hunting  with 
his  father  and  grandfather;  three  generations  together 
in  the  field  with  their  own  hounds. 

John  was  the  family  name,  and  was  borne  by  the 


THE    CASHELMORE    HOUNDS.  1 69 

eldest  son  generations  back  before  those  above- 
mentioned.  The  present  master  was  his  father's 
second  son.  His  eldest  brother,  John,  died  in  the 
year  1836,  of  scarlatina.  Against  all  advice  he  would 
go  hunting  with  the  scarlatina  on  him,  and  it  proved 
fatal.  As  the  present  master  is  always  called  Tom. 
so  his  father  went  by  the  familiar  name  of  Jack 
Beamish  :  this  was  the  old  style  of  the  country.  Such 
were  the  masters ;   men,  true  and  real  sportsmen. 

The  huntsmen,  of  whom  a  record  can  be  traced, 
are  three — John,  or  as  he  too  was  called,  Jack  Bouig, 
and  his  son  Patrick,  or  Paddy  Bouig ;  and  Denis 
Driscoll,  whose  sobriquet  was  "  Dindy."  How  long 
the  two  former  acted  as  huntsmen  cannot  be  exactly 
ascertained,  but  it  must  have  been  for  a  very  long 
time.  The  latter  was  within  the  writer's  own  recol- 
lection, and  hunted  the  hounds  for  a  period  of  between 
forty  and  fifty  years.  The  writer's  own  personal  recol- 
lection of  the  pack  extends  to  that  length  of  time,  and 
having  seen  many  huntsmen  in  the  field,  he  can  safely 
say  that  a  better  huntsman  of  his  class  than  "  Dindy" 
never  followed  a  hound  or  carried  a  horn.  He  was 
equally  good  at  running  a  fox  hard  and  straight,  or 
tracking  the  mazy  windings  of  a  hare,  and  always 
with  his  hounds.  He  acted  as  huntsman  for  years 
after  the  death  of  the  late  master,  In  1848,  until 
growing  rather  old  for  the  business,  his  family  emi- 
grated, and  took  him  with  them  to  America.  No 
other  huntsman  was  then  engaged,  and  for  some  time 
the  hounds  were  hunted  by  the  present  master,  occa- 
sionally assisted  by  a  friend,  until  the  present  hunts- 
man, his  son — Mr.  John  Beamish — grew  up  to  man's 
estate,  and  was  able  to  take  his  father's  place.     Up 


170  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

to  the  year  1865,  the  hounds  were  kept  altogether  by 
the  Messrs.  Beamish.  In  1865,  they  became  a  club 
pack,  and  have  continued  so  since.  The  present 
huntsman,  Mr.  John  Beamish,  has  hunted  them  since 
that  date,  and  of  late  he  has  been  assisted  by  his 
younger  brother,  Mr.  Richard  Beamish,  as  occasion 
required. 

The  hounds  were  originally  all  of  Irish  blood, 
but  since  they  became  a  club  pack  a  mixture  of  Eng- 
lish was  introduced,  hounds  being  got  from  the  Duke 
of  Beaufort's  pack,  the  Quorn  and  the  Brocklesby,  in 
England,  and  from  the  Muskerries,  the  Duhallows, 
the  Curraghmore,  the  United  Hunt  (late  Lord 
Shannon's),  and  Mr.  T.  G.  Waters's  pack  in  Ire- 
land. There  are  still  some  grizzled  hounds  of  the 
old  Irish  blood  among  them,  and  in  hard  running  they 
still  lead  the  pack.  Some  of  the  dogs  are  twenty- 
five  inches  high,  and  the  average  twenty-four.  There 
are  at  present  twenty  couple  in  the  kennel — originally, 
as  stated  above,  they  hunted  foxes  and  hares,  but  for 
some  years  back,  the  club  having  stocked  the  country, 
they  hunt  only  foxes. 

Cashelmore,  where  the  kennels  are,  is  situated  at 
the  western  side  of  the  hill  that  bears  its  name.  It  is 
about  four  miles  to  the  west  of  Bandon,  a  borough- 
town  in  the  county  of  Cork.  On  the  top  of  the  hill 
is  a  building  of  dry  stone,  with  steps  up  to  it.  It  was 
erected,  in  the  year  1857,  by  the  present  M.  F.  H., 
and  a  neighbouring  proprietor,  Mr.  Zachariah  Cornock 
Hawkes.  Mr.  Hawkes  has  been  dead  for  some  time. 
He  was  a  highly  scientific  man  and  great  antiquarian, 
possessing  a  vast  collection  of  old  Roman  and  other 
coins,  and  other  such  articles  of  vertu.      The  date, 


THE    CASHELMORE    HOUNDS.  I7I 

I5tli  August,  1857,  and  eye  tangent  of  sea  32^ 
+  Jth  miles  for  vefn.,  2)1')  ^J*e  marked  by  him  on 
the  cairn.  It  is  a  conspicuous  object  from  the  sur- 
rounding district,  and  is  called  *'  The  Peak  of 
Cashelmore."  From  the  Peak  there  is  a  most  exten- 
sive view.  On  the  south,  Is  the  ocean  visible  from 
the  Old  Head  of  KInsale  to  Cape  Clear,  and  the 
large  American  steamers  passing  to  and  fro  can  be 
plainly  seen.  On  the  west,  north,  and  east  are  In 
view  the  range  of  the  Dunmanway  mountains  In 
this  county;  Mangerton  and  the  Reeks  In  Kerry; 
the  Castle  Oliver  and  Ballyhonra  mountains  In 
Limerick ;  the  Galtees  In  Tipperary,  and  Knock- 
mlldown  In  the  county  of  Waterford.  All  Munster 
can  be  seen  except  Clare.  The  mention  of  Knock- 
mlldown  reminds  the  writer  of  the  following  story : 
On  the  summit,  a  Major  Eels  Is  buried.  The  Major 
used  to  say  that,  If  burled  in  a  churchyard,  he  was 
afraid  at  the  resurrection  he  might  have  a  dispute 
with  some  other  tenant  of  the  cemetery  about  a  leg,  or 
an  arm,  or  some  other  bone.  Up  there  he  was  safe 
not  to  have  a  bone  of  contention  with  anyone,  they 
would  be  all  his  own.  He  was  very  fond  of  shooting, 
and  on  moonlight  nights  he  would  shoot  on  the 
mountain  accompanied  by  his  dog.  His  coffin  was 
placed  in  an  erect  position,  his  gun  by  his  side,  and 
his  dog  was  killed  and  buried  at  his  feet.  He  left 
;^500  in  his  will  to  carry  out  his  Instructions.  The 
country  hunted  by  the  Cashelmore  Hounds  Is  not 
quite  as  extensive  as  the  view  from  the  Peak,  but 
comprehends  a  good  area.  On  the  east,  it  Is  bounded 
by  the  river,  the  "  pleasant  Bandon,  crowned  with 
many  a  wood,"  sweeping  in  a  graceful  curve  from  the 


172  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

town  of  Innoshannon,  by  Shippool,  with  its  church 
and  old  castle,  the  picturesque  residence  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Herrick,  and  on  by  Kilgobbin  and  Ringfinnan  (the 
latter  the  property  of  the  M.  F.  H.),  down  to  the 
harbour  of  Kinsale.  The  hunting-ground  of  the 
Cashelmore  Hounds  commences  at  the  western  bank 
of  the  river.  The  tide  reaches  to  Innoshannon  Bridge, 
and  ships  of  large  burden  come  up  as  far  as  Kilmac- 
simon  and  Collier's  Quay.  Thence  to  the  south  the 
country  extends  till  it  meets  "  torn  oceans'  roar," 
where  it  "  breaks  on  its  cold  gray  stones,"  at  the 
cliffs  of  Garretstown,  Courtmasherry,  the  Seven 
Heads,  and  on  to  Ring  and  the  harbour  of  Clona- 
kilty,  where,  treading  to  the  north-west  from  the 
receding  coast- line,  it  embraces  the  properties  of  Mr. 
Bence  Jones  of  Lisselane,  Mr.  Hume  Townsend  of 
Kilmeen,  Mr.  Gillman  of  Oakmount,  and  so  on  as  far 
as  the  town  of  Dunmanway,  or  to  any  limit,  indeed,  in 
that  direction,  there  being  no  pack  to  claim  hunting- 
ground  either  there  or  at  Skibbereen,  a  town  many 
miles  to  the  west  of  Dunmanway,  which  seems  alto- 
gether out  of  the  sporting  world,  as  we  do  not  hear 
of  hounds,  races,  or  anything  of  the  kind  connected 
with  Skibbereen,  a  name  that  in  the  famine  time 
became  unfortunately  notorious.  In  former  days, 
indeed,  there  was  a  pack  of  hounds  there,  and  when 
they  were  given  up,  the  best  of  them  were  drafted 
into  the  Cashelmore  pack,  and  capital  hounds  they 
were,  as  the  writer,  who  often  rode  with  them,  can 
testify.  At  Castle  Freke,  to  the  west  of  Clonakilty, 
there  is  a  pack  of  small  hounds,  harriers  only,  kept 
by  Lord  Carbery,  so  that,  as  far  as  the  west  is  con- 
cerned, the  district  of  the  Cashelmore  Hounds  may 


THE    CASHELMORE    HOUNDS.  173 

be  said  to  be  boundless.  To  the  north,  then,  It  extends 
beyond  the  line  of  the  Bandon  river,  over  the  property 
of  Mr.  Conner  of  Manch,  and  far  to  the  north  of  that 
and  of  Kinneigh  (where  stands  one  of  those  mys- 
terious round  towers  of  Ireland),  and  Castletown,  and 
embracing  the  Duke  of  Devonshire's  extensive  coverts 
at  the  north  side  of  the  river,  joins  the  Muskerry 
country  at  Mount  Pleasant.  In  breadth,  from  the  sea 
inland,  it  is  about  twenty  miles ;  and,  in  length,  from 
Ringfinnan  to  the  West,  any  extent. 

The  character  of  the  country  differs  altogether. 
The  west  is  wild,  rocky,  mountainous,  and  swampy. 
The  east  just  the  reverse  :  cultivated,  smooth,  nicely 
enclosed,  and  with  good  pasture-land  and  fair  fences. 
The  horse  that  could  be  ridden  with  safety  over  the 
eastern  district,  if  only  a  good  jumper,  would  break  its 
own  and  its  rider's  necks  in  the  western,  if  impetuous 
or  a  hard  puller.  Better  hunts,  however,  are  had  in 
the  western  district.  In  the  first  place,  if  hounds  get 
settled  to  their  fox,  it  is  very  difficult,  indeed  impos- 
sible, for  the  best  mounted  man  to  override  or  inter- 
fere with  them ;  and  overriding  hounds  has  scores  of 
times  spoiled  a  good  hunt.  As  Nimrod,  in  his  publi- 
cation, "The  Horse  and  the  Hound,"  truly  says: 
"  One  injudicious  or  hasty  rider,  by  a  single  false 
step,  has  frequently  spoiled  the  most  promising  run." 
In  their  western  district  the  Cashelmore  Hounds  may 
defy  any  rider  to  do  that.  Let  them  once  get  settled 
to  their  fox  on  a  fair  scenting-day,  and  catch  us  who 
can,  may  be  their  motto- 

The  character  of  the  foxes  seems  also  to  partake 
of  the  wildness  of  the  district.  The  western  foxes 
being  given  to  run  out  straight  and  far,  the  eastern 

12 


174  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

short  and  ringing.  In  1876  the  writer  saw  a  run  of 
this  sort  from  Oakmount.  Sixteen  miles  straight  on 
and  without  a  single  cast  given  to  the  hounds,  ending 
in  a  kill  in  the  open  of  an  old  dog  fox.  The  kill  took 
place  four  miles  to  the  west  of  Dunmanway,  in  open 
grass-land,  at  the  side  of  Meelane  mountain.  Dur- 
ing that  run  at  times  no  man  could  get  within  a  fur- 
long of  the  hounds,  and  it  was  by  a  lucky  turn  that  a 
single  horseman  got  on  terms  with  them  when  run- 
ning full  view  at  the  fox,  and  was  up  at  the  death. 
That  horseman  can  tell  that  the  old  Irish  grizzled 
hounds  were  leading  the  pack  and  took  the  fox. 
Three  others  out  of  twelve  were  all  that  appeared  at 
the  finish. 

The  eastern  district  differs  altogether.  There  a 
horse  can  go  wherever  hounds  run.  Good  hunts  are 
had  there,  too  ;  but  as  a  rule,  as  runs,  they  are  not  to 
be  compared  to  the  wild  western  ones.  The  meets  in 
the  eastern  district  are  far  better  attended  than  in  the 
west ;  from  twenty  to  thirty  being  the  average  of  the 
former,  from  ten  to  fifteen  that  of  the  latter. 

The  first-flight  riders  of  the  old  day  were  John  and 
his  brother  Robert  Kenny  of  Kilmeen,  the  Rev.  John 
Smythe  of  Castle  Downeen,  near  Rosscarbery,  James 
Gillman  of  Oakmount,  Hill  Gillman  of  Sandycove, 
Captain  Adderley  Beamish  of  Palace  Anne,  and  his 
brother,  Captain  Sam  (so-called),  Francis  Kingston, 
Fergus  O'Connor  of  Fort  Robert — a  name  not  now 
mentioned  for  the  first  time — Jonas  Sealy  of  Barley- 
field,  and  his  brother,  Doctor  John  Sealy,  Edward 
O'Brien,  familiarly  known  as  Ned  O'Brien — a  name  as 
famous  for  hard  riding  in  this  district  as  that  of  Asshe- 
ton  Smith  in  his.     A  story  is  told  of  him  as  follows : 


THE    CASHELMORE    HOUNDS.  175 

Among  the  first-flight  riders  of  the  old  day  was  the 
then  Countess  of  Bandon,  ancestor  two  generations 
removed  from  the  present  Earl.  The  hounds  had  found 
a  fox  at  Kilbrittain,  now  the  residence  of  Colonel 
Alcock  Stawell  —all  former  proprietors  of  Kilbrittain 
patronised  hunting  and  joined  in  the  sport.  The  pre- 
sent proprietor  does  not  do  so,  but  that  can  be  ac- 
counted for  by  the  fact  that  Stawell  is  an  assumed 
name.  Kilbrittain  fell  to  an  heiress.  Colonel  Alcock 
married  the  heiress  and  took  the  name,  so  that  he  is 
not  the  true  blood  of  the  Stawells  of  Kilbrittain,  who 
were  ever  famous  for  love  of  the  sport.  The  hounds 
had  found  at  Kilbrittain  and  ran  their  fox  hard  to  Kil- 
macsimon.  Opposite  Shippool  the  fox  took  the  water, 
and  swam  across  the  estuary,  the  tide  being  fully 
in.  The  hounds  close  at  their  fox  followed — and  Lady 
Bandon  unhesitatingly  dashed  in  after  them.  Out  of  a 
large  field  the  only  one  who  dared  to  follow  her  was  Ned 
O'Brien.  He  said  afterwards  that  of  himself  he  would 
not  have  dreamed  of  doing  such  a  thing,  but  he  was 
certain  she  would  be  drowned,  and  being  a  first-rate 
swimmer  himself,  he  thought  he  might  render  her 
some  assistance.  Fortunately  their  horses  carried 
both  across  in  safety.  Such  were  the  first-flight  riders 
of  the  old  day,  all  long  since  dead. 

Of  those  who  were  so  and  still  remain  the  worthy 
master  is  to  be  named,  who,  now  in  his  seventy-fifth 
year,  still  goes  out  with  his  hounds,  and  rides  over  a 
fence  occasionally  in  a  style  that  shows  what  he  was 
in  the  hey-day  of  youth. 

From  his  great  knowledge  of  the  country,  also,  he 
stills  gets  ahead  in  a  surprising  manner,  and  manages 
to  be  within  hail  "  there,"  or  "  thereabouts,"  at  the 


176  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

finish  of  many  a  run.  A  peculiarity  possessed  by 
him  should  not  be  omitted.  It  must  be  confessed 
that  he  shares  it  with  his  hounds.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  skin  of  the  dog  never  gets  heated  like  that  of 
the  horse ;  through  the  tongue  all  exudation  of  that 
kind  passes  off  in  the  dog.  A  strange  peculiarity  of 
the  master  of  the  Cashelmore  Hounds  is,  that  no 
drop  of  moisture  ever  exuded  through  the  pores  of 
his  skin.  On  the  closest  day,  after  the  hardest  hunt, 
when  others  were  reeking,  the  writer  has  proved  by 
touching  evidence  that  every  garment  on  the  master 
was  as  dry  as  if  it  was  held  to  the  fire.  That  it 
exudes  by  the  tongue  cannot  be  added,  though  he 
certainly  always  was  in  that  respect  what  Hector  was 
said  to  be,  " /3o>;i/  ayaOo^,'^  his  halloo  could  be  heard 
far  and  near,  but  nature  had  provided  another  safety 
valve.  His  head  and  face  alone  seem  affected — they 
reeked  doubly,  and  when  he  has  taken  off  his  hat, 
a  smoke  like  that  from  a  small  furnace  has  issued 
from  his  head,  and  his  face  streaming,  but  all  else 
dry  as  possible.  Notwithstanding  this  peculiarity, 
which  physicians  would  doubtless  say  was  bad  and 
dangerous,  he  has  ever  been  a  perfectly  healthy 
man.  Another  peculiarity  is,  that  there  is  a  curious 
indentation  in  his  skull,  on  the  top  of  the  head,  rather 
towards  the  poll ;  any  person  feeling  it  would  say, 
that  the  skull  was  certainly  fractured.  One  day,  when 
the  hounds  were  drawing  for  a  fox,  his  horse  missed  a 
jump  and  came  down,  giving  him  a  "grasser"  ugly  to 
look  at,  but  not  hurting  him  in  the  least.  Some 
of  the  field  ran  to  him ;  and  when  the  master  had 
gathered  himself  up,  a  thought  struck  him — his  hat 
had  fallen  off,  and  he  placed  his  hands  on  the  indenta- 


THE    CASHELMORE    HOUNDS. 


^n 


tion.  Other  hands  were  placed  there  at  once,  and, 
**  oh !  his  skull  is  fractured,  he  has  not  an  hour  to 
live,"  was  whispered  from  ear  to  ear.  For  a  short 
time  he  left  them  in  ignorance  of  the  truth,  then 
laughingly  told  them  that  the  indentation  was  na- 
tural, and  had  ever  been  the  same. 

Mr.  Francis  Beamish  of  Killinear,  a  distant  rela- 
tive of  the  master's,  is  another  of  the  old  first-flights, 
but  of  late  years  he  has  given  up  hunting. 

Among  the  best  riders  of  the  past  day  with  these 
hounds  two  names  should  not  be  forgotten,  those  of 
the  late  James  Lowe  Holmes  of  Carrigmore,  and 
Horace  Townsend  Poole  of  Mayfield,  both  of  whom 
died  in  the  prime  of  manhood  within  the  last  few 
years,  and  than  whom  no  better  sportsmen  or  useful 
country  gentlemen  could  be  found  in  any  district. 

The  first -flight  riders  of  the  present  day  are 
Messrs.  John  and  Richard  Beamish,  sons  of  the 
master,  both  of  whom  hunt  the  hounds  as  occasion 
requires;  Mr.  Daniel  Conner  of  Manch,  who  at  one 
time  kept  hounds  of  his  own,  but  gave  them  up  to 
join  the  Cashelmore  Club ;  Mr.  T.  H.  Poole,  a  nephew 
of  Major  Poole ;  Mr.  Baldwin  Sealy  of  Barley  field, 
and  his  son  Richard ;  Messrs.  William  and  James 
Sealy  of  Burrin ;  Mr.  Robert  Travers  of  Timoleague; 
Mr.  George  Lamb  of  Barry's  Hall;  Mr.  James 
Wheeler  of  Fort  Prospect ;  Mr.  J.  E.  O' Sullivan  of 
Skeaf;  Dr.  Orpen  Beamish  of  Enniskeane,  and  his 
brother,  Mr.  George  Beamish;  Mr.  William  Long- 
field  of  Church  Hill ;  Mr.  Francis  Beamish  of  Kilma- 
looda,  Mr.  William  Lombard  of  Hoe  Lodge;  Mr. 
Edward  Gillman,  who  is  well  known  as  sporting  both 
silk  and  scarlet ;  and  Mr.  Allcock  Ottley. 


178  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Having  enumerated  the  gentlemen,  the  ladies 
should  not  be  forgotten  ;  indeed,  by  right  they  should 
have  been  placed  first,  but  alas !  the  melancholy  fact 
is  that  nothing  in  this  world  is  right,  all  has  gone 
wrong  since  Eve  ate  the  apple.  The  first-flight  ladies 
of  the  present  day  are,  Mrs.  and  the  Misses  Travers 
of  Timoleague,  Miss  Hosford  of  Barry's  Hall,  Miss 
Alice  Beamish  of  Harehill,  and  Miss  Conner  of 
Manch. 

The  club  was  formed  in  the  year  1865;  Mr.  T. 
Poole  of  Mayfield  took  the  post  of  secretary  and 
holds  it  still.  He  is  a  great  favourite  and  thorough 
sportsman.  Subscribers  of  the  past  day  not  now  on 
the  list  were,  Mr.  James  L.  Holmes,  Horace  T.  Poole, 
and  Francis  Beamish  (all  above-mentioned  in  the 
past) ;  also  General  Beamish,  Major-General  Long- 
field,  Colonel  Teulon,  Captain  Cornwall,  the  late 
Mr.  James  Gillman  of  Oakmount,  the  late  Mr.  Walter 
Holmes  of  Carrigmore,  the  late  Mr.  Henry  Hassett 
of  Woodlands,  and  the  late  Mr.  Francis  Hurley  of 
Bandon. 

As  subscribers  of  the  present  day,  the  name  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Beamish  of  Kilmalooda,  who  acts  as 
chairman  of  the  business  meetings,  heads  the  list, 
which  includes  the  names  of  all  those  gentlemen 
enumerated  above  as  riders  in  the  field  ;  also  those 
of  Colonel  Gillman,  Captain  Woodley,  the  Secretary, 
&c.,  altogether  thirty  names.  The  Cashelmore  Hunt 
Races  were  got  up  in  1873,  i^i  connexion  with  the 
club,  and  have  been  held  yearly  at  their  racecourse, 
at  Knockbrown,  since  that  date.  ^ 


THE    CASHELMORE    HOUNDS.  1 79 


CONCLUSION. 

I  pity  the  man  whose  heart  never  beat  higher 

At  the  note  of  the  horn,  or  the  cry  of  the  hound  ; 
When  the  beauties  all  joined  in  a  musical  choir, 

Send  up  from  the  covert  perfection  of  sound. 
Now  when  night  has  set  in,  and  the  wild  winds  mourn  ever, 

Beside  the  bright  fire,  I  love  to  think  o'er 
Those  days  that  have  passed  that  will  come  again  never-— 

Those  days  that  I  spent  with  the  old  Cashelmore. 

Yes,  I  think  of  the  day  where  the  Cashel  Peak  towers 

Two  foxes  divided  the  blood-loving  pack, 
And  how  the  scent  lay,  while  the  southerly  showers 

Poured  down  on  the  field  when  we  met  at  Moulbrack ; 
And  where  Timoleague's  Abbey  stands  over  the  water, 

And  Umera's  woods  kiss  the  silvery  wave, 
How  they  raced  through  the  pastures  determined  on  slaughter, 

While  Reynard  his  brush  was  determined  to  save. 

Good  luck  to  them  ever,  stout  foxes  to  lead  them 

From  Carbery's  hills  to  sea  girt  Barryroe ; 
Old  Irish  blood  ever,  so  long  may  they  breed  them 

A  true  hunting  pack,  and  a  good  one  to  go. 
Aye,  my  horse  has  grown  old  and  his  rider  grown  older, 

And  few  may  the  days  be  that  linger  before  ; 
But  my  heart  is  as  warm  though  my  old  limbs  are  colder. 

As  when  first  I  rode  straight  with  the  fast  Cashelmore.* 

"  Elfin." 

*  I  am  indebted  to  one  of  the  best  sportsmen  in  the  soutli  of  Ireland  for 
this  history  of  the  Cashelmore  Hounds. 


l8o  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    WEXFORD    HOUNDS. 

This  pack  was  established  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago, 
by  Colonel  Pigott  of  Slevoy  Castle,  as  a  private  pack, 
in  conjunction  with  gentlemen  residing  in  his  neigh- 
bourhood. In  the  year  1810,  the  Wexford  Hunt  Club 
was  formed,  and  Colonel  Pigott  became  master,  and 
continued  to  fill  that  office  till  he  resigned  in  1839; 
then  his  son,  the  late  Mr.  G.  P.  Pigott,  was  appointed. 
In  1 84 1,  Mr.  James  Harvey  took  the  horn,  and,  after 
one  year's  mastership,  was  replaced  by  the  present 
master,  Mr.  D.  V.  Beatty,  in  conjunction  with  Mr. 
St.  George  Deane,  who  hunted  the  country  for  one 
season,  at  the  termination  of  which  Mr.  Beatty  took 
the  onus  on  his  shoulders,  which  he  has  borne  con- 
tinuously ever  since.  He  hunted  the  hounds  himself 
till  the  close  of  the  seasons  1875-6,  when,  from  various 
causes,  he  announced  his  intention  of  keeping  a  hunts- 
man. The  hunting  district  is  very  extensive ;  about 
thirty-three  by  twenty-three  miles.  It  is  a  very  diffi- 
cult country  to  ride  over;  you  require  a  very  well 
trained  horse.  It  is  for  the  most  part  flat,  with 
undulating  hills,  and  obstacles  of  all  descriptions  are 
to  be  met  with.  The  territory  includes  all  the  county 
Wexford,  south  of  that  hunted  over  by  the  Carlow 
and  Island  Hounds.  It  is  bounded,  south  and  east  by 
the  sea,  on  the  west  by  Carlow,  and  on  the  north  by 


THE  WEXFORD  HOUNDS.  l8l 

the  Carlow  and  Island  country.  The  country  Is  quite 
capable  of  four  days  a  week  ;  foxes  are  numerous,  and 
the  coverts  mostly  of  gorse,  were,  with  few  exceptions, 
planted  by  Mr.  Beatty  himself,  and  are  situated 
at  convenient  intervals,  and  in  the  most  favoured 
localities  throughout  the  entire  district. 

The  pack  combine  great  power  with  rare  hunting 
qualities,  which  the  nature  of  the  country  requires. 
There  are  generally  from  forty-two  to  forty-five  couples 
of  hounds  in  the  kennels ;  the  dogs  averaging  twenty- 
three  inches,  and  the  bitches  twenty-one  and  a  half 
inches  in  height.  They  are,  undoubtedly,  a  very  well 
selected  lot,  bred  exclusively,  under  the  master's  own 
supervision,  from  the  best  English  kennels ;  espe- 
cially Lord  Portsmouth's,  who  has  a  large  property 
in  the  county,  and  has  done  much  to  benefit  the  pack. 
Indeed,  the  Wallope  blood  preponderates,  and  is  said 
to  be  recognisable  by  those  who  know  it  in  the  south 
of  England,  where  his  Lordship  has  been  a  M.  F.  H. 
for  so  many  years.  In  Ireland  he  is  only  known  as  a 
most  liberal  landlord,  who  makes  up  for  being  an 
absentee  by  a  noble  generosity  in  his  relations  with 
his  tenantry,  one  of  whom  characteristically  said  of 
him,  "Faith,  he's  a  mis-named  man;  Wallope, 
indeed  !    faith,  it  ought  to  be  Walloper." 

During  his  long  tenure  of  office,  Mr.  Beatty  has 
gained  extreme  popularity.  In  April,  1872,  he  was 
presented  by  the  leading  gentry  of  the  county,  and 
many  of  the  most  respectable  farmers,  with  a  very 
costly  service  of  plate  and  the  following  address  : — 

"  We,  the  members  of  the  Wexford  Hunt,  sporting  friends,  and 
other  residents  of  this  county,  desire  to  convey  to  you  our  admira- 
tion of  your  character  as  a  sportsman,  our  respect  and  esteem  for 


1 82  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

you  as  a  country  gentleman  and  a  friend  ;  and  to  beg  your  accep- 
tance of  the  accompanying  Service  of  Plate,  in  remembrance  of 
your  most  efficient  services  as  a  master  of  foxhounds  for  the  past 
thirty  years. 

"  Your  arduous  duties — always  self-performed  in  their  minutest 
details — have  each  succeeding  year  resulted  in  sport,  so  constantly 
increasing,  that  we  have  learned  to  regard  with  profound  admira- 
tion a  master  to  whom  we  owe  so  much. 

"  The  difficulties  you  have  to  contend  with  in  this  country  are 
well  known ;  distant  meets  and  doubtful  scents  are  drawbacks, 
successfully  to  contend  with  which  require  the  constant  exercise 
of  gifts,  that  we  believe  you  to  possess  in  an  eminent  degree, 
namely,  patience,  perseverance,  and  an  indomitable  love  of  fox- 
hunting. 

"  As  a  country  gentleman,  you  have  at  all  times  endeavoured  to 
promote  our  social  and  material  interests  by  the  development  of 
the  resources  of  the  country,  by  improvement  in  breeding  of 
horses  and  stock  of  all  kinds,  while  your  example  as  a  practical 
farmer  must  be  considered  as  of  great  value.  Ever  at  home, 
always  kindly  and  courteous — dispensing  a  liberal  hospitality — 
you  have  reached  to  a  pinnacle  of  local  and  personal  importance 
only  to  be  obtained  by  the  most  gifted  minds,  and  have  secured 
to  yourself  a  host  of  friends,  whose  wish  that  you  may  enjoy  a 
long  and  agreeable  life,  we  here  venture  to  express. 

"  We  have  taken  the  liberty  of  asking  that  Mrs.  Beatty  would 
do  us  the  pleasure  of  accepting  a  Gold  Repeating  Watch  and 
Chain,  as  a  small  souvenir  of  our  regard  for  her,  and  in  gratitude 
for  the  numberless  hospitalities  which  most — if  not  all — of  us 
have,  from  time  to  time,  received  at  her  hands. 

"  In  conclusion,  we  trust  that  your  thirty-first  season  as  master, 
now  inaugurated,  may  be  as  prosperous  as  those  which  have  pre- 
ceded it ;  and  that  you  may  long  continue  to  hold  the  horn  of 
oflSce  to  your  own  credit  and  to  the  advantage  of  fox-hunting. 

"  Signed  on  behalf  of  the  Subscribers, 

"William  Bolton,  Chairman." 


Mr.  Beatty  is   a   first-rate  judge  of  horses   and 
hounds :  and,  although  he  rides  fully  sixteen  stone, 


THE  WEXFORD  HOUNDS.  183 

generally  sees  as  much  of  the  good  runs  as  any  of 
the  welter  weights  who  participate  with  him  in  the 
pleasures  of  the  chase  which  he  so  keenly  enjoys. 
The  hunting  days  are  Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and 
Fridays.  George  Sheppard  hunted  the  hounds  during 
1876-7;  he  then  left,  and  Mr.  Beatty  now  hunts 
them,  ably  assisted,  when  the  pace  is  very  severe, 
by  his  son — who  is  a  very  good  horseman.  Joseph 
Turpin,  who  had  been  kennel-huntsman  to  the  Galway 
Hounds,  is  now  acting  as  such  at  Borodale.  He  is  an 
excellent  servant,  and  I  may  say  the  same  of  the 
Whips,  Philip  and  John  Morrisey,  who  have  been  in 
the  employment  of  Mr.  Beatty  for  many  years. 

The  late  Mr.  Bolton  of  the  Island,  county  Wexford, 
kept  two  packs  of  foxhounds,  and  hunted  the  Island 
country  for  upwards  of  thirty  years.  He  was  an  essen- 
tially popular  man,  and  an  ardent  sportsman.  In  1842, 
a  superb  specimen  of  Irish  manufacture  was  presented 
to  him  by  the  gentlemen  who  were  in  the  habit  of 
hunting  with  his  hounds.  It  consisted  of  a  large 
massive  waiter,  weighing  upwards  of  two  hundred 
and  seventy  ounces,  with  a  representation  of  a  fox- 
hunt, in  four  compartments,  embossed  from  a  flat 
plate  of  silver  in  very  bold  relief.  This  beautiful 
piece  of  plate  bore  the  following  inscription  : — 

"  Presented  to 

William  Bolton,  Esq., 

By  the  friends  of  the  Island  Hunt, 

in  testimony  of  their  regard  and  esteem  for  the  very  liberal  and 

handsome  manner  in  which  he  has,  for  upwards  of  thirty  years, 

kept,  at  his  sole  expense,  two  packs  of  fox-hounds  in  the  county  of 

Wexford. 
April  29th,  1842." 


184  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Mr.  Bolton  kept  the  hounds  till  his  death,  in 
1853.  His  son,  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  short- 
horn breeding  in  Ireland,  not  being  able  to  devote  as 
much  time  as  he  considered  necessary  to  hunt  the 
country,  gave  the  pack  and  country,  conditionally,  to 
the  Earl  of  Fitzwilliam,  who  induced  Mr.  Watson 
to  take  them ;  he  has  ever  since  hunted  the  district. 
Mr.  Bolton  is  a  very  liberal  supporter  of  the  Wexford 
Hounds. 


THE    LIMERICK   FOXHOUNDS.  1 85 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS. 

I  HAVE  not  been  able  to  obtain  particulars  as  to  the 
ownership  or  performances  of  the  several  packs  of 
hounds  which  were,  undoubtedly,  employed  during 
the  last  two  hundred  years,  in  the  pursuit  of  deer  and 
fox  in  the  county  Limerick.  Tradition  has  it  that  the 
noble  families  of  O'Brien  and  Fitzgerald  (knight  of 
Glinn),  and  that  of  Colonel  Lloyd,  sustained  venatic 
science ;  but  I  must  confine  myself  to  authenticated 
particulars.  I  can  assure  my  friends  that  my  brief 
history  is  perfectly  accurate.  I  regret  that  I  cannot 
give  more  lengthened  details,  and  hope  that  this 
chapter  may,  with  all  its  shortcomings,  prove  in- 
teresting to  my  readers,  and  receive  at  their  hands  a 
lenient  judgment  for, 

"  When  good  will  is  shown,  though  it  come  too  short, 
The  actor  may  plead  pardon." 

Somewhere,  about  1828  or  1830,  Mr.  Croker  of 
Ballinagard,  gave  up  a  pack  of  hounds,  with  which 
he  hunted  hare,  deer,  and  fox  ;  it  was  a  scratch  concern 
at  best.  The  hunting  gentry  of  the  county  then 
determined  to  form  a  pack  for  fox-hunting  only,  and 
the  mastership  was  undertaken  by  Mr.  George  Fos- 
bery    of    Curragh  -  bridge,    about    the    date    above- 


1 86  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

mentioned.  Sir  David  Roche,  father  of  the  present 
master,  and  Colonel  John  Vandeleur,  of  the  loth  Hus- 
sars, his  uncle,  built  kennels,  stables,  &c.,  near  Croom, 
where  the  hounds  were  kept,  with  the  exception  of 
one  season,  until  1861.  Mr.  Fosbery,  dying  about 
the  year  1845,  there  was  a  committee  formed  of  Mr. 
Frank  Fosbery,  his  son,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Croker  of 
Croom  Castle,  and  Mr.  Edward  Green  of  Green- 
mount.  The  trio  kept  the  country  for  two  seasons, 
until  1847,  when  Colonel  Dickson  came  to  reside 
at  Croom  Castle,  and  took  the  hounds,  having  for 
huntsman  Fred  Turpin  (afterwards  killed  with  the 
Braham  Moor  Hounds)  ;  he  continued  in  office  two 
seasons,  when  they  were  taken  by  the  Hon.  Fitz- 
maurice  Deane,  and  removed  to  Springfield  Castle, 
he  only  hunting  the  west  of  the  river  Maigus.  This 
arrangement  only  continued  for  one  season,  and  the 
hounds  returned  the  following  year  to  their  old  ken- 
nels, near  Croom,  under  the  management  of  the  for- 
mer committee,  which  continued  until  1853,  when 
Mr.  Green  took  sole  mastership  until  his  death,  in 
1 861.  The  country  then  bid  fair  to  become  vacant,  as 
there  was  but  a  scant  subscription,  a  wretched  pack 
of  hounds,  consisting  of  twenty-three  couple,  the 
country  in  very  bad  order,  as  regards  coverts,  and 
hardly  a  fox  to  be  found.  Under  these  conditions. 
Mr.  Roche,  as  he  then  was,  came  forward  and  offered 
to  hunt  the  country  with  his  own  hounds,  and  lay  out 
the  subscription  on  putting  the  country  in  order. 
He  got  together  a  tolerable  lot  of  hounds,  being 
greatly  assisted  in  so  doing  by  Mr.  Tom  Pain,  then 
master  of  the  South  Wilts,  now  partner  in  the  firm  of 


THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS.  187 

Messrs.  Tattersalls,  and  also  by  the  late  Henry 
Greaves,  the  master  of  the  Vale  White  Horse.  Mr. 
Roche  turned  out  the  first  season  seventy-three  brace 
of  foxes,  and  had  not  a  run  to  speak  of  during  the 
year,  as  they  did  not  know  the  country,  and  were 
mostly  killed  in  covert.  From  that  time  matters 
began  to  mend,  and  now  the  country  is  in  good 
order,  and  is  hunted  three  days  a  week,  with  forty-five 
couple  of  hounds  in  kennel.  There  does  not  exist 
a  sportsman  more  attached  to  foxhunting  than 
Sir  David.  He  has  studied  venatic  science  in  its 
minutest  details,  and,  although  he  rides  fully  six- 
teen stone,  he  stays  with  his  hounds,  no  matter  how 
difficult  the  country  is,  or  how  fast  the  pace.  He 
takes  to  the  work  con  amove,  and  his  affability,  kindli- 
ness of  heart,  and  many  other  estimable  qualities, 
have  made  him  a  "warm  favourite."  His  efforts  to 
ensure  sport  are  ably  seconded  by  many  of  his 
countrymen — notably,  Mr.  John  White  of  Nantnean, 
in  the  western  district ;  Captain  Edward  Croker  of 
Grange,  in  the  east ;  and  Mr.  Harry  Croker  of  Bally- 
nagard.  Foxes  are  well  preserved  by  all  the  large 
game  preserving  proprietors,  viz..  Earl  Dunraven,  Lord 
Clarina,  Lord  Emly,  &c.  Sir  David  hunts  his  own 
hounds,  assisted  by  John  Kennedy,  who  has  now 
lived  with  him  twenty-two  years.  The  hounds  are 
kept  at  Sir  David's  own  place,  Carass,  having  a  cub- 
hunting  kennel  at  Darragh,  Kilfinnin,  where  they 
spend  six  weeks  every  autumn. 

The  two  following  articles  were  published  in  the 
Irish  Sportsjnan.  They  were  written  by  a  noted 
sportsman,  who  resides  in  Munster.  As  I  have  been 
informed    that    they    are    extremely    accurate,    and 


1 88  IRISH   SPORT   AND   SPORTSMEN. 

were  read  by  many  with  great  interest,  I  republish 
them  : — 

"  I  have  read  with  much  interest,  from  time  to  time,  in  the 
Irish  Sportsman  a  history  of  the  packs  of  foxhounds  in  some  of  the 
celebrated  hunting  districts  of  this  country,  and  I  have  been 
rather  surprised  that  no  one  has  undertaken  the  task  of  laying 
before  your  readers  the  various  phases  through  which  the  Limerick 
Hunt  (now  and  for  years  back  so  celebrated)  has  passed.  It  may 
be  considered  presumptuous  on  my  part  to  undertake  the  task,  but 
as  those  who  knew  it  in  its  pristine  days  of  glory  are  now  fast 
passing  away,  I  hope  I  will  be  excused  for  trying  to  leave  a  record 
of  some  of  the  many  scenes  of  intensely  deep  interest  to  the 
sportsman  that  I  have  a  recollection  of,  and  in  many  of  which  I 
was  a  participator.  My  first  recollection  of  the  pack  dates  from  a 
very  early  period,  as  I  was  very  little  more  than  a  boy  when  the 
kennels  at  Croom  were  built,  before  which  time  the  hounds  were 
kept  at  Riddlestown  Park,  the  residence  of  the  then  worthy 
master,  Mr.  Gerald  Blennerhassett.  The  first  huntsman  I  can 
remember  was  Ryan,  who,  in  a  very  short  time  after  his  arrival  at 
Croom,  fell  a  victim  to  the  first  visitation  of  that  dreadful  scourge, 
Asiatic  cholera,  and  he,  poor  man,  was,  I  believe,  the  very  first 
that  succumbed  to  it.  The  hounds  were  then  managed  by  the 
late  lamented  Mr.  George  Fosbery,  who,  though  a  little  rough  in 
manner,  was  as  popular  a  master  as  ever  carried  a  horn.  During 
the  time  that  he  was  proprietor  of  the  Castle  Oliver  property  he 
always  took  the  hounds  there  for  cub-hunting,  and  the  value  of 
the  locality  for  such  purposes  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  the  pre- 
sent worthy  master,  Sir  D.  V.  Roche,  has  rented  Darah,  quite 
near  Castle  Oliver,  for  the  same  sporting  purposes.  Dan  Ward 
was  whip  to  the  hounds  at  Riddlestown,  and  for  some  time  after 
their  arrival  at  Croom  ;  and  when  hunted  by  Ryan,  John  Frawly 
was  whip.  Ryan  was  succeeded  by  Pat  Connell,  than  whom  a 
better  man  never  threw  in  a  pack  ;  the  whip  was  Thomas  Herlihy, 
stepbrother  to  Pat.  Pat  had  a  happy  knack  of  knowing  when 
there  was  to  be  a  good  thing,  as  by  a  signal  with  which  some  of 
his  friends  were  acquainted,  he  indicated  that  they  were  to  look 
sharp,  and  take  and  keep,  if  possible,  a*  good'place.  This  signal 
consisted  in  the  simple  act  of  wearing  the  peak  of  his  hunting-cap 
in  a  different  style  from  that  usually  adopted,  its  position  being 


THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS.  1 89 

over  his  poll  instead  of  over  his  forehead.  This  signal,  whether 
proceeding  from  Pat's  superior  knowledge  of  hunting  or  from  mere 
surmise,  was  very  seldom  a  false  one,  and  was  intended  more  as  a 
gentle  hint  to  those  members  of  the  hunt  who  stood  highest  in 
his  favour  than  as  a  display  of  superior  knowledge,  as  for  a  long 
time  it  was  not  known  to  the  uninitiated.  Poor  Pat,  after  many 
years  of  faithful  service,  unfortunately  fell  a  victim  to  the  baneful 
influence  of '  that  destructive  fluid'  that  has  been  the  ruin  of  so 
many  of  his  class,  and,  indeed,  of  many  other  classes  connected 
with  horse-flesh ;  he  had  to  forfeit  his  position,  and  after  a  few 
years  of  hard  struggling,  depending  for  some  time  mainly  on  the 
charity  of  those  who  knew  him  in  better  days,  he  died  in  the 
Croom  Workhouse. 

"I  will  not  spin  out  this  yarn  to  the  length  that  would  be 
required  in  describing  the  history  of  the  hunt  during  its  course 
subsequent  to  the  death  of  Mr.  Fosbery  in  the  various  stages 
through  which  it  has  since  passed,  but  will,  as  memory  serves  me, 
give  you  the  names  of  those  members  who  were  then  not  only 
conspicuous  for  their  position  as  supporters  of  the  hunt  but  cele- 
brated for  the  place  they  always  took  in  the  hunting-field.  I 
begin  with  the  master  of  the  pack,  Gerald  Blennerhassett ;  his 
brother  John  and  his  sons  Gerald  and  William  (both  still  alive), 
the  Knight  of  Glinn  (grandfather  to  the  present  knight),  and  also 
his  son  and  successor  to  the  title  (and  father  to  the  present  knight), 
George  Fosbery  (subsequently  master)  and  his  cousin  George,  a 
quondam  resident  in  Kerry,  or,  as  they  were  popularly  called.  Black 
and  Red  George.  There  are  feats  of  horsemanship  on  record  in 
connection  with  the  names  of  these  two  gentlemen  that  are,  I 
believe,  almost  without  parallel,  and  would  appear  incredible  if 
they  were  not  well  authenticated. 

•*  If  I  did  not  confine  myself  to  the  names  and  residences  of 
the  members  I  fear  I  would  have  to  write  to  such  a  length  as  would 
make  you  decline  any  communication  from  me,  or,  at  least,  abridge 
it  in  such  a  way  as  would  not  leave  it  an  o'er  true  tale.  The  list 
may  appear  a  matter  of  dry  detail  to  those  of  the  present  day  who 
do  not  know  what  the  position  was,  both  territorially  and  in  a 
sporting  sense,  of  the  good  men  and  true  whose  names  I  give. 
Next  after  the  Fosberys  I  will  name  Captain  Hugh  Massy,  one  of 
the  truest  and  most  popular  sportsmen  connected  with  the  hunt ; 
he  kept  his  hunting  establishment  at  Ardagh,  in  the  west  of  the 

»3 


I  go  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

county.  His  son,  Hutchinson  Massy,  was  a  member  of  the  hunt, 
I  believe,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  and  lived  at  Brook  Lodge, 
near  Newcastle  West ;  Eyre  Massy,  the  captain's  brother,  who  lived 
at  Glenville  and  Glanduff;  Ion  Studdert  of  Elmhill ;  Thomas  H. 
F.  Royse  of  Nantenant ;  the  thorough  sportsmen,  George  Lake, 
the  Locks  of  Newcastle,  Bryan  Sheehy,  and  the  Crokers.  John, 
then  of  Groom  Castle,  subsequently  of  Ballinagarde,  grandfather 
to  Henry  Chester,  had  three  brothers  clergymen,  the  Rev.  Edward, 
incumbent  of  Groom  (known  as  the  *  long  minister,'  being  about 
6ft.  4in.  in  height,  notwithstanding  which,  and  being  near-sighted, 
it  was  not  easy  to  beat  him  over  a  country),  the  Rev.  Thomas,  who 
succeeded  his  brother  at  Groom  Gastle,  and  the  Rev.  Robert,  who 
was  incumbent  of  Atlacca,  in  this  county,  as  keen  a  sportsman  and 
as  amiable  a  gentleman  as  ever  temporarily  laid  by  the  gown  to 
don  top-boots.  There  were  two  half-brothers,  Henry  of  Drum- 
keen  (still  alive),  and  Gaptain  Groker,  living  near  Mallow ;  Michael, 
Jerry,  and  James  Shine,  fathers  and  uncles  of  the  present  riding 
men,  who  are  true  'chips  of  the  old  blocks;'  Joseph  Gubbins  of 
Kilfrush  and  George  Gubbins  of  Miltown,  father  and  uncle  to  the 
captain,  both  heavy  welters,  who  were  always  well  placed,  having 
the  right  sort  between  their  legs  ;  Thomas  and  Henry  O'Grady  of 
Grange,  maternal  uncles  of  Captain  Groker,  the  present  occupier 
of  that  nice  residence ;  Captain  John  Lowe,  then  living  at  Balli- 
nanty,  near  Bruflf,  now  at  Sunville,  near  Kilfinane ;  John  Bouchier 
of  Baggottstown,  still  alive,  and  one  of  the  best  authorities  on  turf 
matters  to  be  found,  excepting,  of  course,  the  keeper  of  the  Match 
Book;  the  Hon.  and  Rev.  William  O'Grady  of  Rockbarton,  uncle 
of  the  present  Lord  Guillamore ;  The  O'Grady  of  Kilballyowen ; 
Ryan  of  Scarteen,  father  to  our  worthy  sub-sherifF,  who,  with  his 
brothers,  preserves  the  sporting  proclivities  of  their  father  and 
grandfather,  old  Thomas  Ryan,  once  proprietor  of  a  first-class 
pack  of  beagles ;  Joseph  Gubbins  of  Ballincollon,  whose  cheery 
shouts  and  jolly  manner  would  cause  the  most  desponding  to  forget 
his  troubles ;  Richard  and  William  levers,  brothers  to  the  worthy 
proprietor  of  Castle  levers.  The  county  contingent  will  wind  up  with 
the  name  of  one  who,  though  last  on  the  list,  was  ever  amongst  the 
first  in  the  exhibition  of  all  the  traits  that  are  essential  to  the  posi- 
tion of  a  first-class  sportsman,  being  a  tip-top  horseman,  pro- 
prietor of  one  of  the  best  hunting  and  racing  studs  in  the  county, 
many  of  his  horses  having  frequently  borne  his  colours  to  victory. 


THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS.  19I 

and  also  for  many  years  proprietor  of  a  first-class  pack  of  harriers, 
John  Westropp  of  Attyflinn  Park.     I  will  head  the  city  contingent 

with  the  names  of  Ralph  and  John  Westropp,  cousins  to  the  afore- 
said John,  the  second  being  father  of  Ralph,  of  coursing  celebrity, 
and  Captain  John  of  the  County  Militia.  The  other  citizen  sup- 
porters of  the  hunt  were  Captain  Jervis  (called  the  '  Rake'  in 
George  Lake's  celebrated  hunting  song),  the  Verekers,  James 
Peacock,  Ralph  Jameson,  the  two  Spaights,  James  (our  present 
worthy  Mayor)  and  William,  who  for  some  time  kept  his  horses  at 
Carass;  the  Steins  (contemporaries  of  the  Spaights),  and  James 
Kelly,  for  some  time  INI.P.  for  the  city,  but  who  kept  his  hunting 
establishment  at  Ballinanty,  near  BrufT.  There  was  also  a  fair 
sprinkling  of  the  military  from  the  Limerick  garrison.  Clare 
sent  the  two  Carneys — INIatt  and  poor  Denis,  of  steeplechase 
notoriety — the  M'Mahons,  and  some  others.  The  Cork  men, 
who  used  to  come  more  frequently,  and  in  larger  numbers  than  at 
present,  were  James  Russell  of  Mount  Russell,  father  of  P.  J. 
Russell;  I\Iichael  of  Glenmore,  father-in-law  of  Mr.  *'Appleton,"^ 
and  father  of  the  owner  of  Country  Lass  ;  the  Harrisons  of  Castle 
Harrison  ;  the  Bruces,  Crone  of  Bybloss  ;  Lord  Doneraile,  Brazier 
of  Ballyellis ;  the  Barrys,  Tom  Freeman,  and  some  military  men 
from  Buttevant,  also  Mr.  Stawel. 

"  If  I  were  at  all  to  allude  to  the  splendid  runs  of  those  days, 
which  were  not  by  any  means  few  and  far  between,  I  fear  that  my 
enthusiasm  would  carry  me  to  such  a  length  as  would  make  you 
lose  all  patience,  and  tempt  you  to  throw  the  whole  production 
into  the  waste-paper  basket.  My  writing  this  account  was  suggested 
by  the  circumstance  of  my  being  driven  to  my  wit's  ends  for  a 
means  of  getting  over  one  of  the  many  wet  and  dismal  days  with 
which  we  have  been  visited  during  the  last  three  months.  I  venture 
to  send  you  my  lucubrations  anent  fox-hunting,  for  though  wit- 
nessed on  a  day  very  little  less  gloomy  than  night  they  are  really 
the  thoughts  suggested  during  some  sleepless  hours,  the  absence 
of  the  influence  of  Somnus  being  mainly  due  to  inability  to  take 
outdoor  active  exercise,  owing  to  the  frightfully  inclement  weather 
that  has  so  long  prevailed.  Should  you  not  feel  bored  by  them  I 
would  continue  to  give  you  from  time  to  time  an  outline  of  the 
history  of  the  hunt  through  the  various  stages  of  its  career  subse- 

*  Mr.  John  Hutchinson. 


ig2  IRISH    SPORT    AND     SPORTSMEN. 

quent  to  the  period  to  which  this  communication  has  special 
reference.  The  names  of  Edward  Green  and  Frank  Fosbery  are 
pre-eminently  entitled  to  a  place  among  the  many  other  good  men 
whom  I  have  enumerated,  but  as  my  intention  was  to  connect 
those  with  the  period  during  which  Mr.  Green  was  master,  I  kept 
them  in  reserve  to  mention  them  with  that  particular  time.  I  will 
also  name  some  few  that  I  fear  I  have  passed  over  in  this  record, 
but  who  I  hope  to  do  justice  to  in  my  next  communication. 

"  One  who  was  often  with  Them. 

"  P.S. — I  see  by  a  short  paragragh  in  Saturday's /mA  Sportsman 
that  you  promise  to  give  in  your  next  issue  the  account  I  sent  you 
of  the  history  of  the  Limerick  Hunt,  and  finding  now  that  I  wrote 
it  in  rather  a  hasty  manner,  from  the  causes  stated,  and  as  a  con- 
siderable lapse  of  time  has  occurred  since  the  period  with  which  it 
was  connected,  and  many  names  which  should  be  added  to  those 
that  I  have  given  escaped  my  memory,  I  hope  you  will,  if  not  too 
troublesome,  kindly  supplement  my  first  list  with  the  additional 
names  that  I  now  give  ;  their  support  of  the  hunt,  and  their 
qualities  as  sportsmen,  entitle  them  to  a  place  amongst  the  others. 
The  four  brothers  Parsons,  George,  Francis,  John,  and  Godfrey, 
all  cousins  to  the  Fosberys,  and  trained  from  their  infancy  to  the 
glorious  pursuits  of  the  hunting-field,  their  father  having  long  since 
kept  a  pack  of  harriers  ;  Gerald  Fitzgerald  of  Ballinvira,  true  to  his 
position  of  sportsman  and  squire,  proprietor  of  a  nice  property, 
residence,  and  deer-park,  until,  like  many  others,  victims  to  a 
change  of  times,  he  fell  from  his  high  estate ;  Hugh  Massy,  then 
of  Stagdale,  father-in-law  of  our  worthy  master.  Sir  D.  V.  Roche; 
Sam  Harding,  uncle  to  Lady  Roche,  a  slight,  hardy  young  man, 
living  at  Cherrygrove,  who  on  his  horse.  Cigar,  would  give  a  lead  to 
no  man,  except  to  those  entitled  to  it  by  the  etiquette  of  the 
hunting-field.  Francis  Drew  of  Drewscourt ;  Jeoff'rey  Browning 
of  Carass  Court,  who  was  married  to  Sir  David  Roche's  aunt ;  his 
son,  Thomas  Browning,  who  married  Miss  Gubbins,  sister  of  the 
Captain  ;  John  M.  Cantillon,  then  of  Castleroberts,  father  of  the 
present  hunting  men;  George  Furnell,  whose  sons  still  keep  up 
the  sporting  character  of  the  family ;  Henry  Lyons  of  Croom 
House,  uncle  to  the  present  owner  of  that  establishment,  who 
lived  a  bachelor,  and  was  a  particular  favourite.  As  well  as  I 
remember  the  late  Sir  David  Roche  was  for  some  time  treasurer  to 


THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS.  193 

the  hunt,  and  always  one  of  its  best  supporters.  William  Cox  of 
Ballynoe  ;  John  Cox  of  Ballyneale ;  Rev.  John  Croker  of  Fort 
Elizabeth,  a  light  weight,  good  to  go  ;  Fritz  Croker  of  Grange ; 
Eyre  Powel  of  Ballymurphy ;  Gibbos  Fitzgibbon  of  Ballyseda ; 
James  Peacocke  of  Dooneen;  Edward  Crips  Viller  of  Kilpeacon, 
and  John  Crips  of  Cahernom.  These  last  two  names  take  the 
mind  so  far  back  as  to  make  the  men  of  the  present  day  express 
astonishment  that  there  are  still  alive  some  of  the  contemporaries 
of  those  old  fox-hunters.  But  as  your  correspondent  from  the 
moment  he  could  admire  a  hunt,  in  connection  even  with  pedes- 
trianism,  was  always  deeply  interested  in  all  its  accompaniments, 
the  impression  left  on  his  memory  has  been  almost  indelible. 
Many  of  the  hunting  men  of  the  present  day  have  never  seen  those 
mentioned,  and,  perhaps,  some  may  not  even  have  heard  the  names 
of  some  of  those  in  my  list.  Many  of  them  have  long  since  passed 
away,  and  their  positions  are  now  occupied  by  strangers  —  men 
who  take  very  little  interest  in  what  was  to  the  departed  a  source 
of  the  greatest  delight.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  their  successors 
in  the  hunting-field  are  not  less  true  to  their  position,  and  that 
the  hunt  has  lost  nothing  of  its  former  fame.  As  it  is  at  present 
graced  by  the  presence  of  the  fair  sex,  so  was  it  then,  conspicuous 
among  whom  was  the  present  Lady  Humble,  then  Miss  Fosbery ; 
Mrs.  Major  Smith,  nee  Miss  Spaight ;  and  Miss  Mary  Creagh  (after 
whom  Captain  Hugh  Massy  called  his  celebrated  mare). 

''February  ^th,  i^^-]'' 

"As  I  infer  from  the  complimentary  remarks  which  appear  from 
you  at  foot  of  my  last  communication  that  it  has  in  some  degree 
interested  you,  and  as  you  have  expressed  a  wish  that  I  should 
continue  my  narrative  of  the  various  interesting  circumstances 
connected  with  the  Limerick  Hunt,  I  most  willingly  resume  my 
observations  relative  to  that  sporting  institution.  I  will  now  intro- 
duce on  the  stage — or  rather  on  the  Turf — the  names  of  those  who, 
though  for  a  portion  of  the  career  of  the  'veteran  hands'  whose 
names  I  have  sent  you,  they  were  in  the  position  of  the  junior 
division,  are  now,  in  consequence  of  the  sure  advance  of  time, 
while  still  in  the  prime  of  life,  with  a  few  exceptions,  entitled 
to  be  recognised  as  the  senior  division  of  the  members  of  the 
present  hunt,  and  most  worthily  emulate  their  predecessors  in 
all   the  glorious  qualities  that  constitute  a  thorough   sportsman. 


1 94  IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 

Alas!  that  the  survivors  of  that  'veteran  band'  are  now  reduced 
to  very  few  indeed  ;  but,  though  long  since  compelled  to  abandon 
the  hunting-field,  they  have,  I  am  sure,  preserved — mentally  at 
least — all  the  enthusiasm  of  younger  days,  I  have  been  endea- 
vouring to  bring  before  my  mind's  eye  the  names  and  present 
position  of  those  who  constituted  what  I  will  designate  as  the  '  old 
guard,'  and  I  regret  very  much  to  say  that  I  cannot  count  up  more 
than  the  few  whose  names  I  give,  but  who,  I  am  sure,  are  quite 
willing  to  adopt  the  old  saying,  '  we  have  had  our  day,'  and  who, 
all  being  nearly  entitled  to  the  venerable  designation  of  octo- 
genarians, are  quite  willing  to  wish  their  successors  joy  of  the 
sport  in  which  they  were  for  such  a  length  of  time  participators. 

"  I  will  begin  with  the  name  of  that  thorough  sportsman,  John 
Bouchier  of  Baggottstown,  still  hale  and  hearty,  and  surrounded 
by  a  family  of  whom  any  parent  might  be  proud ;  Henry  Croker 
of  Dromkeen  is  the  oldest,  I  believe,  of  the  number  who,  being 
long  out  of  the  saddle,  are  still  strong,  though  much  less  active 
than  formerly,  from  the  effects  either  of  gout  or  rheumatism.  He 
tries  to  compensate  himself  for  the  loss  of  former  enjoyment  by 
the  discharge  of  his  social  duties,  both  as  a  landlord  and  domes- 
tically, in  such  a  manner  as  to  entitle  him  to  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  Then  comes  Captain  J. 
Low  of  Sunville,  in  the  same  position  physically  as  Mr.  Croker, 
and  entitled  to  the  same  meed  of  praise  for  his  private  qualities ; 
Hugh  Massy,  now  living  at  Ballinacurra,  near  Limerick,  who  has 
for  many  years  been  patiently  reconciled  to  one  of  the  greatest 
physical  afflictions  to  which  our  poor  humanity  is  subject;  Captain 
Ralph  Westropp,  now  and  for  some  time  residing  at  Kingstown, 
hale  and  hearty,  and  whose  absence  from  this  county  is  deeply 
deplored  by  all  who  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  counted  among 
his  friends.  While  living  in  his  pretty  cottage  at  Athlacca  he 
dispensed  the  hospitalities  of  his  establishment  in  princely  style, 
and  his  charities  were  indiscriminate  and  unbounded.  May  he 
live  as  long  as  all  his  Limerick  friends  would  wish.  J.  Gubbins  of 
Ballincollon,  who,  in  point  of  age,  is,  I  believe,  entitled  to  priority, 
still  preserves  all  the  glorious  qualities  of  a  veteran  sportsman, 
and,  like  Uncle  Toby,  feels  a  special  delight  in  fighting  all  his 
battles  over  again.  The  last  I  will  name,  and  I  am  almost  sure 
the  last  that  could  be  named,  is  William  Cox  of  Ballynoe,  who  of 
all  mentioned  wears  his  age  the  best,  as  proof  of  which,  and  of 


THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS.  I95 

the  possession  of  that  stamina  that  is  one  of  the  attributes  of  a 
sportsman,  he  within  the  last  twelve  months  has  taken  to  himself 
a  second  wife,  with  whom  I  pray  he  may  spend  many  happy  years. 
"The  glorious  career  of  the  veteran  band  whose  history  I  have 
just  closed  will,  I  hope,  serve  as  a  bright  example  to  those  whose 
names  I  will  now  give,  and  who  were  among  what  I  will  call  the 
men  of  the  second  era  of  the  hunt,  some  of  them  having  been  out 
when  the  career  of  the  veterans  was  approaching  its  close.     I  will 
begin  with  the  name  of  Edward  Green,  who,  during  a  very  great 
part  of  both  eras,  was  one  of  the  best  and  most  faithful  of  the 
Club's  supporters,  and  who  even  for  a  period  (though  short),  when 
it  was  at  its  lowest  ebb,  was  thoroughly  true  to  it,  and  who,  during 
all  the  time  that  he  was  a  joint  manager,  was  well  supported  by 
some  other  true  friends  of  the  club,  not  the  least  of  whom  were 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Croker,  then  residing  at  Crovin  Castle ;  Colonel 
Dickson,  subsequent  occupier  of  the  castle ;  the  Fosberry  family, 
the  brothers  Stein  of  Lim.erick,  and  others.     Mr.  Green  was,  I 
believe,  for  some  time  after  the  death  of  Colonel  Dickson  sole 
manager,  and  discharged  the  difficult  duties  of  the  position  in  the 
most  amiable  manner,  and  no  master  ever  lived  that  enjoyed  more 
deserved  popularity.     Next  we  have  Frank  Fosbery,  son  to  the 
father  of  the    hunt,  as   he  deserves   to  be  entitled,  as   good   a 
horseman  and  possessed  of  the  same  good  qualities  as  the  sire, 
as  fearless  a  rider  as  ever  handled  a  bridle,  and,  though  obliged  to 
wear  an  eyeglass  in  the  peak  of  his  hunting  cap,  does  not  know 
danger ;    his    brother  Tom,   much    Frank's   junior,    though    now 
exhibiting  in  his  upper  storey  a  little  of  the  Oxford  mixture,  still 
true  to  his  position,  and,  albeit  a  somewhat  venerable  parent,  able 
and  willing  to  keep  his  place  as  of  old.     James  Spaight  is  well 
entitled  to  the  appellation  of  evergreen,  though  the  presence  of 
that  colour  on  his  upper  surface,  which  is  so  indicative  of  winter, 
would  make   the  appellation  of  evergreen   paradoxical.      He  is 
entitled  to  the  position  of  senior  of  the  lot  whose  names  I  am 
now  giving,  and  I  am  sure  he  will  not  feel  annoyed  at  the  position 
I  assign  to  him,  as  he  is  well  able  to  put  some  of  the  aspirants  to 
hunting  honours  of  the  present  day  to  the  blush.     His  brother 
William  has  abandoned  the  hunting-field  ever  since  he  became 
proprietor  of  that  splendid  and  picturesque  residence,  Derry  Castle, 
on  Lough  Derg.     I  will  now  take  a  long  '  skip,'  and  connect  my 
notes  with  the  western  portion  of  the  county,  and  begin  with  the 


196  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

name  of  Jonathan  B.  Massy  of  Glenville,  one  well  entitled  to  a 
conspicuous  place  as  the  son  of  Eyre,  whose  name  appears  in  my 
last  communication  to  you,  and  also,  as  nephew  to  the  Captain, 
and  as  both  of  those  are  well  entitled  to  the  popularity  they 
enjoyed  so  also  is  he  whose  name  I  now  give.  He  keeps  a  very 
nice  pack  of  harriers,  hunts  twice  a  week,  and  in  the  hunting- 
field  is  never  better  pleased  than  when  his  friends  express  them- 
selves satisfied  with  the  day's  sport.  His  greatest  wish  is  to 
aff"ord  his  pedestrian  friends  a  pleasant  day,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence he  has  not  to  complain  of  the  scarcity  of  game  that 
prevails  in  other  districts.  In  connection  with  the  same  quarter 
I  will  give  you  the  names  of  George  and  Arthur  Studdart,  who, 
though  not  for  some  time  putting  in  an  appearance,  were,  when 
on  the  turf,  the  very  beaux  ideals  of  what  true  hunting  men 
should  be.  Doctor  Pierce  of  Newcastle  West,  though  death  on 
a  fox,  contrives  to  have  that  awful  word  as  seldom  connected  with 
his  patients  as  falls  to  the  lot  of  any  other  disciple  of  Esculapius. 
William  Harnode  Massy  of  Glenwilliam  Castle  has  long  since 
passed  away,  and  his  property  into  the  hands  of  the  stranger ; 
and  his  brother-in-law,  Richard  P.  Power  of  Ballinakill  is  as  fine 
a  sample  of  humanity  as  could  be  seen,  and  with  a  heart  in  pro- 
portion to  his  person,  perhaps  too  big,  to  ensure  to  the  owner  the 
continuance  of  that  worldly  position  which  those  continue  to  main- 
tain who  possess  a  smaller  organ  but  a  much  larger  share  of  pru- 
dence. Lest  I  may  be  too  profane,  I  will  introduce  a  member  of 
the  Church,  the  Rev,  Grantley  Shelton  of  Rossmore,  one  of  the 
best  black-coats  that  has  ever  been  connected  with  the  hunt,  and 
who,  whenever  he  had  the  opportunity,  either  by  the  proximity  of 
the  meet  or  the  passing  by  his  place  of  the  members  on  a  hunting 
day,  was  a  most  liberal  dispenser  of  the  hospitalities  of  his  pretty 
residence.  His  brother,  Majo'r  Shelton,  then  resided  at  Bruree 
House,  the  present  residence  of  the  worthy  master  of  the  Limerick 
Staghounds.  The  Major  was  a  great  favourite  and  an  enthusiastic 
foxhunter,  for  though  obliged  to  attend  to  his  duties  in  connec- 
tion with  the  county  regiment  he  contrived  to  have  as  many  days 
with  the  hounds  as  possible,  I  will  give  after  the  Sheltons  the 
names  of  the  two  Coyners — Charles,  the  amiable  proprietor  of 
Castletown  Conyers,  and  his  brother,  Grady  F.,  of  Liskennett, 
the  chief  promoter  and  staunch  supporter  of  our  now  celebrated 
annual  race  meeting  at  Banogue.     Next  come  the  two  Gubbinses — 


THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS.  I97 

Captain  Stamer,  who  requires  no  eulogy  from  me  (and  I  am  proud 
to  say  is,  to  the  delight  of  the  whole  country,  recovering  from  the 
effects  of  the  fearful  accident  he  met  with  some  time  since),  and 
his  brother  John,  who  is,  very  justly,  a  high  favourite  with  all  who 
know  him  of  every  class.  His  hunting  days  are  looked  forward 
to  with  the  greatest  delight  and  anxiety,  as  he  scarcely  ever  has  a 
bad  day,  and  is  never  in  better  humour  than  when  all  who  assemble 
at  his  meets  are  satisfied.  His  arrangements  for  taking  out  two 
animals  in  his  deer-cart  evince  his  anxiety  to  please  all  parties. 
He  is  also  a  great  favourite  with  the  farming  classes,  as  he  takes 
the  greatest  pains,  both  by  a  caution  on  his  cards,  and  by  personal 
exertion,  to  save  them  from  all  unnecessary  trespass.  His  connec- 
tion with  the  Banogue  Races  also  adds  very  much  to  his  popularity. 
I  may  next  mention  the  two  Ryans  of  Bruree — Henry,  now  an 
absentee  by  emigration,  and  Kenny,  still  true  to  his  position,  and 
who,  though  deserving  to  be  classed  among  the  welters,  is  always 
in  the  first-flight  either  with  the  fox  or  staghounds.  I  fear  I  will 
have  in  this  communication  to  resort  to  the  same  mode  of  describ- 
ing the  other  members  of  the  hunt  connected  with  the  period  I 
am  now  dealing  with  as  I  did  in  my  last  communication,  and  give 
them  to  you  by  name  only,  without  any  descriptive  accompani- 
ments, though  they  are  all  entitled  to  a  favourable  word  as  regards 
the  merits  and  good  qualities  which  they  possess,  and  have  always 
exhibited. 

"As  the  residences  of  the  four  last-named  are  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  county  I  will  take  from  that  quarter  also  the  names 
that  follow: — Henry  Jones  of  Abbeyville,  younger  brother  of  the 
two  whose  names  I  have  given  in  my  first  list;  James  Shine, 
formerly  residing  at  Rockstown  Castle ;  his  brother  Roger,  now 
residing  near  Cashel ;  Michael,  who  lost  his  life  under  such 
melancholy  circumstances  on  the  Cimerick  racecourse  a  few  years 
ago  ;  and  their  cousin  Jerry,  residing  at  Ballymacruse.  The  last- 
named  and  James  are  still  true  to  their  position  in  the  hunting- 
field,  and  able  and  willing  to  uphold  their  character  for  good 
horsemanship,  for  which  they  have  been  so  long  famous.  Living 
quite  close  to  the  residence  of  the  last-named  is  one  who  has  made 
for  himself  a  name  as  a  true  sportsman  not  less  distinguished  than 
the  best  of  those  who  appear  before  him,  and  who,  in  his  own 
respectable  and  independent  sphere,  has  upheld  with  infinite  credit 
the  character  of  his  class — I  mean  Joseph  Hannan  of  Inch  St. 


198  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Lawrence,  than  whom  a  keener  sportsman  or  better  fellow  is  not 
to  be  found  in  the  county.  Steady  to  my  purpose  and  to  locality, 
I  will  name  F.  Kelly,  son  to  James,  whose  name  I  have  given  you 
among  the  veterans.  He  cannot  claim  the  same  long  connection 
with  the  hunt  that  all  the  others  can,  as  during  a  great  part  of 
the  time  I  speak  of  he  resided  out  of  the  county,  I  believe  on  his 
father's  property  at  Cahercon,  in  the  county  of  Clare ;  but  as  he 
has  been  for  some  years  connected  with  the  Hunt,  and  keeps,  and 
can  steer  well,  a  few  good  ones,  I  could  not  well  omit  his  name. 
Not  far  from  the  same  locality,  but  lying  a  little  more  to  the  East, 
is  the  country  that  has  produced  two  right  good  men,  the  Ryans — 
(John,  our  worthy  sub-sheriff)  and  his  brother,  whose  Christian 
name  I  do  not  know;  the  former  one  of  the  best  men  out,  and 
whom  nature  specially  formed  as  a  perfect  specimen  of  a  riding 
man — average  height,  straight  as  a  whip,  and  not  an  ounce  of 
waste  flesh  about  him ;  as  a  rider,  he  is  cool  and  steady,  always 
well  placed,  and  never  incurs  the  anger  of  the  master  by  rash 
riding. 

''Trying  back  towards  home  I  will  name  Captain  Edward 
Croker  of  the  Grange ;  though  heavy  he  rides  steadily  and  is  well 
placed,  is  never  absent  from  the  meet,  and  a  dispenser  of  princely 
hospitality  to  all  comers  whenever  the  meet  takes  place  in  his 
neighbourhood  and  on  all  other  occasions.  He  is  the  son  of  the 
Rev.  Robert,  whose  name  and  character  you  have  in  my  last 
communication,  and  is  the  nephew  maternally  of  the  two  highly 
respectable  gentlemen  who  formerly  occupied  the  splendid  resi- 
dence of  which  he  is  now  the  proprietor.  I  will  simply  give  you 
the  name  of  his  neighbour  and  relative,  H.  S.  M.  Croker,  as  any 
eulogy  of  mine,  or  any  description  of  him,  would  be  simply  ridi- 
culous and  presumptuous,  as  his  fame  as  a  sportsman  is  known 
far  beyond  the  limits  of  this  bounty.  Still  pursuing  my  western 
course,  I  name  James  Bennett  of  Fedamore  (son  to  the  Rev.  James), 
who  has  been  a  long  time  connected  with  the  hunt,  and  is  entitled 
to  a  first-rate  position.  He  is  among  the  light-weights,  but 
always  with  a  horse  in  proportion,  and  sure  to  be  there  or  there- 
abouts—a quiet,  amiable  fellow,  and  much  and  deservedly  liked. 
William  R.  Croker  of  Alston,  who,  though  long  ago  discontinuing 
the  actual  working  part  of  the  interesting  business,  still  looks 
after  it  on  four-wheels  with  as  much  interest  as  of  old.  Imme- 
diately near  Mr.  Croker's  residence  there  formerly  resided  as  good 


THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS.  1 99 

a  fellow  as  any  country  could  produce,  Captain  Hamilton  Jackson, 
residing  at  the  time  I  speak  of  at  Attyflinn,  subsequently  in  a  very 
nice  castellated  mansion,  erected  in  connection  with  one  older, 
at  Fanningstown  (now  the  property  of  Sir  D.  V.  Roche).  The 
captain,  I  believe,  now  resides  somewhere  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  metropolis,  and  his  absence  from  this  county  is  much 
regretted.  I  should  next,  according  to  the  order  in  which  I  am 
proceeding,  name  Sir  D.  V.  Roche,  but  as  I  could  not  be  satisfied 
with  an  individual  reference  (his  claim  to  a  special  remark  and  to 
an  enumeration  of  his  many  good  qualities,  both  as  a  master  and 
in  his  private  capacity,  entitling  him  to  a  more  extended  notice)  I 
will  reserve  his  name  for  a  front  place  in  my  next  communication, 
when  I  intend  to  introduce  the  names  of  all  the  junior  members 
of  the  hunt,  calling  the  present  the  third  era  in  point  of  time  and 
succession  of  individuals,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  there  is  no 
falling  off  in  point  of  performance.  Next  neighbour  to  Sir  David 
Roche  is  Mr.  H.  Lyons  of  Croom  House,  a  staunch  supporter  of 
the  hunt,  and  whose  portals  are  always  open  to  all  who  pass  by 
on  hunting  days.  He  had  two  brothers,  long  since  dead,  having 
died  just  as  they  arrived  at  manhood.  They  were  enthusiastically 
devoted  to  the  manly  pursuit  of  the  chase,  and  as  their  qualities 
were  of  the  most  amiable  kind  the  death  of  each  was  generally 
and  deservedly  regretted.  Pursuing  a  northern  course,  and 
approaching  the  city,  I  give  you  the  name  of  the  Hon.  Hugh 
Massy,  brother  to  Lord  Clarina.  He  requires  no  praise  at  my 
hands,  as  in  every  sphere  of  life,  both  as  a  sportsman  and  in 
connection  with  his  general  position,  he  has  secured  the  esteem 
and  best  wishes  of  all  who  know  him  of  every  class.  The  city 
has  sent  two  good  men  (exclusive,  of  course,  of  many  very  good 
juvenile  aspirants,  whose  turn  is  to  come),  William  Sidly  Cox  and 
Major  Pratt,  many  years  a  constant  attendant,  and  one  of  the  right 
sort  for  position.  Mr.  Cox  is  son  to  a  man  who,  for  a  great  many 
years  indeed,  and  during  its  best  days,  was  a  most  enthusiastic 
follower  of  the  hounds,  and  took  a  first-class  place  in  some  of  the 
best  runs  of  the  olden  time.  The  last  I  can  name  in  connection 
with  the  city  and  with  the  eastern  division  of  the  county  is  the 
Hon.  John  INIassy  of  Hermitage,  between  Castleconnell  and 
Limerick.  I  have  only  to  say  of  him  that  he  was  the  very  personi- 
fication of  amiability,  and  exhibited  even  as  a  sportsman  the  same 
gentleness  of  demeanour  that  he  did  in  every  other  position,  keep- 


200  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

ing  a  good  place,  and  in  such  a  quiet  way  as  made  it  appear  that 
he  went  out  for  sport  and  not  for  display. 

"  I  must  transport  myself  again  to  the  West,  and  give  the 
name  of  that  true  sportsman  and  genuine  supporter  of  the  hunt, 
John  White  of  Nantenant,  near  Rathkeale,  which  was  formerly  the 
residence  of  Mr.  Royse,  whose  name  has  already  been  mentioned. 
Mr.  White  requires  not  one  word  of  praise  from  me,  as  he  stands 
Ai  in  connection  with  the  annals  of  the  county.  He  is  the  Fidus 
Achates  of  the  present  worthy  master,  and  is  scarcely  ever  absent 
from  the  meet.  He  is  truly  one  of  the  mainstays  of  the  hunt. 
Two  good  fellows  are  now  dead  who  were  always  recognised  as 
the  very  essence  of  good  sportsmen,  Captain  Davenport  of  Ballina- 
courty  and  Mr.  Carroll  Naish  of  Ballycullen,  whose  melancholy 
death  was  caused  by  a  most  trivial  accident.  Edward  Langford  of 
Kilcosgriff  has  a  long  time  retired  from  the  hunt,  but  was  a  first- 
rate  man  to  ride  in  his  day. 

"Another  good  man  in  the  same  locality,  of  the  same  standard 
in  point  of  age  and  good  riding  qualities,  is  Edward  W.  Morgan 
of  Ballynolan,  who  still  likes  a  good  day's  sport  as  much  as  ever, 
and  can  stand  the  hardships  of  a  severe  day,  even  in  the  worst 
weather,  as  well  as  of  old.  Close  to  him  lives  a  sporting  coroner, 
who,  though  often  out,  is,  I  am  quite  sure,  never  impelled  by  an 
anxiety  for  a  job,  and  who,  I  am  convinced,  rejoices  at  his  want  of 
success  in  that  way  as  much  as  anyone  else.  (It  is  a  most  consol- 
ing fact  that  there  never  was  a  fatal  accident,  to  man  at  least,  with 
the  Limerick  County  Hounds.)  A  near  neighbour  of  the  coroner's, 
and  a  namesake,  is  John  F.  Sheehy,  a  frequent  attendant  at  the 
meets,  but,  having  much  business  to  look  after,  he  cannot  attend 
the  distant  ones ;  a  right  good  fellow,  always  well  mounted  and 
fairly  placed.  I  believe  I  have  exhausted  my  list,  and  as  I  am  sure 
you  have  long  ago,  from  the  great  length  to  which  I  have  written, 
cried,  '  Hold  hard,'  I  will  now  close  this  communication  with  a 
few  words  of  consolation  to  the  very  many  promising  aspirants  for 
sporting  fame  who  are  regular  attendants  at  the  meets  of  the 
present  day,  but  who  may  feel  surprised,  and  perhaps  annoyed,  at 
not  being  alluded  to  in  this  communication  ;  my  intention  (as 
mentioned  already)  is  to  devote  to  them  my  reminiscence  No.  3. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Fosbery,  the  hounds  were  managed  by  a 
committee,  of  which  Mr.  Green  was,  I  think,  the  head,  and  on 
which  was    the   Rev.  Thomas   Croker,   then  residing   on   Croom 


THE    LIMERICK    FOXHOUNDS.  20I 

Castle,  on  the  ground  connected  with  which  the  kennel  stood, 
and,  from  its  proximity  to  him,  he  was  most  attentive  and  liberal 
towards  the  whole  establishment.  He  was  generously  aided  by 
the  Messrs.  Stein  of  Limerick,  one  of  whom  was  married  to  his 
daughter.  Others  also  aided  in  the  good  work.  After  Mr.  Croker 
ceased  lo  reside  at  the  castle  the  late  lamented  and  highly  popular 
Colonel  Dickson  became  proprietor  of  it,  and,  I  believe,  sole 
manager  of  the  hounds,  and  by  his  daily  attendance  at  the  kennel 
evinced  the  deep  interest  he  took  in  it.  After  the  retirement  of 
poor  Pat  Connell  an  English  huntsman  named  Goodall  was  brought 
over,  but  he  did  not  retain  the  position  very  long,  as  he  did  not 
give  satisfaction  ;  he  was  too  fond  of  the  use  of  whipcord,  on 
account  of  which  the  hounds  became  somewhat  unmanageable. 
This  habit  was  acquired  while  acting  for  many  years  in  the  capacity 
of  whip  to  an  English  pack,  and  which  trait,  though  sometimes 
essential  in  a  whip,  should  by  no  means  be  exercised  too  severely 
by  a  huntsman,  as  it  destroys  all  chance  of  securing  an  obedient 
pack.  A  very  nice  English  boy,  named  Alfred,  acted  as  second 
whip  during  the  time  that  Goodall  was  huntsman.  These  both 
were,  I  think,  ih^  proteges  of  Colonel  Dickson.  Jack  Bourke,  from 
the  Duhallows,  succeeded  Goodall,  and,  I  believe,  retained  the 
position  up  to  the  time  that  the  hounds  were  transferred  to  Sir 
David  Roche.  Bill  Cliquette  was  whip  during  Jack  Bourke's  time, 
and  on  change  of  master  Jack  returned  to  Duhallow,  and  Bill  took 
service  as  coachman,  his  knowledge  of  the  use  of  the  whip  being, 
I  suppose,  a  recommendation  for  that  position.  One  word  as  to 
coverts,  and  though  not  in  the  least  disparaging  the  hunting  of 
the  present  day,  I  am  sure  those  who  remember  them  will  agree 
with  me  in  saying  that  the  runs  from  the  celebrated,  but  now 
unused  coverts  of  Bunmona,  Fanleehane,  and  old  Garryfine,  far 
excelled  those  we  now  see.  They  were  very  seldom  drawn  blank, 
and  the  first  burst  in  connection  with  a  find  at  any  was  such  as  to 
require  a  stout  horse  and  a  bold  heart  to  get  through.  The  runs 
from  the  first-named  always  ended  at  some  place  in  the  county 
Cork,  a  considerable  distance  from  the  boundary  line  which  divides 
that  county  from  Limerick,  and  from  the  other  coverts  nearly, 
though  not  quite  as  long.  These  coverts  were  in  an  open  country, 
and  not  so  near  each  other  as  some  of  the  coverts  now  drawn. 
The  impediments  which  now  spoil  many  a  run,  namely,  railways, 
and,  in  some  cases,  formidable  water-courses,  sunk  in  connection 


202  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

with  main  drainage,  did  not  then  exist,  and  for  this  reason  there 
seldom  occurred  anything  to  prevent  the  continuance  of  the 
rattling  pace  at  which  both  hounds  and  horses  started  when 
'tally-ho'  was  shouted.  As  in  my  last  communication,  with  a  very 
culpable  want  of  gallantry,  I  left  to  the  latter  end  the  introduction 
of  the  names  of  those  fair  ladies  who  by  their  splendid  equestrian 
performances  contributed  so  much  to  increase  the  attractions  of 
the  hunting-field,  I  almost  fear  to  introduce  now  in  this  not 
altogether  final  portion  of  my  reminiscences  the  present,  but  more 
numerous,  contingent  of  the  fair  sex  that  then,  as  well  as  now, 
were  able  in  many  instances  to  put  to  the  severest  test  the  eques- 
trian powers  of  the  sterner  sex.  I  will  not  presume  to  name  any 
of  them,  but  only  say  that  a  few  of  them  who  enjoy  that  happy 
state  to  which  all  the  fair  sex  aspire  clearly  show  that  the  heart  is 
not  less  bold  nor  the  spirit  in  the  slightest  degree  trammelled  by 
their  matrimonial  responsibilities.  In  my  next  I  will  introduce 
those  candidates  for  hunting  fame  of  the  present  day,  all  of  whom, 
though  in  the  incipient  stages,  exhibit  all  the  indications  of  the 
possession  of  those  qualities  that  constitute  the  elements  of  a  good 
sportsman,  for,  though  shelved  myself,  I  am  not  so  churlish  as  not 
to  be  delighted  at  seeing  the  rising  generation  enjoying  that 
glorious  sport  that  often  gave  myself  such  intense  pleasure.  My 
gratification  at  their  enjoyment  is  not  diminished  by  having  a 
representative  of  my  own  amongst  them. 

"  I  am,  dear  Mr.  Editor, 

"  One  who  was  often  with  Them. 
''March  6th,  I'i'j'j. 

"  P.S. — I  find  on  looking  over  the  lines  I  have  written  that  I 
omitted  some  names  that  should  not  by  any  means  be  overlooked. 
I  should  have  named  next  after  the  Hon.  Hugh  Massy,  Mr.  Robert 
Massy,  now  residing  at  Faha,  near  Elmpark,  but  during  nearly  all 
the  time  that  he  was  connected  with  the  hunt  he  lived  at  Green- 
mount  with  his  relatives.  Captain  and  Edward  Green.  Mr.  Massy 
still  attends  the  meets  regularly,  and  is  a  good  supporter  of  the 
hunt.  In  connection  with  the  city  I  should  have  given  you  the 
names  of  Mr.  George  Horan,  Captain  Furnell,  and  Captain 
Westropp.  I  need  say  nothing  of  them,  as  they  were  all  well-known 
to  be  most  fearless,  not  only  in  the  hunting-field  but  the  two  latter 


THE    LIMERICK   FOXHOUNDS.  203 

also  even  at  cross-country  work  in  the  shape  of  steeplechasing. 
I  must  not  forget  one  who  deserves  most  credit  of  all  for  his 
fearless,  and  I  would  almost  say,  reckless  riding,  Vesey  B.  Isaac, 
then  residing  near  Charleville,  and  who,  though  deprived  of  the  use 
of  one  leg  by  amputation,  and  obliged  to  use  as  a  substitute  an 
artificial  one,  still,  with  the  aid  of  a  peculiarly  constructed  saddle 
and  on  his  celebrateted  horse  Tonic,  was  always  to  be  found 
amongst  the  foremost." 


204  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

HUNTING   IN    ROSCOMMON. 

Is  there  not  a  charm  in  antiquity  ?  Old  pictures,  old 
china,  and,  particularly,  old  port,  how  they  please  us  ! 
The  girl  of  "sweet  seventeen"  enchants;  and  old 
ladies — I  beg  pardon,  women  never  grow  old.  The 
youthful  athlete  challenges  our  admiration,  but  we 
appreciate  not  the  less  those  seniors  whose  seamed 
faces  and  locks,  stained  with  the  dust  of  the  road  of  life, 
indicates  old  age.  Respect  age  if  you  would  command 
respect.  Pardonnez-moi,  reader,  I  must  hark  back  to 
the  subject  of  this  chapter.  Hunting  in  Roscommon 
county  is  of  such  ancient  date  that  it  set  me  thinking 
on  antiquity,  and  caused  me  to  regret  that  the  old 
French-Park  Pack  was  not  kept  up,  as  it  was  in  exist- 
ence more  than  a  century  ago,  and  maintained  by  the 
French  family  until  1859.  The  oldest  record  I  have 
found  of  the  French-Park  Foxhounds  is  when  they  were 
presided  over  by  Mr.  John  French,  M.P.  for  Roscom- 
mon in  1743:  but  hounds  were  kept  in  French-Park 
for  years  before  that.  Mr.  John  French  hunted 
different  parts  of  Ireland,  according  to  arrange- 
ment, and  used  for  many  seasons  take  the  hotel  in 
Kilcock  for  a  month,  and  hunt  parts  of  Meath  and 
Kildare.  This  gentleman  was  drowned,  cruising  from 
Dublin  to  Park-gate,  in  1774.      After  his  death  the 


HUNTING   IN    ROSCOMMON.  205 

hounds  were  kept  by  his  brother,  Arthur  French,  and 
afterwards  by  his  (Arthur's)  son,  Arthur,  until  his 
death,  in  1 820,  when  he  was  succeeded  in  the  mastership 
by  another  Arthur,  son  to  the  former,  afterwards  Lord 
De  Freyne.  He  was  an  ardent  sportsman,  and  im- 
proved the  pack  very  much  by  importations  from  the 
best  kennels  in  the  kingdom.  He  hunted  the  entire 
county  of  Roscommon  until  his  death,  in  1856.  Game 
was  at  that  time  very  scarce,  and  bagged  foxes  were 
the  rule  not  the  exception.  After  his  demise,  the 
hounds  were  hunted  by  his  brother  John,  second  Lord 
De  Freyne,  who  continued  to  do  so  until  1859,  when 
scarcity  of  game  obliged  him  to  discontinue  fox-hunt- 
ing. He,  however,  kept  on  some  of  the  hounds,  and 
hunted  the  stout  hares  on  the  plains  of  his  native 
county  until  his  departure  for  the  happy  grounds,  in 
1863.  A  few  words  about  this  valued  Irish  sportsman 
will  not  be  inappropriate  here. 

Universal  was  the  grief  amongst  the  sport-loving 
community  throughout  Ireland  when  they  heard  that 
his  Lordship  had  paid  that  debt  which  we  must  all 
one  day  discharge.  They  mourned  in  him  the  loss  of 
one  who  had  done  much  to  promote  the  welfare  of  his 
countrymen ;  a  nobleman  who  endeared  himself  to  his 
peers  and  equals,  and  especially  to  the  poor  residents 
in  his  neighbourhood,  for  he  was  to  them  a  benefactor 
in  the  truest  and  widest  sense  of  the  term. 

Lord  De  Freyne,  second  son  of  Arthur  French  of 
French-Park,  Castlerea,  born  in  1790,  succeeded  to 
the  title,  at  the  death  of  his  brother,  in  1856.  The 
love  for  field-sports  is  strongly  inherent  to  the  members 
of  some  families  ;  and  the  Frenches  have  for  genera- 
tions been  proverbial  for  their  marked  predilection  for 

14 


206  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

the  turf  and   the  chase.     The  subject  of  this  brief 
notice  was  a  clergyman  of  the  then  Established  Church, 
and   Rector  of  Sylvoe,   county  Kilkenny.      He  was 
always  fond  of  horses  and  hounds,  and  from  his  boy- 
hood kept  race-horses,  and,  under  the  assumed  name 
of  Montgomery,  ran  several  while  he  resided  in  Kil- 
kenny.    He  was  a  true  sportsman ;  loved  racing  for 
its  own  sake,  and  never  bet  a  shilling.     He  had  a 
passion  for  field-sports,  ample  means  at  his  command 
to  enable  him  to  enjoy  them,  and,  it  may  be  said, 
that  he  steered  his  course  honourably  amongst  the 
quicksands  which  surround  those  who  pursue  similar 
pleasures,  and  are,  alas !   too  often  tempted  to  lose 
that  sense  of  honour  so  essential  to  true  happiness. 
Lord  De  Freyne  was  *'  one  in  a  thousand,"  and  showed 
an  example  worthy  of  imitation.      He  did  not  visit 
many  race-meetings  until  after  he  went  to  reside  at 
French-Park,  which  he  did  in  1835.    He  then  increased 
his  stud ;  and  from  that  time  he  attended  every  im- 
portant Irish  meeting.    In  1846,  it  was  thought  that 
he  had  a  promising  candidate   for  Grand  National 
honours  in  Clansman.     But  this  good  chaser  nipped 
the  hopes  of  his  backers  in  the  bud  by  falling  early  in 
the  contest,  and  breaking  his  back.    The  great  Aintree 
race  was  an  unlucky  one  for  his  Lordship  in  more  than 
one  instance,  for,  in  1862,  his  horse,  O'Connell,  fell, 
when  running  well  for  the  Liverpool,  and  killed  poor  Joe 
Wynne,  a  fine  horseman,  and  very  popular  jockey. 
Lord  De  Freyne  did  much  to  improve  the  breed  of 
horses  in  Ireland,  by  importing  good  sires  from  Eng- 
land ;    and  he  never  was  without  a  large  and  well- 
selected   lot   of  stud  matrons   of  the  best  strain   of 
equine  blood.     Amongst  the  many  celebrities  he  had 


HUNTING    IN    ROSCOMMON.  207 

were,  Ophelia,  Olympla,  O'Connell,  Caustic,  Cripple, 
and  Vixen.  He  had  about  seventy  horses  at  the 
time  of  his  death ;  and  they,  as  well  as  the  hounds 
already  alluded  to,  were  sold  soon  afterwards  by 
auction ;  several  of  the  chasers  for  a  very  long 
price,  and  some  of  them  proved  remunerative  to  their 
new  owners,  especially  Caustic  and  Farintosh.  The 
first-named  won  the  National  Hunt  Race  at  Punches- 
town,  value ^5 10,  carrying  iist.  iilbs.  in  1864.  He 
then  belonged  to  the  late  Marquis  of  Clanricarde,  and 
was  ridden  by  the  late  Mr.  Willie  Long,  who  ranked 
this  race  as  his  greatest  victory  in  the  saddle. 

The  late  Mr.  James  Balfe  had,  long  ago,  a 
pack  of  hounds,  but  the  want  of  foxes  compelled 
him  to  dispose  of  them.  Previous  to  1861,  Mr. 
Longworth  hunted  the  southern  portion  of  the 
county,  near  Athlone,  and  Mr.  John  Dennis  the 
western  part.  The  good  sport  shown  by  the  latter 
induced  the  sportsmen  of  Roscommon  to  get  up  a 
county  pack ;  and  a  committee  was  appointed,  with 
Captain  George  Warburton  Drought  of  Cargins, 
Tulsk,  as  secretary.  Foxes|  were  procured,  and 
several  coverts  sown.  The  prospect  of  affairs  soon 
became  so  cheering  that,  in  1862,  Captain  Drought 
was  induced  to  take  the  mastership ;  and,  having 
obtained  drafts  from  the  best  kennels,  he  began  his 
regime  with  a  good  pack.  During  the  first  season, 
1862-3,  he  had,  as  huntsman,  Martin  Quirk,  who 
previously  hunted  the  French-Park  Hounds,  and  had 
spent  some  years  in  Meath  and  Kildare.  The  following 
season  the  master  carried  the  horn  himself,  having  as 
first-whip  George  Sheppard,  who  hunted  the  Wexford 
Hounds  during  the  season  1876-7,  and  had  been  for 


208  IRISH    SPORT  AND   SPORTSMEN. 

some  years  with  the  late  Sir  Tatton  Sykes  before  he 
came  to  Roscommon ;  Hugh  M'Keon,  afterwards  hunts- 
man to  Mr.  John  Longworth,  was  second-whip.  This 
arrangement  continued  for  five  seasons,  the  sport 
being  very  good.  Then,  unfortunately,  Captain 
Drought  was  obliged  to  go  abroad  for  the  winter 
on  account  of  his  health.  He  was  an  excellent 
M.  F.  H.,  and  his  brother  sportsmen  regarded  with 
sincere  admiration  a  master  to  whom  they  owed  so 
much.  Mr.  Tom  Bodkin  of  Kilclooney  succeeded 
Captain  Drought,  and  he,  poor  fellow,  was  soon  after- 
wards killed  in  the  hunting-field  whilst  hunting  the 
hounds.  The  taste  for  pheasant  preserving  was  then 
at  its  height,  and  Irish  keepers  not  having  the  art  of 
keeping  foxes  and  pheasants  in  the  same  coverts, 
fox-hunting  in  Roscommon  became  a  thing  of  the 
past.  Stag-hunting  is,  however,  better  suited  to  a 
county  where  there  are  so  few  resident  landed  pro- 
prietors, which  is  very  open,  and  where  there  is 
such  an  extent  of  bog.  And  those  hounds  afford 
a  better  opportunity  for  the  many  hard  riders  resident 
in  the  neighbourhood  to  show  their  skill  and  their 
hunters'  cleverness,  and  to  cool  the  daring  spirits  that 
were  wont  to  chafe  at  the  drawing  of  such  large 
coverts  as  Mote-Park  or  Danamon. 

In  1873,  a  pack  of  staghounds  was  formed,  by 
Captain  M.  J.  Balfe  of  South-Park,  and  he  has 
hunted  them  himself  ever  since  in  a  manner  which 
does  him  infinite  credit.  There  was,  of  course, 
much  trouble  experienced  in  getting  together  a 
good  lot  of  hounds,  but  the  difficulty  was  soon 
overcome.  Having  inspected  them  on  the  flags, 
and  seen  them  perform  in  the  field,  I  can  vouch  for 


HUNTING   IN    ROSCOMMON.  209 

their  excellence  In  every  particular.  Captain  Balfe 
laboured  sedulously  and  successfully  to  gain  the  end 
he  has  so  fully  attained,  and  has  now  the  pleasure  of 
having  in  his  kennel  thirty-and-a-half  couple  of  work- 
ing hounds,  including  a  very  promising  entry.  They 
average  twenty-five  inches,  and  are  remarkable  for 
their  pace,  symmetry,  uniformity  in  size  and  colour, 
steadiness,  and  endurance.  With  a  subscription  of 
^700  a  year,  the  master  of  the  Roscommon  Stag- 
hounds  has  certainly  achieved  more  than  his  most 
sanguine  admirers  could  have  expected,  although 
much  was,  no  doubt,  expected  from  him,  as  he  is 
descended  from  a  family  remarkable  for  their  love  of 
racing  and  hunting.  His  father  and  uncle  were  both 
staunch  supporters  of  the  Irish  turf  some  years  ago. 
The  kennels  at  South-Park  are  good,  and  so  are 
the  stables.  Captain  Balfe  is  a  first-rate  judge  of 
horses,  and  always  keeps  fourteen  or  fifteen  hunters 
of  the  right  stamp.  John  Cooke  was  whip  and  kennel 
huntsman  until  the  end  of  last  season  (1876-7).  He 
has  been  succeeded  by  William  Higgins.  M.  Harte 
is  feeder,  and  an  excellent  canine  physician  ;  indeed, 
he  would  be  an  acquisition  to  any  hunting  establish- 
ment. He  lived  for  many  years  with  Mr.  John  Dennis, 
and  subsequently  with  Mr.  Tom  Bodkin,  at  Kilclooney. 
After  Mr.  Bodkin's  death,  he  came  to  South- Park, 
where  he  has  been  ever  since.  Many  parts  of  the 
large  district  hunted  over  by  these  hounds  is  a  good 
hunting  one,  particularly  the  neighbourhoods  of  Rath- 
crogan,  Mullaghdowney,  and  the  plains  of  Boyle. 
There  are  many  liberal  contributors  to  the  hunt  fund. 
Lord  De  Freyne  heads  the  list  with  a  donation  of 
;^ioo  a  year.     The  Frenches  are  "sportsmen  to  the 


2IO  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

manner  born;"  and  the  popular  member  for  the 
county,  Hon.  Charles  French',  subscribes  liberally; 
and  so  do  his  brothers,  the  Honbles.  John  and  William 
French  ;  Lord  Crofton,  Lord  Kingston,  Captain  King- 
Harman,  Major  Balfe,  the  O'Conor  Don,  M.P.,  Messrs. 
J.  P.  Taafe,  Patrick  Taafe,  John  C.  Murphy,  John 
Burke  of  Carraroe,  Flanagan,  C.  Hawkes,  C.  A.  Keogh 
of  Oakport,  T.  Y.  L.  Kirkwood,  E.  Frazer,  Glancy, 
Bagot,  C.  M'Dermott,  A.  Lawder,  John  Devenish,  the 
brothers  Sweeney,  Lloyd,  Cotton,  R.  Flynn,  Mahon, 
and  J.  Stafford,  all  subscribe  handsomely. 

Since  the  establishment  of  the  Dublin  Horse  Show, 
the  Roscommon  horses  have  become  famous.  They 
generally  carry  off  several  of  the  jumping  prizes  ;  and 
there  are  more  good  hunters  bred  in  that  county  than 
in  any  part  of  Ireland.  There  are  so  many  noted 
straight-goers  amongst  the  followers  of  the  pack  under 
notice  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for  me  to  ascertain 
all  who  are  deserving  of  being  included  in  my  list  of 
first-flight  men.  I  may  omit  some  who  are  deserving 
of  the  distinction,  and  if  so,  I  hope  they  will  pardon 
an  unintentional  slight ;  and  I  feel  sure  that  all  will 
allow  that  Captain  Balfe,  the  Hon.  John  French,  T.  Y. 
L.  Kirkwood  (a  welter-weight),  the  brothers  Sweeney 
(three),  Messrs.  Cotton,  Farmer,  Flanagan,  Lawder, 
and  R.  Flynn,  generally  comprise  the  leading  division. 
Mr.  Charles  Hawkes,  wearing  silk  and  scarlet,  has 
earned  a  deserved  reputation  as  being  a  fearless  and 
accomplished  rider.  Mr.  Burke  of  Carraroe-park,  with 
only  one  arm,  rides  better  than  most  men  with  two. 
Every  sportsman  must  hail  with  pleasure  the  appear- 
ances of  the  fair  sex  in  the  hunting-field.  They  give 
tone  and   animation    to  every   scene    they   deign    to 


HUNTING   IN    ROSCOMMON.  2  I  I 

honour  with  their  presence;  and,  but  for  their  sanc- 
tion, hunting  would  not  be  as  popular  or  as  enjoyable 
an  amusement  as  it  is.  Many  ladles  hunt  with  the  Ros- 
common Hounds;  and  some  of  them  ride  remarkably 
well :  Mrs.  Taafe  of  Foxborough,  Mrs.  Taafe  of  Cams, 
Miss  Nolan  of  Beechwood,  Miss  Kirkwood,  and  Miss 
Chichester,  often  keep  in  front  through  a  good  run, 
and  always  ride  with  remarkable  grace  and  skill. 

Mr.  C.  A.  Keogh  of  Oakport,  gives  place  for  all 
the  deer  in  his  fine  park,  and  gives  a  couple  of  red- 
deer  every  year.  Mr.  Lloyd  of  Crogan  gives  two  or 
three  every  season  also,  and  Lord  De  Freyne  four 
or  five  fallow  deer. 

When  forming  the  pack,  Captain  Balfe  got  all  his 
hounds  from  England,  and  several  from  Her  Majesty's 
and  the  Craven  kennels. 


212  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    SOUTH    UNION,    UNITED    HUNT,    AND    MUSKERRY 

HOUNDS. 

I  SHALL  condense  the  history  of  the  South  Union, 
Muskerry,  and  United  Hunt,  into  one  short  chapter. 
I  have  to  adhere  carefully  to  the  line  of  accuracy,  having 
to  deal  with  facts  and  shun  fiction ;  so  that  as  I  do 
not  know  very  much  of  the  hunting  territory  of  these 
packs,  their  supporters,  followers,  or  of  the  hounds,  I 
must  be  brief  in  dealing  with  them. 

The  South  Union  Hounds  were  established  in 
1 830 ;  they  were  Irish  bred,  and  comprised  drafts 
from  the  best  kennels  in  the  South,  such  as  Mr. 
Hedges  Eyre  of  Macroom  Castle,  Captain  George 
Rye  of  Ryecourt,  William  Baldwin,  and  Mr.  Stannus. 
They  hunted  both  hares  and  foxes  until  1866,  and 
since  then  they  have  been  regularly  established  as 
foxhounds.  The  present  master's  father  was  the  first 
to  preside  over  them,  and  he  kept  them  till  his  death 
in  1840.  During  his  long  reign  he  had  only  two 
huntsmen,  William  Sullivan  and  Denis  Hallis.  Mr. 
T.  Walton  Knolles  succeeded  at  the  death  of  his 
father,  and  has  presided  since  then.  He  resides  at 
Oatlands,  near  Kinsale,  and  hunted  the  pack  himself, 
until    incapacitated    from    doing    so    by    an    injury 


THE    SOUTH    UNION    HOUNDS.  2I3 

to  his  knee,  sustained  by  a  fall  on  the  road  in  1864. 
Since  that  time  the  present  huntsman,  Denis  Mullane, 
who  was  formerly  huntsman  to  Lord  Doneraile,  has 
carried  the  horn.  Of  late  years,  drafts  were  obtained 
from  the  Duhallow,  United  Hunt,  and  Lord  Doneraile's 
kennels.  The  pack  at  present  consists  of  twenty-one 
couple.  Tuesdays  and  Fridays  are  the  hunting-days. 
The  sport  last  season  (1876-7)  was  very  good.  The 
hounds  were  out  fifty-three  days ;  killed  ten  brace  of 
foxes,  ran  to  ground  forty- four  ;  there  were  ten  unac- 
counted for;  and  three  blank  days.  The  hunting- 
district  extends,  by  the  sea-shore,  from  the  Bandon 
river  to  Cork,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  side  by 
the  hills  of  Ballincollig.  Scent  lies  badly  in  nearly  all 
parts  of  it.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  many 
foxes  were  poisoned  last  season  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Cork ;  there  are  but  few  foxes  in  that  locality  now, 
and  this  is  a  great  drawback,  as  the  hunting-district  is 
a  very  small  one.  Mr.  Knolles  is  extremely  fond  of 
hunting.  He  is  much  liked  ;  and  during  his  thirty- 
seven  years'  reign  as  master  of  hounds,  has  dis- 
charged all  the  duties  required  of  him  in  a  manner 
deserving  of  high  praise;  and  it  is  surprising  how 
little  support  has  been  given  him  of  late ;  but  it  is  but 
justice  to  record  the  fact,  that  Mr.  Marmaduke  C. 
Cramer  of  Rathmore,  Kinsale,  is  a  very  liberal  sub- 
scriber to  the  hunt  fund. 

During  the  late  master's  time,  Messrs.  John  and 
William  Galwey,  William  Markham,  Thomas  and 
William  Bullen  of  Kinsale,  generally  comprised  the 
leading  division  in  every  good  run.  The  leaders  of 
late  years  included  the  late  James  Galwey,  Samuel 
Hodden,  M.  C   Cramer,  Henry  Burnett,  John  Meade 


214  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

of  Ballintobber,    William    Newenham    of  Coolmore, 
Thomas  Hayes,  William  Patton,  and  M.  Donegan. 


THE    UNITED    HUNT. 

So  many  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  manage- 
ment of  this  hunt,  that  it  is  by  no  means  easy  to  trace 
it  through  all  its  phases.  It  was  originally  established 
in  the  year  1824  or  1825,  by  the  late  Mr.  Simon  Dring 
of  Rockgrove,  county  Cork,  and  was  then  known  as 
the  *'  Union  Hunt,"  and  an  Englishman,  Paul  Quirke, 
was  huntsman.  Mr.  Dring  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Devonshire,  and  the  hounds  were  then  removed  to 
Kilshannig,  near  Rathcormac.  It  appears  that  the 
sport  was  very  poor  during  the  regime  of  Mr.  Dring ; 
nor  was  all  satisfactory  under  Mr.  Devonshire's 
dynasty. 

I  take  the  following,  written  by  **  D.  G.,"  from  an 
English  sporting  magazine  of  1837  :  — 

"  I  have  been  a  good  deal  surprised  that  none  of  your  Irish  cor- 
respondents has  ever  tried  to  prove  the  superiority,  in  an  Irish 
country,  of  the  old  Irish  foxhound  over  the  English  blood.  Though 
we  have  had  the  question  fairly  tried  here,  I  shall  not  attempt  to 
enter  into  their  relative  merits ;  but  I  will  state  a  few  facts,  which 
may  elicit  the  opinions  of  more  experienced  sportsmen  and  prac- 
tised writers.  About  ten  years  ago  the  Union  Hunt  Club  was  got 
up  to  hunt  an  extensive  country  in  the  county  of  Cork.  Two  packs, 
one  of  mixed,  the  other  of  pure  Irish  blood,  were  presented  by 
their  owners  (one  of  whom  became  manager)  to  the  club,  and  a 
round  sum  was  subscribed  and  paid  up.  The  exclusive  hunting  of 
an  extensive  district  was  obtained.  The  club  and  the  cub-hunting 
commenced  with  the  most  cheering  prospects ;  but  although  our 
proceedings  commenced  so  favourably  the  sport  of  the  first  year 
fell  far  short  of  our  expectations.  At  the  wind-up  dinner  the 
failure  was  admitted  by  all,  but  the  opinions  as  to  the  causes  which 


THE    UNITED    HUNT.  215 

led  to  this  result  were  various  and  widely  different.  The  younkers, 
and  they  were  the  majority,  held  that  nothing  could  be  done  except 
with  a  pack  of  pure  English  blood.  The  nestors  of  the  chase 
talked  of  the  good  old  times,  and  stuck  out  for  the  old  blood  ;  the 
juniors,  however,  were  positive,  and,  being  the  majority,  of  course 
they  carried  their  point,  and  the  palaver  ended  with  a  resolution 
to  import  as  many  hounds  of  English  blood  as  possible,  and  get 
rid  of  the  Irish  curs.  The  governor  went  over  to  Leicestershire 
with  full  powers  and  a  full  purse.  Drafts  were  procured  at  a  high 
figure  from  some  crack  kennels,  the  native  Irish  hounds  were  got 
rid  of,  the  coverts  stocked,  Michaelmas  day  came  about  again,  and 
our  hopes  were  higher  than  ever.  Another  winter  passed,  and  at 
our  St.  Patrick's  Day  feed  we  had  once  more  to  debate  on  a  chapter 
of  accidents,  crosses  and  losses  of  all  kinds,  blank  days,  foxes  no 
sooner  found  than  lost,  no  pads  on  the  kennel  door,  not  a  single  long 
run  to  talk  over,  and  a  very  long  bill  to  pay,  our  exchequer  running 
low,  and  our  spirits  lower.  This  year  we  determined  that  it  was 
all  the  huntsman's  fault,  that  the  English  hounds  did  not  under- 
stand his  Irish  brogue — how  could  they.?  So  we  dismissed  him, 
and  imported  a  Meltonian.  In  the  third  and  fourth  years  it  was 
ditto  repeated ;  in  the  fifth  we  transported  our  Englishman  and 
imported  a  Scotchman  :  in  short,  to  wind  up  the  history  of  our 
'Decline  and  Fall'  in  the  ten  years  of  our  existence,  we  tried 
four  huntsmen,  as  many  managers,  twice  as  many  secretaries, 
whips  innumerable,  and  had  not  a  single  run  worthy  of  reporting 
in  a  sporting  journal.  The  subscribers  dropped  off,  the  club 
became  bankrupt,  the  horses  were  sold,  the  hounds  were  brought 
to  the  hammer,  but  no  one  would  bid  for  them.  We  then  puffed 
them  off  in  all  the  papers  for  six  months,  and  at  length  sold  them 
for  about  a  tenth  of  the  first  cost.  Having  shown  the  total  failure 
of  an  experiment,  thus  fairly  tried  with  some  of  the  purest  English 
blood,  manned  by  Englishmen,  and  hunted  a  V Anglaise  in  every 
sense  of  the  word,  let  us  take  a  peep  at  the  other  side  of  the  picture : 
there  we  shall  see  what  has  been  done  this  present  season,  in  the 
same  country,  by  a  little  pack  of  the  '  ould  Irish'  blood,  kept  by 
an  'ould  Irish'  gentleman,  who  would  as  soon  think  of  letting  an 
English  foxhound  into  his  kennel  as  of  allowing  an  English  sports- 
man out  of  his  house  at  seven  o'clock  on  a  hunting  eve.  His 
huntsman  and  whip,  Jack  Lynch  and  Dinny  Shuckaroo,  though 
they  never  crossed  the  Irish  Channel  in  their  lives,  can  '  discoorse* 


2l6  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

their  hounds  in  as  classical  dog-language  as  if  they  had  taken  their 
degrees  under  Jack  Musters  himself,  or  matriculated  in  the  Quorn 
kennel. 

"When  the  much-admired,  the  beautiful,  and  dearly  beloved 
English  pack  went  to  the  '  dogs'  the  owner  of  the  little  Irish  curs 
got  the  hunting  of  a  great  part  of  the  country  in  which  the  defunct 
club  had  long  played  the  part  of  the  dog  in  the  manger.  He 
commenced  the  season  with  a  pack  short  as  to  numbers,  his  effec- 
tive strength  being  only  twenty-eight  couple.  With  this  small 
force  he  took  the  field  under  the  further  drawback — owing  to  his 
having  few  coverts  to  draw — of  having  more  frequently  used  them 
as  harriers  than  foxhounds,  though  sometimes  guilty  of  the  sole- 
cism of  finding  his  fox  in  a  bag.  However,  a  few  thrashings  made 
them  as  staunch  as  if  they  never  stooped  to  the  trail  of  a  hare  in 
their  lives,  and  he  has  not  had  a  single  blank  day  as  yet.  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  hunting  with  him  for  a  few  days ;  and  while  I  was 
anything  but  enjoying  the  otiiim  entailed  on  me  for  my  sins  by  a 
severe  attack  of  the  influenza  I  attempted  the  following  sketch  of 
a  day's  sport : — 

"  On  my  first  appearance  at  the  covert-side  with  this,  the  mer- 
riest pack  I  ever  rode  to,  the  meet  was  at  Lemlara,  the  residence 
of  the  county  member.  The  draw  was  blank,  the  morning  wet  and 
cold,  and  not  a  drop  to  cheer  us.  This  unpromising  state  of  afi"airs 
sent  a  lot  of  feather-bed  sportsmen  from  the  sweet  city  of  Cork 
home  to  their  clubs.  The  field,  which  was  before  rather  numerous 
than  select,  was  now  reduced  to  about  ten  well-mounted  men  in 
scarlet,  that  looked  as  if  they  could  'ride  a  bit.'  Our  next  draw 
was  Dundullerick  glens,  and  while  the  hounds  were  going  down 
we  got  a  caulker  of  real  cherry-bounce,  which  the  rawness  of  the 
morning  made  most  acceptable.  The  little  ones  were  not  long  in 
the  covert — a  beautifully  planted,  deep,  and  rocky  glen — when 
they  opened  on  a  drag  in  a  style  that  left  no  doubt  as  to  our  finding. 
The  cry  in  the  glen  was  rtie  finest  I  ever  heard,  and  was  sent  back 
to  us  by  a  hundred  echoes.  But  this  did  not  last  long,  for  our  fox 
broke  away  in  gallant  style,  like  a  prime  one  that  despised  dodging, 
heading  due  north,  the  wind  at  the  time  blowing  a  cold  south- 
easter. He  had  scarcely  a  minute's  law  when  every  hound  in  the 
pack  was  out  of  covert,  all  settling  to  their  work,  heads  up  and 
sterns  down.  As  this  (if  you  please,  Mr.  Editor,  to  print  it)  will 
meet  the  eyes  of  many  who  know  the  country  well,  I  shall  give  the 


THE    UNITED    HUNT.  217 

names,  unpronounceable  though  they  be  to  your  English  readers, 
of  the  several  townlands  over  which  the  varmint  led  us.  After 
leaving  the  demesnes  of  Dundullerick  he  crossed  the  fine  grass 
farm  of  Rathgubbane,  to  his  own  great  disadvantage,  as  the  *  dog- 
gies'  settled  to  their  work  where  there  could  be  no  mistake.  He 
then  held  on  through  Ballyroberts,  Rathanigue,  Ballinvullin,  Bally- 
nakilla,  then  across  to  Kippane,  up  through  Bluebell  and  Lisurrilla, 
a  long  and  steep  hill,  which  tried  the  metal  of  the  nags — some  of 
them  not  unknown  to  fame.  The  fox  then  descended  in  a  straight 
line  through  Ballynandagh  and  the  old  Barrymore  Park,  to  the 
river  Bride,  where  two  or  three  of  our  select  few  treated  themselves 
to  a  cold  bath,  mistaking  one  of  the  deepest  reaches  on  the  river 
for  a  safe  and  easy  ford,  which  was  close  by.  When  safe  across 
the  flooded  stream,  poor  pug  was  nearly  at  home,  for  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  carried  him  to  the  rock  of  Castle  Lyons,  '  an  asylum  where 
foxes  for  many  a  gineration  have  found  refuge  from  their  rival  per- 
secuthers,'  to  use  the  words  of  an  Irish  schoolmaster,  who  ran  out, 
followed  by  all  his  pupils,  to  see  the  finish.  The  said  learned 
person  at  the  same  time  informed  us  that  one  of  his  *  Latinists' — 
a  bit  of  'nate  timber'  to  make  a  scholar  of — ran  in  and  thus 
addressed  him  in  choice  Virgilian  phrase : — Domine,  hie  veniunt 
equites  et  odora  canum  vis'  which  he,  the  said  Domine,  as  he  told  us, 
thus  rendered  into  the  vernacular  for  the  benefit  of  the  '  lower 
class  :' — '  Boys,  here  come  the  red-coats  and  the  hounds  ! — adding 
to  his  translation  the  pleasing  note,  '  Take  a  quarther  holiday!' 
We  arrived  just  in  time  to  see  wily  reynard  take  *  refuge  from  his 
rival  persecuthers'  in  one  of  the  caverns  under  the  rock.  The 
pedant's  phrase,  'rival  persecuthers,'  was,  to  quote  another  brother 
of  the  ferule,  '  a  most  liable,  congruent,  and  measurable  applica- 
tion of  the  epithet.'  I  never  saw  such  racing  before — from  find  to 
finish — the  thing  was  done  in  a  most  workmanlike  form.  There 
was  scarcely  a  check  for  a  second,  and  not  a  cast  was  made.  The 
line  taken  was  as  straight  as  man  and  horse  could  go.  The  dis- 
tance, seven  miles  (Irish)  from  point  to  point;  time,  twenty-eight 
minutes.  Now  for  a  word  about  the  cavalry.  In  so  decisive  an 
aflfair  as  this  there  was  a  fair  opportunity  of  seeing  who  was  the 
best  mounted  man,  but  it  would  be  hard  to  say  which  of  two  bore 
away  the  palm.  The  par  nobile  were  Mr.  Fitzgerald  on  Valentine, 
the  hero  of  many  a  well-contested  steeplechase ;  and  Mr.  John 
Barry  on  Psyche,  a  small  but  prime  bit  of  stuff.    She  won  the  third 


2l8  IRISH  SPORT    AND   SPORTSMEN. 

and  fourth  heats  of  the  best-contested  steeplechase  that  ever  came 
off  in  Fermoy,  beating  Red  Rover,  the  conqueror  of  Barkiston  and 
Conrad,  since  sold  to  the  Marquis  of  Waterford  for  300  guineas. 
Next  to  these,  if  not  in  with  them,  should  be  placed  Mr.  Wakeham 
on  Cigar,  the  winner  of  the  Muskerry  Cup.  About  a  field  behind 
came  Mr.  Morris  of  Dunkettle,  on  Clinker ;  Mr.  Roche,  the  owner 
of  the  hounds,  on  Champion,  a  200-guinea  article;  and  the  hunts- 
man on  a  Whiteboy  mare.  Dinny,  the  whip,  dived  into  a  bog-hole 
about  the  fourth  mile,  and  never  took  his  place  again  until  all  was 
over.  The  innate  modesty  of  an  Irishman  prevents  my  placing 
myself;  suffice  it  to  say  that  I  don't  quote  the  knight  of  the  birch 
at  second-hand.  Mr.  H.  Barry  and  three  or  four  others  formed 
the  rear-guard,  and  arrived  just  as  we  had  finished  a  fierce  attack 
on  a  venison  pasty  and  sundry  other  good  things  at  Mr.  Fitz- 
gerald's, in  Castle  Lyons,  and  as  we  were  about  to  '  fight  our  fox- 
hunt over  again.'  They  told  us  the  usual  pitiful  tale  of  broken 
stirrup-leathers,  lost  shoes,  &c.,  which  were  received,  as  such  stories 
always  are,  with  a  horse-laugh." 

Soon  after  the  publication  of  this  article  Mr. 
Roche's  hounds  were  dispersed.  In  1840,  Mr.  Devon- 
shire sold  his  pack  to  the  late  Lord  Shannon ;  and 
they  were  hunted  for  a  few  seasons  by  a  man  named 
Brown.  In  1845,  Tom  Smith,  from  the  Brocklesby,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  horn,  and  he  was  quite  an  fait  at  the 
business,  and  he  had  valuable  aids  in  the  brothers 
Atkinson,  who  were  whippers-in  to  him.  In  1847,  ^^^ 
Lordship  disposed  of  his  hounds  to  Lord  Southampton, 
and  Smith  went  with  them.  That  famous  sportsman, 
Mr.  John  Courtenay  of  Ballyedmond  kept  a  pack  of 
hounds  for  some  years,  and  showed  very  good  sport, 
over  what  is  now  the  United  Hunt  district.  Mr. 
Courtenay  (whilom  Steward  of  the  Turf  Club)  owned 
several  good  racers  and  chasers.  In  1847,  he  won  the 
Liverpool  Grand  National  with  Matthew,  which,  under 
the  careful  guidance  of  Denny  Wynne,  defeated  twenty- 


THE    UNITED    HUNT.  219 

seven  opponents  for  the  cross-country  blue-ribbon. 
He  also  owned  Caprice,  a  dark-grey  mare  (dam  of 
Frailty),  a  wonder  over  four  miles.  She  won  many 
races  under  "  Eddy"  Keegan,  who  believed  her  to  be 
the  best  animal  he  ever  bestrode.  Mr.  Courtenay  was 
a  notable  man  to  hounds,  and  rivalled  his  friend  Lord 
Henry  in  those  feats  of  horsemanship  which  have  made 
the  name  of  Waterford  imperishable.  When  an  old 
man,  in  1858,  Mr.  Courtenay  capped  his  former  per- 
formances by  riding  his  hunter,  Blenheim,  over  the 
dining-table  "  set-out"  for  supper  in  the  Club  House, 
Kilkenny.  He  sold  his  hounds  to  Sir  Nugent  Humble 
in  1848. 

The   country   was   not   then    hunted   until    1855, 
when   Mr.   Robert  Uniacke   of  Castletown,  near  Kil- 
leagh,    bought    Sir    Nugent    Humble's    pack,    and 
hunted  this  entire  district,   as  well    as   a  portion  of 
Waterford,  which   had  been    previously    hunted    by 
the     Black    Water    Vale    Hounds,    and    were    sold 
in    1847.       ^^^'    Uniacke   carried  the   horn    for    two 
seasons,  with  John   Smith   as  first,   and  Wm.  Keeffe 
as   second  whip.     He  then   gave  up  the  Waterford 
country,  and  took  a  large  tract  of  that  formerly  hunted 
by  the  late  Lord  Shannon,  and  the  pack  were  known 
by  the  old   name   of  the    "  Union   Hounds."     John 
Smith  was  huntsman  for  a  couple  of  years,  then  Patrick 
Neil,  who  was  entered  by  Mr.  Uniacke  as  second  whip, 
was  promoted  to  the  office ;  he  failed  as  a  huntsman, 
however,  and  became  first  whip  under  James  Alex- 
ander.    In  1870,  Lord  Shannon  bought  Mr.  Uniacke 
and  the  late  Lord  Fermoy's  hounds,  and  the  two  coun- 
tries (for  Lord  Fermoy  hunted  half  the  Union  country 
from  the  time  the  late  Lord  Shannon  died   till  1870). 


2  20  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Lord  Shannon  is  now  one  of  the  most  popular  mas- 
ters in  England,  where  he  has  the  Vale  of  White  Horse 
Hounds. 

Henry  Robert  Boyle,  fifth  earl,  was  born  in  1833, 
and  was  educated  at  Eton.  When  nineteen  years  of 
age  he  went  as  attache  at  Frankfort,  whence  he  was 
soon  afterwards  transferred  to  Vienna.  In  1853,  he 
retired  from  the  service,  and  six  years  afterwards  mar- 
ried Lady  Blanche  Lascelles,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of 
Harewood.  She  died  in  1863,  his  Lordship  suc- 
ceeded his  father  in  1868,  and  the  same  year  married 
Julia  Charlotte,  youngest  daughter  of  Sir  William 
Cradock  Hartopp,  Bart.  When  his  Lordship  took  the 
mastership  of  the  United  Hunt,  he  at  once  set  about 
improving  the  pack  and  the  country  ;  indeed,  he  re- 
made the  country  which  had  been  hunted  by  his  father. 
He  had  R.  Pattle  as  huntsman  for  one  year,  with  Pat 
Neil,  who  had  been  whip  to  Mr.  Uniacke.  As  first 
whip,  Pattle  was  replaced  by  Wheatley,  previously 
whip  to  the  Duke  of  Grafton,  and  his  '*  aids"  were  P. 
Neil  and  John  Curtis.  After  a  lapse  of  two  years, 
George  Bollin  was  made  huntsman,  with  Tom  Perry 
and  Curtis  to  turn  them  to  him.  In  1875,  Lord 
Shannon  gave  up  the  hounds,  and  sold  his  bitch  pack 
to  the  present  committee  of  the  United  Hunt  Club, 
and  his  dog  pack  to  the  Duhallow  Club.  The  man- 
agers of  the  United  Hunt  soon  succeeded  in  getting  a 
good  dog  pack,  and  they  have  now  forty-five  couple 
of  working  hounds.  The  hounds  were  kept  at 
Castle- Martyr ;  but  were  removed  very  recently  to 
new  kennels  at  Middleton,  a  move  in  the  right  direc- 
tion certainly,  as  they  are  five  miles  nearer  to  the 
centre  of  the  country.      Last  season   (1876-7)  John 


THE    MUSKERRY    FOXHOUNDS.  221 

Mason  was  huntsman,  with  J.  Wallis  as  whip.  Henry 
Saunders,  who  was  for  some  time  first  whip  to  the 
Louth  Hounds,  carries  the  horn  now,  and  Wallis  re- 
mains as  first  whip.  They  hunt  three  days  a  week. 
Mr.  Uniacke  is  kennel  manager.  He  is  a  most  ardent 
foxhunter,  and  is  thoroughly  versed  in  stud  lore.  Mr. 
Thomas  W.  Gubbins  of  Dunkettle,  county  Cork,  is  field 
manager,  and  a  most  courteous  one ;  he  is  a  great 
favourite,  and  thorough  sportsman. 

THE    MUSKERRY    FOXHOUNDS. 

In  1780,  the  Muskerry  country  was  hunted  by  Mr. 
Richard  Tonson  Rye  of  Ryecourt  (grandfather  of  the 
owner  of  the  present  pack,  Captain  R.  Tonson  Rye); 
John  Donohue  was  his  huntsman.  In  1800,  they  were 
kept  at  the  Ovens  by  Mr.  Bailie  Collier,  Mr.  Samuel 
Hawkes  of  Hawkemount,  and  Mr.  James  Penrose  of 
Shandangan,  and  were  hunted  by  Tom  Geary,  who 
afterwards  went  to  Lord  Carbery.  After  hunting  the 
country  for  sixyears,they  were  joined  by  Captain  Hedges 
of  Macroom  Castle,  until  18 15,  when  the  latter  took 
the  hounds  himself,  and  hunted  the  country  entirely  at 
his  own  expense  until  his  death  in  1838.  The  hounds 
were  then  left  to  the  present  Earl  of  Bantry,  who  lent 
them  to  the  late  Samuel  D.  Penrose  of  Farren,  the 
late  John  Hawkes  of  Kilcrea,  and  Mr.  Richard  Tonson 
Rye,  who  jointly  hunted  the  country  for  one  season ; 
and  then  they  were  made  a  subscription  pack,  thereby 
gaining  a  large  addition  of  country,  viz.,  that  hunted 
by  the  late  Mr.  Newenham  of  Maryborough,  and 
the  Innishannon  country,  hunted  by  the  late  Captain 
Corcor   of  Cor  Castle.     The   late   John  Hawkes   of 

15 


222  IRISH   SPORT  AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Kilcrea  then  became  master,  and,  with  Denis  Sullivan, 
huntsman,  and  Patrick  Connell,  whip,  hunted  the 
country  successfully  until  1843,  when  the  Earl  of 
Bantry  sold  the  hounds  to  Mr.  Drought  of  Roscom- 
mon. Then  Captain  R.  Tonson  Rye  got  a  pack  of  fox- 
hounds, and  has  hunted  the  country  ever  since  with 
great  success.  Captain  Woodley,  who  is  a  first-rate 
horseman,  carries  the  horn.  At  the  beginning  of 
the  present  season  (1877-8)  Captain  Rye  gave  up  the 
mastership,  but  lent  the  hounds  to  hunt  the  country. 
Captain  Woodley  is  now  master.  Tuesdays  and  Fri- 
days are  the  hunting  days.  The  kennels  are  new, 
and  situated  near  Meyshell ;  James  Kerlihy  is  first- 
whip  and  kennel  huntsman.  The  pack  generally  con- 
sists cf  thirty-two  couple  of  working  hounds. 

NOTES. 

A  notice  of  the  sportsmen  of  Cork  would  be  incomplete 
did  it  not  make  some  reference  to  a  very  extraordinary  man  who 
occupied  amongst  them  a  position  quite  unique — I  allude  to  the 
late  Mr.  "  Philip"  Cross  of  "  Shandy  Hall."  He  died  lately,  and 
full  of  years,  during  which  he  shot,  fished,  and  hunted  with  a 
spirit  which  could  only  be  borne  by  a  quite  extraordinary  consti- 
tution. Space  only  permits  me  to  record  one  of  his  many  exploits. 
Before  he  disposed  of  his  latest  pack  to  an  English  gentleman  (the 
sale  of  which  was  the  subject  of  a  very  remarkable  lawsuit  which 
Mr.  Cross  won),  and  when  a  very  old  man,  he  shot  four  couple  of 
snipe  for  a  sick  friend,  to  whose  home,  some  nine  miles  away,  he 
bore  the  birds,  and  met  his  horse  and  pack  at  eleven  o'clock,  a.m. 
He  hunted,  and  killed  a  hare,  then  ran  into  an  outlying  fox  in 
"the  open;"  came  home,  and  killed  a  very  fine  salmon  in  the 
Macroom  river  before  the  sunset  of  a  late  March  day.  Many  of 
my  readers  will,  no  doubt,  recall  the  vigorous  old  man  in  the  light 
frock  coat  and  white  "duck"  trousers,  which,  when  not  hunting, 
he  thought  quite  sufficient  protection  in  even  the  most  inclement 
weather.  His  was  an  example  of  hardihood  always  rare,  and, 
perhaps,  in  these  faster  latter  days  impossible  to  be  met  with. 


THE  MUSKERRY  FOXHOUNDS.  223 

Another  very  remarkable  southern  sportsman  died  a  few  years 
ago,  old  "Dan"  Callaghan,  the  veteran  huntsman.  He  was  born, 
in  1763,  at  Ballyclough,  near  Mallow.  When  fourteen,  he  went 
into  service,  and  was  kennel-boy  to  Lord  Lisle  for  two  years, 
and  whip  for  four  years,  and  was  then  appointed  huntsman  to 
Lord  Lisle's  nephew,  Mr.  Lysaght.  He  hunted  his  hounds  for 
seven  years,  and  then  carried  the  horn  for  eight  years  for  Mr. 
Hugh  Norcott,  who  kept  hounds  at  his  residence,  Ballybeg,  near 
Cahirmee.  His  next  master  was  INIr.  Hedges  Eyre  of  Macroom 
Castle,  whose  hounds  he  hunted  for  nine  seasons,  before  he  entered 
the  service  of  Mr.  Power  of  Clonmult,  whose  pack  he  hunted  for 
thirty-seven  seasons.  He  filled  a  similar  post  for  a  few  years  to 
Mr.  Boles  of  Springfield,  and  for  fifteen  years  he  lived  with  his 
last  master  at  Shanagarry.  Poor  Dan  !  he  was  a  first-rate  horse- 
man, and  won  several  steeplechases.  There  was  no  better  man  to 
hounds,  but  a  very  jealous  rider.  He  was  ninety-nine  years  old 
when  he  gave  up  service.  He  died  in  1874;  and  in  1868,  her 
Majesty  the  Queen  was  graciously  pleased  to  accept  his  photo- 
graph, and  presented  him  with  a  gratuity  of  £^^. 


224  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  ORMOND  AND  KING'S  COUNTY  HOUNDS. 

Having  left  the  "kingdom  of  Connaught,"  I  con- 
tinued my  tour  in  quest  of  information  for  these 
hunting  sketches,  and,  on  the  borders  of  Tipperary, 
I  found  a  Mentor,  willing  and  able  to  afford  me 
much  information  relative  to  the  Ormond  Hounds 
and  country. 

"  Now,"  says  mine  host,  "having  catered  to  your 
wants  as  regards  the  *  inner  man,'  we  will  have  a  chat 
about  your  book  and  a  smoke.  If  there  is  any  truth 
in  the  proverb,  '  in  vino  Veritas^  it  is  not  badly  capped 
by  '  ex/umo  dare  lucem;'  we  get  the  silver  lining  of  the 
clouds,  we  say  our  best  things,  and  keep  the  real  con- 
versation of  the  day  for  that  cheerful  hour  when  ordi- 
nary mortals  have  retired  to  rest.  I  will  tell  you  all 
I  know  about  our  hounds.  You  do  not  surprise  me 
when  you  tell  me  that  you  have  had  more  difficulty  in 
obtaining  details  regarding  the  Ormond  and  King's 
County  Hunt  and  the  Duhallows  than  any  other. 
They  are,  I  think,  established  longer  than  any  pack 
in  Ireland ;  and  so  many  changes  have  taken  place  in 
the  management  of  the  '  Ormonds,'  that  it  is  most 
difficult  to  trace  their  history.  You  know  there  has 
existed  an   'Ormond  Hunt'  and  a  'King's  County 


THE    ORMOND    HOUNDS.  225 

Hunt'  at  the  same  time,  and  at  others  the  two 
countries  have  been  hunted  as  one." 

"  So  I  have  heard;  how  far  back  can  you  trace 
the  history  of  the  '  Ormonds  ?  "' 

"Previous  to  1778,  the  country  was  hunted  by 
private  packs  of  the  local  gentry,  viz.,  the  Tolers  of 
Beechwood,  the  Falkiners  of  Mount-Falcon,  and  the 
Willingtons  of  Rapla.  In  1778-9,  the  '  Ormonds' 
were  kept  by  the  late  Viscount  Lismore  at  Debs- 
borough,  near  Nenagh." 

"  I  heard  from  my  Gal  way  friend  that  the  hounds 
kept  by  the  late  Colonel  Giles  Eyre  used  to  hunt  a 
portion  of  this  country  and  part  of  Galway." 

"Yes;  he  kept  hounds,  and  hunted  the  country 
for  many  years  previous  to  18 10;  and  so  did  Hero 
Jackson  of  Mount  Pleasant.  A  neighbour  of  mine 
gave  me  the  following  account  of  a  run  which  took 
place  in  1809.  He  found  it  amongst  some  old  papers 
of  his,  but  he  does  not  know  who  the  writer  was  : — 

*^  Extraordinary  Foxhunt  in  Lower  Ormond  in  1809. 

"  On  the  4th  of  December  last,  Colonel  Eyre's  foxhounds  had 
one  of  the  most  desperate  runs  ever  recorded,  of  one  hour  and 
fifty  minutes — desperate  from  its  length,  desperate  from  '  the  pace' 
kept  up,  and  desperate  from  the  dreadful  storm  that  raged  for 
nearly  the  last  hour,  and  in  the  very  teeth  of  which  reynard  ran. 
With  the  exception  of  short  check,  the  chase  was  maintained  with 
unabaling  fury  all  through,  to  choose  a  leap  was  to  be  thrown  out. 
At  half-past  eight  o'clock  in  themorning  they  drew  over  theold  earth 
of  Coolagoran  for  the  *  spotted  fox.'  Tony,  the  huntsman,  know- 
ing well  his  abilities  from  former  runs,  matched  his  chase  hounds 
the  day  before,  and  fed  them  early.  He  calls  this  pack  the  'Light 
Infantry,'  to  distinguish  them  from  the  slack,  heavy  draft  that  were 
lately  sent  from  England.  I  was  on  the  earth  a  little  after  eight; 
it  was  rising  ground,  and  as  the  dawn  broke  'twas  cheering  to 


2  26  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

behold  the  foxhounds,  faithful   to  their  horn,  approaching  from 

distant  directions,  and  as  they  all  closed  to  the  point  of  destination, 

the  pack,  'in  all  its  beauty's  pride,'  appeared  on  the  brow  of  the 

hill:— 

"  '  Oh !  what  a  charming  scene, 

When  all  around  was  gay,  men,  horses,  dogs, 
And  in  each  cheerful  countenance  was  seen 
Fresh  blooming  health,  and  never-fading  joy.' 

"  The  taking  his  drag  from  the  earth  was  brilliant  beyond 
common  fortune;  like  a  train  which  runs  oif  in  a  blaze,  they  hardly 
touched  it  till  they  were  out  of  sight.  '  Madman,'  that  unerring 
finder,  proclaimed  the  joyful  tidings  ;  each  foxhound  gave  credit 
to  the  welcome  information,  and  they  went  away  in  a  crash.  It 
was  a  perfect  tumult  in  Mr.  Newstead's  garden  ;  there  the  villain 
was  found,  and  we  went  off  at  his  brush.  In  skirting  a  small 
covert  in  the  first  mile,  we  divided  on  a  fresh  fox  ;  it  was  a  moment 
of  importance,  nothing  but  prompt,  vigorous,  and  general  exer- 
tions could  repair  the  misfortune ;  it  was  decisive,  and  he  now 
faced  the  Commons  of  Carney,  broad  and  deep  was  the  bounds 
drain;  but  what  can  stop  foxhunters  .^  The  line  had  been  main- 
tained by  five  couple  of  hounds  ;  they  crossed  the  road,  and  find- 
ing themselves  on  the  extensive  sod  of  the  Commons,  they  began 
to  go  'the  pace.'  A  scene  now  presented  itself,  which  none  but 
foxhunters  could  appreciate,  for  its  beauty  was  not  discernible  to 
the  common  and  inexperienced  eye.  At  this  period,  the  chase 
became  a  complete  'split,'  the  hounds,  which  had  changed,  and  had 
now,  from  different  directions,  gained  the  Commons,  could  not 
venture  to  run  in  on  the  five  couple  without  decidedly  losing 
ground,  and,  to  maintain  it,  instinct  directed  them  to  run  on  credit, 
and,  flanking  the  five  couple,  the  whole  pack  formed  a  chain  of 
upwards  of  loo  yards  in  breast  across  the  Commons  ;  but  as  the 
chase  varied  through  the  hollows  and  windings  of  this  beautiful 
surface,  the  hounds,  on  the  wings,  in  turns,  took  up  the  line,  and 
maintained  their  stations,  as  the  others  had  done,  so  well  was  this 
pack  matched.  Here  we  crossed  walls  that  on  common  occasions 
would  have  been  serious  obstacles.  The  second  huntsman,  on  a 
young  one,  following  Lord  Rossmore,  called  out :  '  What  is  on  the 
other  side,  my  Lord  ?'  'I  am,  thank  God,'  was  the  answer.  We 
now  disappeared  from  the  Commons  of  Carney,  and  at  this  time 
the  pack  was  hunting  so  greedily  that  one  would  think  every  dog 
was  hitting  like  an  arrow.     We  now  passed  Carrigagown  for  the 


THE    ORMOND    HOUNDS.  227 

ponds  of  Peterfield,  in  the  teeth  of  the  most  desperate  storm  I  ever 
witnessed  of  rain,  hail,  and  wind.     Distress  was  now  evident  in  the 
field,  for  notwithstanding  the  violence  of  the  gale,  'the  pace'  was 
maintained.     This  was  the  most  desperate  part  of  the  chase,  and 
as  the  foxhounds  approached  the  covert,  I  thought  they  had  got 
wings ;  the  rain  beat  so  violently,  with  difficulty  we  could  hold  our 
bridles,  the  boughs  gave  way  to  the  -storm,  the  '  Light  Infantry' 
were  flying  at  him,  and  the  crash  was  dreadful.     The  earths  at 
Peterfield  were  open,  but  reynard  scorned  the  advantage,  and  gal- 
lantly broke  amain.     He  now  made  for  the  river  Shannon ;  some 
object  changed  his  direction,  and  away  with  him  to  Claprior.     He 
crossed  the  great  drain  of  the  Lough,  and  here  we  left  young  Burton 
Persse  sticking,  who  had  come  '  all  the  way  from  Galway,'  to  enjoy 
a  regular  cold  bath.     He  went  down,  tail  foremost,  and  *  no  blame 
to  him  ;'  there  was  no  time  for  ceremony,  but  Tony,  who  knew  the 
depth  of  the  ditch,  took  his  leave  of  him,  roaring  out — 'I'll  never 
see  your  sweet  face  again  I '     'By  George  1 '  says  the  Colonel,  '  you 
never  were  more  mistaken.      I  never  saw  him  more  at  home  in  my 
life.     He's  used  to  these  things ;'  and  truth  requires  me  to  state 
that  he  joined  us  again,  and  before  and  after  the  bath  he  held  a 
capital  place  ;   and  many  a  mile  he  went  by  the  old  castle  of  Ard- 
croney,  famous  in  the  annals  of  hunting,  and  all  over  its  beautiful 
grounds,  and  over  the  great  bounds  drain,  into  Coolagoran  again, 
for  poor  reynard  had  now  cast  a  forlorn  look  towards  home  at  last. 
There  was  a  disposition  to  give  him  life,  but  what  could  we  do  ? 
'  Old  Winner'  was  at  his  brush  ;  Her  Majesty's  Guards  could  not 
have  saved  him.     Thus  ended  a  chase,  during  which  we  traversed 
about  twenty-five  miles  Irish  (making  thirty-two  English)  of  the 
finest  portion  of  Lower  Ormond.     In  running,  Messrs.  Fitzgibbon 
and  Henry  Westenra  took  a  most  sporting  leap  ;  a  gentleman  of 
the  jockey  type,  who  rode  well  through  the  chase,  wishing,  no 
doubt,  to  show  us  the  length  of  his  neck,  craned  at  it,  and  swore 
that  it  was  the  ugliest  place  in  Europe,  and  that  a  flock  of  sheep 
could  be  easily  hid  in  it.     There  was  a  very  numerous  field  at  find- 
ing ;  but  during  this  most  desperate  chase,  George  Jackson  rode, 
as  usual,  with  the  hounds,  as  did  also  Lord  Rossmore,  Colonel 
Eyre,  Messrs.  Fitzgibbon,  Henry  Westenra,  Richard  Falkiner,  and 
Burton  Persse,  all  through." 

•'  By  Jove !  what  a  run  ;  but  twenty-five  miles  at 


2  28  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

the  pace  hounds  generally  go  now  would  be  too  much 
of  a  good  thing." 

"  Oh,  decidedly  so." 

"Who  had  the  hounds  after  1810?" 

''  The  late  Viscount  Lismore  again  hunted  the 
country,  and  kept  his  hounds  at  Peterfield.  The  Hon. 
George  O'Callaghan  kept  hounds  at  Knocknacree- 
wood  House,  and  hunted  the  country  for  several 
years,  having  for  his  huntsman  the  celebrated  Tony 
Cashen." 

"  He  was  a  first-class  rider  and  huntsman,  I  be- 
lieve." 

"  He  was — no  better.  He  was  whip  to  the  '  Blazers' 
before  he  came  to  Ormond,  and  graduated  under  the 
famous  Sam  Smith,  who  was  hunt-servant  to  the 
Persse  family  for  many  years,  and  a  noted  huntsman." 

'*  Well,  who  was  the  next  master?" 

•*  Captain  John  Hammersly,  who  kept  his  hounds, 
as  a  subscription  pack,  at  Northlands,  near  Clough- 
jordan,  which  is  about  the  centre  of  the  Ormond  hunt- 
ing-district. He  had  a  very  good  pack  of  fine,  big, 
symmetrical-looking,  brindled  hounds  that  were  bred 
mostly  from  the  kennel  of  Mr.  Hedges  Eyre  of 
Macroom  Castle.;  and  he  got  some  drafts  from  the 
Duke  of  Rutland." 

"  You  say  this  pack  was  kept  by  subscription — 
who  were  the  most  liberal  subscribers  ? " 

*'  Lords  Clanricarde,  Lismore,  Dunally,  Bloomfield, 
Clonbrock,  Messrs.  Thomas  Ryder  Pepper  of  Laughton, 
and  Otway  Cave,  were  subscribers  of  ^50  a  year  each  ; 
and  there  were  over  forty  members  of  the  hunt  who 
dined  together  at  Brindley's  hotel,  Nenagh,  twice 
every  winter." 


THE    ORMOND    HOUNDS.  12(^ 

"  Mr.  Ryder  Pepper  was  killed  out  hunting?" 

''Yes;  poor  fellow!  On  Captain  Hammersley's 
death,  the  Ormond  Hounds  were  kept  by  William 
Smith  of  Northlands,  under  a  committee  of  George 
Jackson,  Richard  Falkiner,  and  Richard  Bayley. 
Afterwards  George  Minchin  of  Busherstown  kept 
them  for  four  years.  Then  the  Hon.  Colonel  Wes- 
tenra  kept  the  hounds  at  Sharavogue  for  about  seven 
years,  ending  1837." 

"  The  hunt  was  known  as  the  '  Ormond  and  King's 
County  Hunt'  then?" 

"  Yes ;  Colonel  Westenra  was  father-in-law  to  the 
present  Earl  of  Huntington,  and  was  one  of  the 
greatest  supporters  of  the  Irish  turf." 

•'  He  was ;  1  know  he  commenced  to  hunt  the 
country  in  1830,  at  least  there's  a  verse  of  an  old 
hunting  song  that  says  so." 

"  I  remember  it.  During  the  years  1 838-9,  Captain 
Launcelot  Bayley,  68th  Regiment,  kept  them,  hunting 
Upper  Ormond  only  ;  Eyre  Baldwin  of  Bellepark  hunt- 
ing Lower  Ormond." 

"  Who  were  the  best  horsemen  in  your  country 
about  this  time,  can  you  tell  me?" 

"Up  to  1839,  amongst  the  best  sportsmen  and 
horsemen  in  the  Ormond  country  were,  George  Smith 
of  Gurteen,  who  was  celebrated  as  a  steeplechase  ridet, 
George  Jackson  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Thomas  Brereton 
of  Raththurles,  Richard  Falkiner  (4  th  Dragoon  Guards) 
of  Mount-Falcon,  Alexander  Carew  of  Killcarron,  John 
Brereton  of  Oldcourt,  Sir  Thomas  Dancer,  Bart,,  of 
Modoneey,  Richard^  Bayley  of  Ballinaclough,  Cooper 
Crawford  of  Rapla,  Caleb  Going  of  Traverston,  John 
Falkiner  of  Willsboro',   John   Tuthill    of   Riverview, 


230  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Thomas  Ilackett  of  Riverview,  Thomas  Spunner  of 
Clyduff  (both  these  gentlemen  died  about  ten  or  twelve 
years  ago),  Henry  Allen  of  Shan  bally,  Joseph  Falkiner, 
of  Rodeen,  Captain  Tom  Middleton  of  Elm-hill,  Wil- 
liam Kennedy  of  Bantiss,  and,  some  years  later, 
Thomas  Hemsworth  of  Abbeyville,  and  Thomas  Smith 
of  Silver-hill.  In  18  ^,9,  Thomas  Stoney  of  Kyle-park, 
near  Borrisokane,  kept  the  Ormond  Hounds,  and  con- 
tinued to  do  so  for  four  or  five  years." 

**  Who  was  his  huntsman  ? " 

"  Denis  Coughlan." 

"  Who  succeeded  Mr.  Stoney?" 

'*  A  sportsman  of  whom  you  have  often  heard,  Mr. 
James  Drought  of  Banagher.  Yes,  he  was  the  best 
of  sportsmen  and  most  genial  of  friends.  Richard 
Conroy  was  his  huntsman,  with  Tom  Mara,  as  first 
whip,  whose  voice  it  was  a  treat  to  hear,  when  those 
fine  hounds  would  answer  as  if  by  magic  with  a  crash." 

"  Mr.  Drought  was  a  supporter  of  steeplechasing 
as  well  as  of  the  sister-sport,  fox-hunting,  I  think." 

"  He  was  ;  with  the  Cob,  Smerger,  Mountjoy,  and 
other  chasers,  to  wit,  the  celebrated  Dan  O'Connell, 
with  Charley  Canavan  (father  of  the  present  fine 
horsemen,  David  and  Willie),  made  the  extraordinary 
fly  of  thirty-two  feet  over  the  down  fence  at  Lisma- 
crorry,  while  racing  for  the  cup,  which  Mr.  Drought 
won  two  previous  years,  with  the  renowned  chaser 
'  The  Cob,'  ridden  by  the  greatest  horseman  of  the 
day,  Mr.  Kelly,  and  by  whom,  though  then  supposed 
to  be  a  second  string,  this  much-coveted  prize  was 
won  for  the  third  and  final  win,  when  O'Connell  broke 
down." 

"Mr.  Drought  resigned  in  1849,  I  think. ^" 


THE    ORMOND    HOUNDS.  23 1 

"He  did.  In  1850,  Wills  Gason  (now  Colonel)  of 
Kilteelagh  kept  the  hounds  at  Richmond,  near  Nenagh, 
for  three  seasons,  hunting  Ormond,  and  William  Ralph 
hunted  them  ;  he  was  formerly  huntsman  to  Mr.  J. 
Minnitt  of  Annabeg.  Mr.  Alexander  Disney  kept  the 
Ormond  Hounds  atBellgrove  for  two  seasons,  and  Giles 
Morgan  was  his  huntsman.  The  Hon.  Fred  Yelverton 
kept  the  Ormond  Hounds  for  two  seasons  at  Belleisle ; 
a  man  named  Dan  Grennan  hunted  them  during  that 
period.  Captain  Saunders  had  a  first-class  pack  for 
several  seasons,  and  hunted  the  Ormond  country." 

**  Where  did  he  keep  them  ? " 

*'  At  Ballinderry-park  ;  and,  after  him,  Toler  Wolfe 
had  them  for  two  seasons,  1864-5,  at  South  Hill,  near 
Nenagh." 

"  Who  succeeded  him  ?  " 

*'  Fitzwilliam  Walshe,  who  also  hunted  the  country 
for  two  seasons ;  his  kennels  were  at  Ballinaclough, 
and  Dennis  carried  the  horn.  Mr.  Walshe,  at  his  own 
expense,  purchased  some  very  valuable  hounds,  which 
he  added  to  the  pack;  when  he  resigned,  in  1867,  he 
presented  them  to  the  hunt.  Captain  George  Stoney 
of  Kyle-park  took  them  for  three  seasons,  and  Thomas 
Ryan  (father  of  Tom  Ryan,  the  steeplechase  jockey) 
hunted  them.  Then  Mr.  George  Jackson  of  Rapla 
kept  them  for  two  years ;  he  carried  the  horn  himself, 
and  Mr.  Wallis  was  first  whip.  In  1872,  Lord  Hastings 
(now  Earl  of  Huntington)  reunited  Ormond  and  King's 
County,  once  more  revived  the  prestige  of  the  old 
Ormond  and  King's  County  Hunt,  and  hunted  both 
districts  with  great  success  up  to  1876,  when  he  re- 
signed the  Ormond  country,  presenting  that  hunt  with 
twenty-one  couple  of  hounds." 


232  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

"Who  is  now  master  of  the  Ormonds?" 

"Mr.  W.  Trench  of  Congort-park,  Roscrea ;  a 
good  sportsman  ;  he  hunts  the  pack  himself;  J.  Smyth 
is  first  whip  and  kennel  huntsman,  and  T.  Smyth  second 
whip.  There  are  about  twenty-one  couple  of  hounds 
at  present  in  the  kennels,  at  Ballingarry,  Shinrone. 
Lord  Huntington  keeps  the  King's  County  Hounds  at 
his  own  place,  Sharavogue,  Roscrea,  and  has  twenty- 
five-and-a-half  couple  of  hounds.  Tuesdays  and  Fri- 
days are  his  hunting-days.  The  '  Ormonds'  hunt  on 
Wednesdays  and  Saturdays.  As  huntsman  and  master, 
Lord  Huntington  has  acquitted  himself  in  a  manner 
worthy  of  commendation.  He  turns  out  his  servants 
and  hounds  in  Ai  style,  is  a  good  man  across  country, 
and  possesses  all  the  best  qualities  of  an  Irish  sports- 
man. Mr.  Assheton  Biddulph  of  Rathrobbin,  King's 
County,  is  first  whip ;  an  enthusiastic  sportsman, 
fine  rider,  remarkable  for  his  bonhomie^  and  a  uni- 
versal favourite ;  he,  in  many  points  of  character,  re- 
sembles what  his  father  was,  when  he,  some  fourteen 
years  ago,  and  for  many  seasons  previous,  kept  an 
excellent  pack  of  harriers.  The  late  Mr.  Biddulph 
was  an  old  and  staunch  patron  of  the  turf,  and  had 
many  very  good  race  horses.  John  Fitzgerald  is 
first  whip  and  kennel  huntsman.  I  may  tell  you  the 
Ormond  Hunt  Races  were  formerly  held  at  Gren- 
nanstown,  Ballygibbin,  Lismacrorry,  and  later  at  Nor- 
wood, near  Nenagh,  and  Kylenagoona,  near  Borriso- 
kane." 

"Now,  will  you  kindly  tell  me  something  about 
the  hunting-country  ?" 

"  The  Ormond  hunting  country  (North  Tipperary) 
extends  from   the   River  Brosna,  the  county  bounds 


THE    ORMOND    HOUNDS.  233 

near  Birr,  southward  to  Kilboy,  near  the  silver  mines 
at  the  foot  of  Keeper  Range,  a  distance  of  about 
twenty-five  miles,  and  from  Lough  Derg  to  Longford 
Wood,  on  the  Templemore  road,  about  fifteen  or  six- 
miles  from  west  to  east. 

"The  country  is  particularly  adapted  to  fox-hunt- 
ing, being  generally  a  high-lying  limestone  district, 
rideable  at  most  seasons,  and  well  studded  with  coverts, 
both  gorse  and  woodland,  at  convenient  distances  from 
each  other.  The  country  is,  generally  speaking,  a 
close  one,  and  the  fences  are  so  various  that  a  good 
hunter  from  Ormond  will  go  well  over  any  other 
country  either  in  Ireland  or  England. 

''  The  principal  covers  are  Killeen  Wood,  Walsh 
Park,Derrybreen,  Knockshegowna,Ballincor,  Quakers- 
town,  Congort,  Sopwell,  Knockmacree  Wood,  Mount- 
Falcon,  Borriswood,  Ballyquirk,  Slevoir,  Kyleanoe 
Wood,  Kilgarvan,  Nannie  Moran's  Rock,  Annagh, 
Castletown,  Johnstown  Park,  Peterfield,  Knigh  Hill, 
Ashley  Park,  Derrinasling,  Corlderry,  Ballycapple, 
Ballygibbon,  Rapla,  Norwood,  Debsborough,  Kilcole- 
man,  Kylerue,  Laughton,  Inane,  and  Longford  Wood." 


2 34  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  queen's  county  HOUNDS. 

More  than  a  century  has  elapsed  since  the  melodious 
notes  of  the  foxhounds  were  first  heard  in  the  Queen's 
County: 

"  Many  seasons  past  was  often  heard  at  morn 
The  dear  sweet  notes  of  huntsman's  cheery  horn, 
And  sweeter  still  the  grand  melodious  sound 
Of  deep-toned  music  from  the  eager  hound." 

About  130  years  ago,  Colonel  Pigott  of  Capard  kept 
a  pack  of  deep-mouthed  southern  hounds,  and  about 
the  same  period,  Colonel  Barrington  (Sir  Jonah's 
grandfather)  had  a  pack  at  CuUenagh,  some  of  the 
blood  of  which  was  to  be  found  in  the  Emo  kennels 
when  that  pack  was  hunted  by  a  very  remarkable  cha- 
racter, "ould"  Paddy  Forde,  who  died  not  many  years 
since, 

'•  When  his  reverend  locks  in  comely  curls  did  wave, 
And  on  his  aged  temples  grew  the  blossoms  of  the  grave," 

for  he  lived  for  nearly  a  hundred  years.  Poor 
"Paddy,"  he  was  an  original  of  the  purest  water — 
eccentric  amongst  the  eccentrics.  He  could  never  see 
any  person  smoking  at  the  covert  side  without  mani- 
fest indignation.     "  Shure  thim  cigars  spilt  the  scent 


THE  QUEEN  S  COUNTY  HOUNDS.         235 

In  covert."  Nevertheless,  he  had  a  happy  knack  of 
lighting  his  own  "  dhudeen"  even  when  the  hounds 
were  running,  and  whenever  they  were  carrying  a 
good  head  he  might  be  seen,  apparently  as  happy  as 
a  prince,  puffing  away. 

The  hounds  were  once  running  in  the  lower  end  of 
the  country,  not  far  from  Rosenalis,  when,  inirabile 
dichc,  Paddy  Forde  was  pursued  by  a  bull  from  a  hag- 
gard into  a  paddock,  out  of  which  there  was  no  exit, 
except  at  an  almost  impracticable  stile.  He  hardened 
his  heart,  and  shaking  his  feet  out  of  the  irons,  as  was 
his  habit  when  going  at  a  "  yawner,"  he  got  over  safe, 
but  it  was  into  a  plough,  and  the  horse  landing  into 
the  headland  broke  both  fore-legs.  Pat  escaped  un- 
injured, and  his  first  exclamation  was,  when  he  turned 
round  and  saw  his  enemy  the  bull  on  top  of  the  fence, 
*'  bad  luck  to  ye,  you  baste,  you  bruck  mee  little  pipe." 
More  than  a  century  ago,  Lord  Roden  kept  a  pack  and 
hunted  a  portion  of  the  country,  continuing  to  do  so 
for  some  years,  although  he  had  but  few  followers 
in  the  field.  And  many  years  ago,  Colonel  Arch- 
dale,  a  noted  sportsman,  and  native  of  Fermanagh, 
used  to  bring  a  pack  from  the  North,  and  hunt  part 
of  the  Queen's  County,  for  a  few  months  every  season. 
He  had  a  very  nice  residence  near  Emo  Park. 

When  the  Emo  Hounds  were  established.  Lord 
Portarlington,  oi  Waterloo  notoriety,  resided  at  Emo  ; 
he  was  an  excellent  sportsman,  and  Sir  Henry  Parnell, 
the  ardent  advocate  of  Catholic  claims,  and  first  Lord 
Congleton,  was  master.  He  was  a  most  popular  man, 
and  represented  the  county  l^efore  the  period  of 
Catholic  Emancipation  At  the  same  time.  Sir  Robert 
Staples  hunted  what  is  now  called  the  Ossory  country, 


236  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

and  Mr.  Stubber,  of  Ballinahie,  a  Protestant  clergy- 
man, had  a  pack,  and  hunted  deer,  foxes,  and  hares. 
He  was  passionately  fond  of  the  chase,  and  scarcely  a 
day  elapsed  without  the  "  sporting  parson,"  as  he  was 
aptly  designated,  having  a  spin  with  the  '*  beauties." 
He  had  a  very  large  fortune,  and  lived  many  years  to 
enjoy  it  and  the  glorious  pastime  he  loved  so  well.  A 
good  story  is  told  of  him  which  I  cannot  refrain  from 
giving.  He  was  confined  to  his  room  a  considerable 
time  before  his  death,  and  nothing  pleased  him  more 
than  to  hear  the  cry  of  his  hounds,  and  as  the  kennel 
was  situated  close  to  his  residence  he  frequently  en- 
joyed the  treat.  On  the  day  of  his  demise  he  ordered 
his  huntsman  to  bring  the  hounds  to  the  hall  door,  and 
to  turn  down  a  hare.  The  pack  having  been  laid  on, 
"tackled  to  work  with  a  will,"  and,  giving  great 
tongue,  set  out  in  hot  pursuit ;  Mr.  Stubber  was  de- 
lighted, and  turning  round  in  his  bed,  said  to  those 
around  him:  *'  Oh  !  is  not  that  heavenly  music."  Mr. 
Stubber  was  not  the  only  clergyman  who  kept  a  pack 
of  hounds  in  the  country,  as  Parson  Smithson  hunted 
foxes  and  deer  with  his  own  hounds  some  seventy 
years  ago.  Odd  as  it  may  read,  it  is  true,  that  this 
Reverend  sportSinan  was  for  years  stone  blind,  yet  he 
hunted  almost  every  day,  and  rode  remarkably  well 
across  country  ;  his  servant  was  always  in  immediate 
attendance,  and  used  to  inform  him  what  sort  the 
fences  were  which  stopped  the  way.  Mr.  Smithson 
had  perfect  hands,  and  was,  of  course,  always  well 
mounted  on  an  old  trained  hunter. 

His  hounds  were  A  i  ;  he  loved  their  music, 
and  bred  for  melody,  and  would  immediately  draft  one 
that   hunted    mute.       "  Don't    hear    Rattler  to-day ; 


THE  queen's  county  HOUNDS.        237 

Rallywood  silent,  too.  We'll  draft  them,  Flood,  we'll 
draft  them,"  he  used  to  say  to  his  most  intimate  friend, 
Colonel  Flood  of  Badger  Hill— a  *'  four-bottle  man," 
who  once  fuddled  the  bishop  on  visitation,  and  wore 
his  wig  next  morning,  drawing,  as  was  then  the  custom, 
on  their  fox. 

A  story  told  of  Flood  is  worth  relating,  en  passant. 
A  friend  of  his — and  none  of  them  were  teetotallers — 
had  a  very  admirable  butler.  In  those  days  the  habits 
of  their  masters  and  the  convivialities  of  the  dining- 
room  were  naturally  imitated  in  the  servants'  hall,  and 
what  magnums  of  claret  effected  up-stairs,  whiskey- 
punch  did  below,  but  "  Billy"  Guilfoyle  was  ever  equal 
to  the  task  of  getting  his  master  and  his  guests  to  bed. 
The  Colonel  was  nightly  in  a  condition  to  require  his 
services,  and  continued  persuasion  on  his  part  and  the 
offer  of  very  munificent  wages  to  the  servant  at  length 
induced  Guilfoyle's  master  to  permit  him  to  exchange 
his  service  for  that  of  the  Colonel,  on  the  hitherto  preva- 
lent honourable  conditions  that  master  and  man  should 
not  be  drunk  together.  There  was,  however,  a  proba- 
tionary month  stipulated  upon  by  the  high-contracting 
parties,  which  passed  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the 
hard-going  owner  of  Badger  Hill. 

Then  occurred  the  following  scene  :  The  time  is 
breakfast,  the  Colonel  seated.  The  Major-Domo  has 
supplied  him  with  the  reviver  of  that  period — a  "  can 
of  flip" — and  the  dialogue  opens  thus  : — 

Guil. — "  I'm  sorry  to  go,  Colonel,  but  the  month's 
up.     I  must  go." 

Col. — '•  Go,  d — n  it,  go  !  Why,  Guilfoyle  ?  why 
go  ?  Is  not  everything  as  you  wish  it  below  ?  You 
can  go.     Do  as  you  like,  you  know.     But,  d — n  it, 

16 


238  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Guilfoyle,   go.     Oh  no  !  you  can't  go.      Do  as  you 
like,  but  don't  go." 

To  which  replies  servant— "  Oh,  I'll  go,  your 
honour.  Honour  bright,  your  honour — honour  bright. 
I  must  go — honour  bright," 

The  Col. — "Honour  bright — honour  bright !  What 
the  devil  do  you  mean,  man  ?  You  can  go  or  stay  ; 
but,  honour  bright !  D  — n  it !  you  can't  go.  Honour 
bright." 

Guil. — "  Just  so,  your  honour.  You  know  we  war 
not  to  be  both  drunk  together.  I  kept  the  bargain. 
But,  bloody  wars  !  your  honour,  sir,  I'm  here  thirty- 
one  days  now,  and  ye  never  gave  me  the  chance.  O/i, 
honour  bright^  F II go.'''* 

After  Sir  Henry  Parnell  ceased  to  act  as  master  of 
the  Emo  Hounds,  they  were  taken  by  Sir  Walter  Bur- 
rowes,  and  were  then  one  of  the  best  packs  in  Ireland, 
and  well  supported,  hunting  a  very  large  district,  in- 
cluding part  of  Westmeath  and  King's  County — 
Cooper  Hill,  now  belonging  to  the  Carlow  country 
was  one  of  their  best  coverts.  The  "field"  averaged 
from  sixty  to  a  hundred  men,  and  it  is  no  exaggeration 
to  say  that  there  were  at  that  time  more  foxes  in  one 
or  two  demesnes  than  are  now  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
country. 

The  change  is  easily  accounted  for:  trapping 
was  not  then  known ;  pheasants  were  not  so  much  as 
thought  of.  The  case  is  very  different  now,  hence  the 
greater  scarcity  of  the  fox  family. 

Sir  Walter  Burrowes,  sad  to  say,  died  in  the  hunt- 
ing field  from  a  fit  of  apoplexy;  the  melancholy 
occurrence  took  plafece  at  Sheffield,  near  Maryboro', 
and  hunting  was  stopped  for  some  time  in  consequence. 


THE    QUEEN  S    COUNTY    HOUNDS.  239 

Then  Mr.  Thomas  B.  Kelly  of  Kellyville  succeeded 
Sir  Walter,  but  the  poor  fellow  did  not  live  long  to 
enjoy  the  position  he  so  worthily  filled.  *'  King 
Death"  claimed  him  for  his  own  when  in  the  very 
prime  of  manhood ;  he  was  a  most  popular  gentleman, 
a  true  sportsman,  and  a  brilliant  horseman,  to  hounds 
and  between  the  flags.  Mr.  Sidney  Cosby,  father  of  the 
present  owner  of  Stradbally  Hall,  then  presided  over 
the  pack.  He  built  kennels  at  Stradbally,  close  to  his 
beautiful  mansion,  but,  like  his  predecessor,  Mr.  Kelly, 
he  did  not  long  survive  his  accession.  He  was  a 
great  favourite,  and  to  see  him  ride  was  quite  a 
treat ;  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Horace  Roche- 
fort,  the  squire  of  Clogrenan,  were  about  the  best 
men  in  the  county  to  hounds  at  this  period.  The 
late  Lord  Portarlington  then  kept  them  for  a  time,  and 
the  present  Lord  Drogheda  succeeded  in  1847,  and 
during  the  three  years  of  his  mastership,  and  with  the 
aid  of  his  most  popular  cousin,  Mr.  Robert  Moore,  an 
excellent  sportsman,  hunting  survived  in  a  most  trying 
time,  although  his  Lordship  did  not  receive  the  sup- 
port he  merited  from  the  farmers  and  landed  pro- 
prietors of  the  Queen's  County.  Simultaneously  Lord 
Ashbrooke  hunted  the  Ossory  portion  of  the  country. 
He  was  asked  to  have  the  packs  amalgamated  when 
Lord  Drogheda  resigned,  and,  having  given  his  con- 
sent, a  county  pack  was  established  for  the  first  time. 
He  filled  the  role  of  master  but  for  a  short  time,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Hamilton  Stubber  of  Moyne, 
the  father  of  the  present  master.  He  gave  great 
satisfaction,  was  a  universal  favourite,  and  turned  out 
in  the  best  style — in  fact,  he  was  the  "right  man  in 
the  right  place." 


240  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

In  i860,  Major  Garden  took  the  hounds,  and  hunted 
them  himself,  and  the  horn  could  scarcely  be  placed 
in  better  keeping.  He  was  keen  "to  the  heel,"  and 
let  hounds  hunt  when  they  coidd  hunt,  and  assisted 
them  when  they  could  not ;  but  this  cannot  be  said  of 
many  huntsmen  of  the  present  day,  gentlemen  or  pro- 
fessionals ;  most  of  them  teach  the  hounds  to  rely 
more  on  their  orders  than  on  their  own  noses.  The 
Major,  although  a  one-handed  man,  rode  in  the  first- 
flight,  and  with  his  hounds — never  on  them. 

At  the  end  of  1867,  he  resigned  in  favour  of 
Captain  R.  Cosby.  It  would  be  a  great  injustice  on 
my  part  did  I  not  bestow  very  high  encomiums  on  the 
gallant  squire  of  Stradbally  Hall,  who  is  undoubtedly 
deserving  of  the  highest  praise  from,  and  has  a 
claim  on,  the  gratitude  of  the  lovers  of  hunting  in  his 
native  county.  For  eight  years  he  worthily  filled  the 
post  of  Master  of  the  Queen's  County  Hounds,  and 
during  that  time  improved  very  much  indeed  the 
country  and  the  pack.  He  is  a  first-rate  judge  of 
horses,  and  few  masters  of  hounds  in  Ireland  turned 
out  their  hunt-servants  in  better  style.  They  were 
always,  like  their  master,  very  well  mounted.  Al- 
though not  a  "bruiser,"  he  is  a  very  good  man  to 
hounds;  he  rides  not  for  show,  but  to  be  with  them, 
and  he  seldom  fails  in  his  effort.  In  agricultural  pur- 
suits Captain  Cosby  takes  a  keen  interest,  and  has  the 
same  correct  eye  for  horn  and  fleece  as  in  the  kennel 
or  stable.  He  is  a  breeder  of  first-rate  stock— ovine, 
bovine,  and  equine — and  he  has  had  many  show-yard 
celebrities  in  his  possession.  At  the  annual  Horse 
Show  in  Kildare-street  he  is  generally  amongst  the 
most  successful  competitors. 


THE    QTJEEN  S    COUNTY    HOUNDS.  24 1 

For  years  past  he  has  been  in  the  habit  of  visiting 
most  of  the  important  steeplechase  meetings  held  in 
Ireland,  and  he  Is  a  votary  of  the  illegitimate  pastime, 
although  (more's  the  pit}^)  he  does  not  patronise  flat- 
racing.  He  has  never  yet  been  fortunate  enough  to 
win  a  very  important  race,  but  his  horses  have  fre- 
quently gained  "brackets."  He  has  them  always 
trained  at  home,  races  purely  for  sport,  and  the  "white 
and  green  hoop"  is  a  very  familiar  and  popular  banner 
with  visitors  to  the  Baldoyle,  Punchestown  and  Orchard 
meetings.  The  last-mentioned  he  established  himself, 
and  subscribes  liberally  to  the  fund  every  year. 

In  May,  1876,  Captain  Cosby  resigned,  and  Mr.  R. 
Hamilton  Stubber  was  unanimously  elected  master. 
He  has  been  very  successful  in  his  efforts  to  show 
sport.  He,  too,  sometimes  has  a  chaser  or  two  in 
training,  and  the  "  French  grey  and  scarlet"  has  been 
carried  successfully  for  a  few  minor  races. 

The  annual  subscriptions  at  present  paid  amounts 
to  about  ^1,200  a  year.  The  number  comprising  the 
"field"  averages,  I  should  say,  about  25.  Lord 
Castletown,  Sir  Charles  Coote,  Mr.  Robert  Staples,  Sir 
Allen  Walshe,  Sir  Anthony  Weldon,  Mr.  John  G. 
Adair,  Viscount  De  Vesci,  the  Earl  of  Portarlington. 
Captain  R.  G.  Cosby,  Mr.  T.  Skeffington  Smythe,  Mr. 
W.  D.  Webber,  Hon.  Bernard  Fitzpatrick,  Mr.  Thomas 
Kemmis,  Mr.  J.  W.  Dunne,  and  Mr.  Henry  Moore  are 
the  most  liberal  subscribers. 

In  naming  the  "  first-flight"  men  of  the  present  day, 
I  hope  I  will  be  excused  if  I  overlook  any  person  de- 
serving of  notice.  I  shall  not  do  so  if  possible.  The 
one-armed  veteran,  Mr.  "  Charlie"  White,  for  many 
years  enjoyed  the  character  of  being  a  "  leader  in  the 


242  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

van ;"  he  was  pre-eminently  entitled  to  it,  and  even 
now,  though  very  many  seasons  have  passed  since  he 
first  assisted  at  the  obsequies  of  Reynard,  he  can,  and 
does  frequently,  hold  a  prominent  place.  Mr.  Edward 
Corcoran,  of  Raheenduff,  Timahoe,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
patrons  of  the  chase  in  the  county,  a  staunch  preserver 
of  foxes,  and  a  greater  "  clinker"  never  "  tallied"  one  ; 
even  now,  though  his  head-covering  is  slightly  blanched 
with  the  frost  of  age,  he  is  often  first  among  the  lead- 
ing lot  His  son,  "  Charlie,"  inherits  the  taste  for  the 
sport  so  characteristic  of  his  father,  and  is  a  first-class 
light-weight.  In  this  line  of  business  Mr.  Horace 
Rochfort  has  acquired  such  fame  that  I  need  not 
delay  to  pass  any  encomiums  on  him — "  good  wine 
needs  no  bush."  Of  Captain  Cosby  I  have  already 
written.  Mr.  John  W.  Dunne,  of  Raheenawhole,  is  a 
welter-weight,  and  is  as  devoted  and  fearless  a 
foxhunter  as  ever  rode  over  the  banks  of  Ossory. 
Mr.  Henry  Moore  of  Cremorgan  deserves  commen- 
dation ;  and  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  visiting  the 
Ballybrophy  district  must  have  remarked  the  brothers 
Plunkett — Joseph  and  Oliver — amongst  the  "foremost 
hard- riders  ;"  and  Mr.  Leech  I  must  also  mention. 
Mr.  Edge,  in  Kilkenny  as  well  as  in  the  Queen's 
County,  has  proved  himself  to  be  undoubtedly 

"  A  rum  'un  to  follow,  a  bad  'un  to  beat." 

Mr.  Laurence  Kelly  of  Ballymeelish  Park,  Bally- 
brophy, must  also  be  included  in  the  list  of  "  first- 
flight"  men.  Before  mentioning  the  names  of  the 
gentlemen  I  should  have  named  one  pre-eminently 
entitled  to  a  word  of  praise — I  allude  to  Miss  Ella 
Stubber,  the  amiable  and  accomplished  sister  of  the 


THE  queen's  county  HOUNDS.        243 

master.     A  better  horsewoman  I  have  seldom,  if  ever, 
seen  in  the  saddle. 

Snalth  was  appointed  huntsman  in  1874,  and  car- 
ried the  horn  until  the  end  of  the  season  1876-7.  His 
successor,  W.  Rawle,  knows  his  business,  and  is  a 
most  excellent  servant.  He  has  had  a  great  deal  of 
experience.  He  has  an  excellent  "aid"  in  George 
Mulhall,  who  was  whip  for  a  while  during  Major 
Garden's  regime. 

The  country  is  an  extensive  one,  nearly  all  grass ; 
the  fences  in  many  districts  very  big,  and  the  banks 
faced  with  stones.  I  may  certainly  call  it  a  fair  hunt- 
ing-country. 

There  are  now  (Nov.  1877)  432  couple  of  hounds 
in  kennel ;  drafts  from  Lord  Doneraile's,  Curragh- 
more,  and  Carlow  and  Island  Hounds,  and  from  English 
kennels.  They  hunt  twice  a  week,  with  an  occasional 
bye  day. 


244  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    LIMERICK    STAGHOUNDS,    DUHALLOW,    AND 
LISSNAGON    HOUNDS. 

I  REGRET  very  much  that  I  cannot  give  a  more 
lengthened  and  accurate  history  of  the  Duhallow 
Foxhounds.  I  failed  to  procure  the  eagerly  sought- 
for  details.  I  believe  them  to  be  the  oldest  established 
pack  in  Ireland,  and  a  covert  which  was  given  up  within 
the  last  few  years  only,  Portnarhea,  was  taken  at  a 
rent  of  twelve  guineas  per  annum  in  the  year 
1745,  which  fact  shows  the  antiquity  of  the  country. 
The  hounds  came  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Wrixon 
of  Ballygiblin,  the  great-grandfather  of  the  present 
Sir  Henry  Wrixon  Becher,  about  the  end  of  the  last 
century.  On  Mr.  Wrixon's  retirement,  his  son  hunted 
them  for  many  years ;  and  after  his  death,  the  present 
Sir  Henry's  father,  Sir  William  Wrixon  Becher,  was 
master  for  several  seasons.  He  was  a  splendid  horse- 
man ;  and  during  his  term  of  office  the  hunt  became 
very  popular.  When  he  gave  up  the  management,  he 
was  succeeded  (about  1830)  by  Mr.  Robert  De  la  Cour 
of  Mallow.  He  was  in  command  for  a  long  time,  and, 
from  his  knowledge  of  the  country  and  popularity,  his 
career  as  master  was  a  most  successful  one.  He 
spared  no  expense  in  his  endeavours  to  show  sport, 
and  It  was  only  on   finding  his  sight  failing  that  he 


THE    DUHALLOW    HOUNDS.  245 

resigned.  After  Mr.  De  la  Cour's  resignation,  Mr. 
John  Courtenay  hunted  the  country  for  a  few  seasons. 
When  he  sold  his  hounds,  the  present  Lord  Doneraile 
hunted  it ;  he  kept  the  hounds  at  his  seat,  Doneraile 
Court,  for  some  years.  When  his  Lordship  went  to 
live  in  England — where  he  hunted  the  Burton  country 
for  some  time — the  Duhallows  were  managed  by  a 
committee  ;  the  late  Captain  Leader  of  Mount  Leader 
was  field-master.  In  1876,  Mr.  T.  G.  Hare  became 
master,  and  has  had  them  ever  since.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  find  one  more  thoroughly  desirous  of  show- 
ing sport,  more  popular  or  more  sportsmanlike  in  all 
his  acts. 

The  best  part  of  the  Duhallow  territory  is  towards 
Liscarroll,  a  very  fine  grass-country,  undulating  with 
large  grass  banks;  no  big  woodlands,  in  fact  no 
coverts  of  any  sort,  except  a  few  gorse  coverts.  The 
"  cream"  of  the  country  is  that  portion  from  Clonee, 
Kilberehert,  Killanane,  Ballybane,  Knockmacolon,  &c. 
On  the  south  of  the  Blackwater  it  extends  as  far  as 
Blarney,  where  it  joins  the  Muskerry  district.  That 
country  is  more  stony  and  cramped  ;  but  it  is  a  good, 
wild  district,  and  there  are  plenty  of  foxes  there. 
"  Take  it  for  all  in  all,"  the  Duhallow  is  a  fine  hunting  - 
country  ;  and  any  well-mounted  man,  who  will  ride 
straight,  can  go  wherever  the  hounds  go,  in  fact, 
ought  never  to  lose  sight  of  them,  as  there  are  almost 
no  unjumpable  fences,  except  on  the  north  eastern 
side,  which  never  shows  much  sport.  If  the  Duhallow 
territory  could  be  extended  a  little  in  one  or  two 
directions,  so  that  it  could  be  hunted  four  days  a 
week,  it  would  be  one  of  the  first  fox-hunting 
countries    in   the   world.       Unfortunately,   the  earth- 


246  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Stoppers  have  more  than  enough  to  do,  owing  to  the 
great  number  of  sewers  and  drains,  as  well  as  lime- 
stone rocks.  The  coverts  are  mostly  small  patches  of 
gorse ;  there  are  only  a  few  big  woodlands.  The 
principal  supporters  of  the  hunt  are :  the  Earl  of 
Listowel,  Sir  Harry  Becher  of  Ballygiblin,  and  Mr. 
Richard  Longfield  of  Longueville.  There  are  gene- 
rally thirty-five  couple  of  hounds  in  kennel.  The 
pack  consists  mostly  of  old  Duhallow  hounds  and 
those  purchased  from  Lord  Shannon,  when  he  gave 
up  the  *'  United  Hunt."  The  Duhallows  hunt  nomi- 
nally two  days  a  week,  but  generally  three.  The 
kennels,  which  were  built  a  couple  of  years  ago,  are 
at  Cortigan,  near  Mallow  ;  P.  Dalton  is  huntsman,  C. 
Burns  and  T.  Hayes,  whippersin.  There  are  two  or 
three  packs  of  harriers  kept  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Mallow ;  and  excellent  accommodation  can  be  had  in 
the  town  for  man  and  horse. 


THE    LIMERICK    STAGHOUNDS. 

Stag-hunting,  or  "catching  your  own  again,"  as 
Sam  Nicholl  called  it,  is  becoming  more  popular  in 
Ireland  every  day. 

In  1872,  Mr.  John  Gubbins  of  Bruree  House,  Kil- 
mallock,  formed  the  pack  now  known  as  the  Limerick 
Staghounds.  They  are  a  very  good  lot  of  hounds, 
bred  from  the  Limerick,  Lord  Shannon,  and  the  Cur- 
raghmore  kennels.  There  are  now  twenty  couple  in 
kennel.  They  hunt  two  days  a  week,  over  a  splendid 
grass-country.  The  "field"  generally  numbers  about 
forty.  The  master  is  well  supported,  particularly 
by  The  O' Grady  of  Kilballyowen,   and  Mr.   George 


THE    LISSAGON    STAGHOUNDS.  247 

Furnell  of  Fort  George,  who  place  their  deer-parks 
at  Mr.  Gubbins'  disposal.  Mr.  Furnell  is  a  sports- 
man "  to  the  manner  born  ;"  several  of  his  ancestors 
were  noted  sportsmen.  I  think  it  was  Mr.  George 
Furnell's  grandfather,  a  near  relative  of  his,  at  all 
events,  who  kept  a  pack  of  buck-hounds,  and  hunted 
in  the  county  Limerick  during  the  "thirties."  He 
purchased  them  from  Mr.  Tuthill  of  Faha,  who  had 
them  for  many  years.  They  were  the  only  pack  of 
the  kind  in  Ireland,  and  were  the  largest  hounds  in 
the  world ;  mostly  all  of  a  glossy  white,  and  they  used 
to  go  at  a  tremendous  pace.  They  were  rare  bred 
hounds ;  the  strain  belonged  for  centuries  to  the 
Massey  family,  and  were  kept  for  running  red-deer 
on  the  Galtee  mountains  and  glens  of  Aherlagh.  Tra- 
dation  has  it,  that  George  the  Third  offered  Mr.  Massey 
a  very  large  sum  of  money  for  them.  Mr.  Gubbins  is 
a  very  devoted  patron  of  hunting  and  steeplechasing, 
and  a  very  popular  sportsman.  He  is  a  good  man  to 
ride,  and  sported  silk  more  than  once  successfully. 
He  hunts  the  hounds  himself,  and  has  shown  first-rate 
sport  to  his  grateful  neighbours  ever  since  the  pack 
was  formed.  He  always  has  a  very  good  stud  of 
hunters.  D.  Hogan  is  kennel-huntsman  and  first 
whip;  John  M'Grath  assists  him. 

THE    LISSAGON    STAGHOUNDS. 

Mr.  A.  E.  Humphrys  of  Lissagon  House,  Ballyhaise, 
county  Cavan,  keeps  the  above-named  pack  entirely  at 
his  own  expense.  He  has  twenty-four  couple  of  dwarf 
foxhounds,  bred  from  good  kennels,  such  as  Lord 
Paltimore,  Sir  V.  Corbett,  Mr.  Shirley,  and  Mr.  King 


248  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN, 

(Ballylin).  The  hunting  days  are  Tuesday,  Thurs- 
day, and  Saturday.  The  pack  was  originally  formed, 
owing  to  the  scarcity  of  hares  in  1874,  for  the  en- 
couragement of  sport  in  the  district  of  Ballyhaise 
and  Cavan,  as  no  hounds  hunt  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood,  the  Cavan  Harriers  usually  hunting 
near  Killeshandra,  ten  miles  distant.  Mr.  Humphrys' 
hounds  hunt  deer  and  hares  on  alternate  days.  He 
carries  the  horn  himself;  J.  M'Mahon  is  kennel  hunts- 
man and  first  whip.  That  Mr.  Humphrys  is  a  good 
sportsman  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  he  has  spent  a 
large  sum  of  money  in  connection  with  the  hunt,  and 
has  adopted  a  system  worthy  of  commendation  :  thirty- 
two  farmers  have  been  appointed  gamekeepers,  at 
;^i  each  per  annum,  to  preserve  the  "  fur;"  and  the 
country  was  well  stocked  last  season,  as  the  master 
turned  down  sixty-eight  hares  ;  but  the  poachers 
killed  a  great  number  of  them  during  the  summer. 
A  handsome  presentation  was  made  last  year 
by  the  hunting  gentlemen  of  Westmeath  to  him,  in 
recognition  of  the  sport  shown  with  his  hounds  in  that 
county,  when,  in  acceptance  of  an  invitation  given  by 
some  gentlemen  and  farmers,  he  brought  them  to 
Mullingar,  with  six  fallow  and  two  red-deer,  and  gave 
six  very  good  days'  sport.  The  presentation  consisted 
of  a  silver  hunting  horn  with  a  gold  mouth-piece ;  it 
bore  the  following  inscription  : — 

"  Presented  to  A.  E.  Humphrys,  by  his  sporting  friends  in 
Westmeath,  as  a  memento  of  his  visit  to  that  county,  with  liis  stag- 
hounds,  in  1876." 

A  very  handsome  gold-mounted  hunting-whip,  and 
patent  safety  stirrup  was  presented  to  Mrs.  Humphrys, 
who  always  rides  well,  and  is  very  fond  of  hunting. 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS.  249 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS. 


Reader,  it  was  during  Christmas  week  that  I  visited 
an  old  and  valued  friend  in  Kilkenny  county.  It  was 
a  right  merry  time,  and  yours  truly  felt  as  comfortable 
and  gay  as  need  be,  when,  after  riding  a  good  run, 
on  a  perfect  hunter,  over  the  Freshford  country,  he 
found  himself  with  his  legs  stretched  under  the  ma- 
hogany of  his  kind  host,  and  doing  justice  to  his  hos- 
pitality. The  ladies  had  retired  to  the  drawing-room, 
and  were  talking,  probably,  of  the  many  estimable 
qualities  of  absent  friends  of  their  own  sex  (they 
always  do,  you  know),  of  the  latest  fashionable  intel- 
ligence, or  the  marked  attention  of  Harry  Hiover  to 
Bella  Dashaway.  The  "youngsters"  made  their  exit 
after  dessert  to  quarrel  over  sugar-plums  and  Christ- 
mas gifts,  while  myself  and  a  few  more  lovers  of  fox- 
hunting remained  chatting  over  the  events  of  the  day, 
the  likelihood  of  Jack  Frost  interfering  with  our  hunt- 
ing manoeuvres,  and  other  kindred  subjects.  It  was  a 
fearful  night ;  Boreas  was  as  rude  as  possible  ;  Jupiter 
Pluvius  had  laid  on  the  main,  and  the  rain  rattled 
against  the  window-panes  so  loudly  that  it  caused  the 
fox-terrier,  stretched  on  the  hearth-rug,  to  growl  at 
the  interruption  to  his  peaceiul  slumbers. 


250  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

We  cared  little  for  the  elements ;  they  added, 
perhaps,  to  our  enjoyment,  made  us  feel  all  the  more 
cosey,  and  appreciate  more  fully  our  host's  good  cheer. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs,  when  the  conversa- 
tion I  will  now  endeavour  to  relate  commenced  be- 
tween my  Kilkenny  friend  and  myself. 

"Come,"  said  he,  "pass  the  decanter;  the  sherry 
is  dry ;  and  tell  me  how  you  are  getting  on  with  that 
work  of  yours,  which  I  heard  you  speak  of,  '  Irish 
Sport  and  Sportsmen.'  " 

"  I  am  working  at  it ;  but  it  is  not  easy  to  obtain 
the  desired  information,  and  it  is  difficult  to  place  the 
histories  of  the  different  packs  of  hounds  in  readable 
form,  you  know  ;  however,  I  won't  '  bolt ;''  you  may  be 
sure  I  will  try  at  all  events  ;  and  if  my  work  possesses 
little  merit,  I  can  claim  for  myself  at  least  the  credit — 
if  any  is  due — of  being  the  first  to  attempt  the  bring- 
ing out  of  a  book  purporting  to  chronicle  Irish,  and 
only  Irish,  sport.  In  offering  it  to  the  public,  I  am 
not  influenced  by  a  desire  to  acquire  literary  notoriety, 
and  I  hope  the  critics  will  be  more  merciful  than  just. 
And  I  must  ask  you  to  give  me  what  information  you 
can  relative  to  the  Kilkenny  Hounds  and  country." 

"  I  shall  be  most  happy;  but,  as  I  said  before,  try 
a  glass  of  sherry,  or  an  S.  and  B.,  or,  better  still,  a 
tumbler  of  punch,  'twill  oil  the  springs  of  conver- 
sation." 

"I  will,  with  pleasure;  but,  perhaps,  I  had  better 
get  your  stock  of  detail  at  some  future  time;  you  are 
anxious  to  join  the  ladies  I  am  sure,  as  I  saw  you 
paying  marked  attention  to  one  who  is  now  under 
your  roof" 

"  Oh  !  no,  my  dear  fellow;   but  I  am  one  of  those 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS.  25  I 

who  believe  in  the  words  of  that  little  song  you  often 
heard  : — 

"  *  With  a  pretty  face  close  to  your  own, 

I  am  sure  there's  no  reason  for  sighing, 
Or  when  walking  beside  her  alone. 

Why  the  b s  be  talking  of  dying  ; 

That's  the  way  though  in  France  and  in  Spain, 

Where  love  is  not  real  but  acted  ; 
You  must  always  pretend  you're  insane. 

Or  at  least  that  you're  partly  distracted.'" 

**  Well  sung ;  but  favour  me  with  what  you  know 
about  '  your  pack,'  and  then  I  will  call  on  you  for  a 
song." 

**  The  Kilkenny  Hunt  was  formed,  close  on  a  cen- 
tury ago,  by  John  Power  and  his  brother  Richard 
of  Tullaghmaine  Castle,  county  Tipperary.  John 
Power — afterwards  Sir  John — took  up  his  residence  at 
Derry,  near  Ballyhale,  and  here  he  formed  the  Kil- 
kenny pack.  No  man  did  more  for  fox-hunting  in 
Ireland  than  he,  and  the  proof  is  he  made  the  Kil- 
kenny country  ;  he  fenced  in  its  coverts,  had  patches 
of  gorse  sown  in  every  suitable  place,  and  formed 
the  Kilkenny  Hunt  Club." 

**  It  was  a  very  select  club,  was  it  not?" 

"Yes.  The  members  met  in  Kilkenny  in  the 
months  of  November  and  February  every  year.  The 
leading  sportsmen  of  all  Ireland  attended  these  re- 
unions. It  is  so  long  ago  it  is  not  easy  to  ascertain 
the  names  of  the  principal  members  ;  but  Sir  Wheeler 
Cuffe,  Sir  Nicholas  Ruftus,  Mr.  Bayley  of  Norelands, 
Sir  R.  Cox,  Bart.,  Messrs.  Montmorency,  Ponsonby, 
and  Cooke,  were  great  supporters,  as  was  nearly  every 
gentleman  in  the  county.     I  should  add  too  the  name 


252  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

of  Sir  Hercules  Langrishe,  who  was  a  great  supporter 
and  good  sportsman.  Sir  Hercules  was,  in  more  than 
one  respect,  a  very  notable  Irishman  and  wit.  He 
played  once,  in  the  then  famous  Kilkenny  plays,  Sir 
Lucius  O' Trigger,  when  Tom  Moore  (of  the  Melodies) 
took  some  minor  part.  Riding  with  a  Lord  Lieutenant 
in  the  Phoenix  Park — I  think  Lord  Anglesey — the  Vice- 
regal steed  slid  in  a  pool  of  water,  and  nearly  unseated 
the  rider :  '  Why  the  devil  don't  they  drain  the  park  ? ' 
said  his  Excellency  ;  *  Ah  ! '  quoth  Sir  Hercules, 
*  they're  too  much  taken  up  in  draining  the  rest 
of  the  country.'  The  Viceroy  chuckled,  so  did  Sir 
Hercules.  There  used  to  be  great  fun  at  the  hunt 
dinners ;  sportsmen  from  every  county  used  to  come 
down  for  a  week;  officers  used  to  come  from  Dublin, 
Cork,  and  other  places  too.  Young  fellows  on  for  all 
sorts  of  fun.  'God  bless  the  boys  !'  said  a  Crimean 
Brigadier.  '  How  they  bruised  and  boxed,  laughed 
and  lushed,  fought  and  philandered ;  and,  by  gad,  sir, 
they  were  not  milksops  or  mollycoddles.'  When  Sir 
John  Power  went  to  live  at  Kilfane  the  hunt  gained 
great  notoriety,  and  sportsmen  from  distant  counties 
used  to  come  to  hunt  in  Kilkenny." 

*'  Who  was  huntsman  to  Sir  John  ? " 

"  Byrne — a  first-rate  man  at  his  business — was  his 
first ;  Con  was  whip  to  him.  After  some  years,  Byrne 
was  succeeded  by  a  most  popular  man,  an  adept  at  the 
profession,  indeed,  Sir  John  would  have  no  other ;  his 
name  was  Robert  Comet.  He  came  from  Lord  Yar- 
borough,  and  brought  with  him  three  hounds  from 
that  kennel — Crabbier,  Graceful,  and  Gracious — and 
from  this  stock  were  bred  most  magnificent  hounds  of 
the  true  foxhound  type.     Mick  Butler  was  first-whip 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS.  253 

and  Denis  Dwyer  second  at  this  time.  It  was  no 
wonder  that  the  pack  soon  became  perfect ;  no  man 
understood  the  breeding  and  condition  of  hounds 
better  than  Comet." 

*'  Who  succeeded  Sir  John  as  master?" 
*'His  son  'Johnnie,'  as  his  friends  called  him. 
Soon  after  he  got  them,  poor  Robert  Comet  died  of 
aneurism  of  the  heart ;  and  the  first  whip,  Mick 
Butler,  was  promoted  to  the  vacancy,  and  Stephen 
Goodall  was  appointed  whip.  You've  heard  of  him, 
I  dare  say." 

"Heard  of  him  !  you  forget  you're  talking  to  a 
Kildare  man ;  of  course  I  have ;  who  has  not  ?  He 
was  a  splendid  horseman,  and  had  a  grand  voice. 
Who  succeeded  Butler  ?" 

"  After  a  couple  of  years  Sir  John  hunted  the 
hounds  himself,  with  Butler  and  Goodall  as  whippers- 
in." 

*'  He  showed  good  sport,  I  believe?" 
"Very;  he  was  a  keen    foxhunter,  a  fine  horse- 
man, and  a  most  popular  man  with  all  classes — and  so 
was  every  member  of  his  family." 

**  The  late  Baronet  was  fond  of  steeplechasing  too, 
I  understand  ?" 

**  He  was ;  he  had  some  fair  horses ;  and  a  mare 
of  his.  Fox,  was  second  for  the  Corinthian  Cup  in 
Punchestown  in  1857;  she  was  ridden  by  Captain 
Town  ley,  and  was  beaien  by  Colonel  Forster's  Ring- 
leader by  a  neck." 

"  I  heard  that  the  late  Sir  John  built  kennels  at 
Kilfane." 

"  Oh,  so  he  did.  I  should  tell  you  that  the  present 
Baronet,  Sir  Richard,  is  very  popular  with  all  classes, 

17 


254  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

and  deservedly  so ;  and  Lady  Power  is  a  great 
favourite,  not  only  with  those  of  her  own  position, 
but  also  with  the  poor  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Kilfane,  to  all  of  whom  she  is  most  charitable  and 
kind." 

"So  I  often  heard;  and  I  remember  that  they 
lived  for  a  short  time  in  Kildare,  at  Sallymount,  a 
pretty  place,  near  Harristown ;  and  I  can  assure  you 
that  they  were  much  liked  by  all  in  that  county, 
indeed  they  are  wherever  they  are  known.  Does 
Sir  Richard  keep  racehorses?" 

*•  Not  now;  he  had  a  mare  named  Stella;  you 
must  have  seen  her  run  in  Punchestown,  and  carry  his 
colours  successfully  too !" 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  remember  now;  in  1871,  she  ran  second 
for  the  Drogheda  Plate  ;  just  got  beaten  by  a  neck  by 
'Dick'  Bell's  mare,  Rosette;  it  was  a  great  race; 
next  day  she  won  the  Railway  Plate,  ridden  by 
'Paddy'  Gavin;  and  on  the  following  day  she  was 
sold  at  Sewell's  to  Mr.  Burton  Persse  for  144  guineas. 
Sir  Richard  Power  has  not  had  a  racer  or  chaser  since 
he  sold  Stella,  and  I'm  very  sorry  for  it,  as  the  patron- 
age of  a  gentleman  of  his  position  and  character  would 
be  a  great  acquisition  to  the  Irish  turf." 

'*  Excuse  me,  but  I  know  that  if  you  commence 
to  talk  about  racing  you  won't  stop  for  hours,  and  I 
am  anxious  to  give  you  all  the  information  I  can  now 
relative  to  the  Kilkenny  Hounds." 

"Well,  I  am  all  attention.  Who  succeeded  Sir 
John  Power?" 

"Mr.  George  Bryan  of  Jenkinstown." 

"  He  has  been  member  for  the  county  for  many 
years,  has  he  not?" 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS.  255 

**  Yes,  since  1865.  He  is  the  only  son  of  the  late 
Colonel  George  Bryan  of  Jenkinstown,  and  was  born 
in  1828." 

"  How  long  was  he  master  ? " 

"  Mr.  Bryan  assumed  the  mastership  in  May,  1850, 
and  kept  the  hounds  for  two  seasons.  Denny  Cal- 
laghan  was  huntsman  during  the  first  season,  and 
Tom  Mathews  hunted  them  the  second ;  the  sport 
continued  to  be  very  good  while  Mr.  Bryan  had  them. 
He  is  very  fond  of  hunting,  and  rides  well  to  hounds 
too,  as  indeed  he  did  between  flags,  when  he 
sported  silk,  as  was  his  wont  some  twenty  years 
since." 

**  He  kept  a  large  stud  of  race  horses  some  years 
ago,  I  believe  ?" 

**  He  did,  and  had  many  '  clinkers '  too.  There 
used  to  be  a  very  good  race-meeting  held  annually 
in  Jenkinstown  Park  some  years  ago.  Many  a  grand 
race  I  have  seen  there," 

"  Did  Mr.  Bryan  keep  a  large  stud  in  training 
in  Ireland?" 

*'  No ;  he  used  to  race  horses  at  the  Curragh  occa- 
sionally ;  but  Jenkinstown  was  his  favourite  meeting. 
You  know  he  was  a  patron  of  the  English  turf  for 
years,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  win  some  very 
valuable  stakes. 

"  Lord  James  Butler,  uncle  to  the  present  Marquis 
of  Ormonde,  succeeded  Mr.  Bryan,  and  had  the  hounds 
for  a  season.  Purselaw  was  then  huntsman.  Lord 
James's  name  reminds  me  of  a  steeplechase  which  he 
won  at  Whitefield  in  1851.  Five  horses,  carrying 
i8st.  each,  ran.  Lord  Butler  rode  his  own  horse, 
Freebooter  ;  Mr.  Bryan  was  second  on  his  grey,  Blue- 


256  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

skin  ;  Mr.  Kellet  third,  on  Mayboy ;  Mr.  Cronnin  on 
Mr.  Prendergast's  Woodman  ;  and  Mr.  William 
M'Grane  (Montpelier-Hill,  Dublin),  on  Mr.  Smith- 
wick's  Sampson." 

"  After  Lord  Butler  resigned,  the  hounds  were  kept 
by  a  committee  for  a  season  or  two,  I  believe  ? " 

"Yes  ;  and  then,  in  1856,  Lord  St.  Lawrence  (now 
Lord  Howth)  took  them ;  he  got  on  very  well,  and 
was  master  for  five  years.  We  all  know  how  fond 
of  the  'noble  science'  he  is.  I  never  saw  a  better 
rider  to  hounds.  He  was  always  well  mounted,  and 
most  courteous  to  all  in  the  '  field.'  Colonel  Richard 
Bernard  was  his  Lordship's  right-hand  man,  and  took 
up  the  mastership  on  any  day  when  Lord  St.  Lawrence 
might  be  absent.  Some  of  the  sporting  deeds  of  the 
Colonel,  at  this  time,  were  worthy  of  his  fame 
as  a  horseman,  and  the  recollection  of  them  is  often 
very  fondly  dwelt  upon  by  the  many  friends  he  made 
during  his  sojourn  amongst  the  '  boys  of  Kilkenny.' 
Lord  Howth  secured  the  services  of  very  good  men. 
For  instance,  George  Jones,  and  after  he  left,  Pat 
Cody  was  appointed  huntsman,  and  Jem  Monahan 
was  first- whip." 

"  The  trainer  who  now  lives  at  Hawthorn  Lodge, 
the  Curragh,  and  who  rode  so  many  good  races? 
For  how  many  years  was  his  Lordship  master?" 

**  Mr.  H.  W.  Meredyth  of  Norelands  succeeded 
his  Lordship  in  1861.  The  first  huntsman  he  had 
wasWm.  Boxal,  who  hunted  them  for  four  years,  then 
Walter  Bell,  who  remained  for  one  season.  Mr.  Mere- 
dyth carried  the  horn  for  two  seasons,  but  finding  the 
work  too   hard,  he  got  Richard  Scarth,  who  subse- 


THE  KILKENNY  HOUNDS.  257 

quently  hunted  the  Kildare  Hounds.  Mr.  Meredyth 
retired,  in  1870,  on  account  of  great  dissension  and 
very  unpleasant  circumstances  having  occurred — 
poisoning  of  foxes,  burning  of  coverts,  and  every 
annoyance  was  given  to  the  hunting-men  and  general 
well-wishers  of  fox-hunting.  A  very  unpleasant 
paper  war  was  carried  on  for  some  time  about  Mr. 
Meredyth's  conduct  by  several  members  of  the  hunt, 
and  very  severe  strictures  were  passed  on  his 
management.  Some  of  the  members  signed  a  re- 
quisition to  have  him  to  continue  as  master,  and 
promised  him  their  support.  But  many  were  anxious 
for  his  resignation,  and  the  sport  during  the  last  two 
or  three  seasons  of  his  regime  was  very  bad  ;  and  when 
he  resigned  the  members  advertised  for  a  master,  and 
for  some  months  there  was  no  reply.  The  members 
of  the  hunt  and  farmers  were  most  anxious  that 
Henr}^  Briscoe  would  accept  the  hounds.  After  the 
death  of  Henry,  Marquis  of  Waterford,  he  kept 
the  Waterford  Hounds,  and  hunted  them  for  eleven 
seasons ;  the  present  Marquis  came  in  for  the  title 
just  about  the  time  that  Mr.  Meredyth  gave  up  our 
hounds,  and  the  Marquis  being  anxious  to  re-establish 
the  Curraghmore,  Briscoe  gave  up  tp.e  Waterford,  and 
soon  afterwards  took  the  Kilkennies." 

•'  Tell  me,  did  Mr.  Briscoe  hunt  the  Waterford 
Hounds  himself?" 

"  He  did  for  a  few  years  only  ;  and  no  gentleman 
or  professional  could  do  it  better  ;  Duke,  now  hunts- 
man of  the  Curraghmore,  was  his  first  whip.  When 
he  became  master  of  the  Waterford  Hounds,  he 
deemed  them  too  high  on  the  leg  and  flat-sided,  and 


258  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

immediately  set  to  work  to  improve  them  ;  and  by 
the  influx  of  new  blood,  the  best  that  could  be  got,  he 
soon  got  together  a  splendid  lot  of  hounds,  with  short 
legs,  great  length,  and  good  neck  and  shoulders ; 
and  the  present  noble  owner  has  often  complimented 
him  on  the  grand  pack  he  handed  over  to  him." 

*'  Mr.  Briscoe  kept  the  Kilkenny  Hounds  to  the 
end  of  the  season,  1875-6,  and  then  the  present 
master  took  them  ;  is  not  that  so?" 

"  Yes ;  the  master  who  now  has  them,  Colonel 
Chaplin,  has  given  great  satisfaction,  and,  I  am  sure, 
he  will  continue  to  do  so." 

•*  He  was  Colonel  of  the  4th  Dragoon  Guards,  was 
he  not?" 

"Yes." 

"  Briscoe  improved  the  Kilkenny  Hounds,  too,  I 
am  sure?" 

**  Indeed  he  did,  very  much ;  and  you  seldom,  I 
think  I  may  say  you  never,  rode  after  a  finer  pack  than 
you  did  to-day." 

**  I  admit  they  justify  your  praise." 

"  I  am  sure  of  it ;  and  not  only  Kilkenny,  but  the 
fox-hunting  world,  must  admit  that  no  man  has  done, 
or  could  have  done  more,  than  Mr.  Briscoe  has  done  to 
save  the  Kilkenny  Hunt,  and  to  bring  the  pack  back 
to  its  former pres/zge.^^ 

"  He  must  have  known  a  good  deal  about  hounds 
and  hunting  when  he  took  the  Waterford  Hounds,  or 
he  could  not  have  hunted  them  so  well  and  improved 
them  so  much." 

"So  he  did;  he  was  born  in  1810,  and  after 
graduating  in  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  in   1828,  he 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS.  259 

regularly  hunted  from  that  time  a  pack  of  hounds 
kept  by  his  father,  till  that  gentleman's  death,  in 
1834;  so  you  see  he  was  'entered'  to  his  game  early 
in  life." 

**  I  often  heard  that  he  was  a  very  good  horseman, 
and  I  know,  from  reading  the  Calendar^  that  he  had 
many  good  chasers,  and  rode  in  several  Corinthian 
races  when  young." 

**■  He  had  a  few  good  horses,  and  won  several 
races ;  he  won  a  good  many  with  a  mare  he  had  by 
Economist." 

"  Hadn't  he  a  horse  called  Wedge,  too  ?" 
"Yes;  and   the  last  time  Mr.  Briscoe    *  sported* 
silk  was   on   Wedge,   for  a  steeplechase   at   White- 
field." 

"How  many  ran,  and  what  was  the  result?" 
"  Wedge,  and  Lord  Waterford  on  Regalia,  John 
Power  of  Gurteen  on  Polka,  and  Lord  Desert  on 
Rufus.  Regalia  won  by  a  length ;  but  had  not  Wedge 
met  with  a  mishap,  he  would  have  won ;  as  it  was,  he 
was  only  beaten  by  a  length.  Briscoe  is  the  only  one 
now  living  of  those  who  rode  in  that  race.  I  forgot 
to  tell  you,  when  speaking  of  Jenkinstown,that  a  horse 
of  his,  Field- Marshal,  a  son  of  Red  Hart's,  won  the 
Lottery  Plate  there  in  i860." 

*' Didn't  he  import  Red  Hart  to  this  country  ?" 
**  He  did,  and  several  other  good  sires.  He  did  as 
much  to  improve  the  breed  of  horses  in  Ireland  as  of 
hounds  ;  he  imported  from  England,  Glenmasson,  the 
sire  of  Emigrant,  winner  of  several  races,  and  Legatee, 
sire  of  Pale-star,  Mr.  Moffat's  horse;  you  have  heard 
of  him?" 


26o  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

*'0h,  yes;  and  have  often  seen  Mr.  J.  D.  Whyte 
win  races  on  the  '  lovely  little  black.'  " 

"  Greatheart  was  the  best  horse  Briscoe  imported, 
and  got  the  best  cattle  we  ever  had  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  He  was  the  sire  of  Ace  of  Hearts,  winner  of 
the  Corinthian  Cup  in  Punchestown  in  1858.  You 
must  remember  that  race,  as  your  father's  horse, 
Phoenix  (late  Patrick),  was  second  to  him." 

**  I  remember  ;  and,  I  believe,  Ace  of  Hearts  ran  a 
great  race  at  Carmarthen  in  1862?" 

"  Yes  ;  he  was  then  the  property  of  Mr.  Powell  ;  it 
was  for  the  Carmarthenshire  Steeplechase,  four  miles 
over  a  big  country,  and  The  Rug,  a  horse  belong- 
ing to  Captain  Tom  M'Craith  of  Loughloher  ran  two 
dead  heats  with  the  '  Ace.'  " 

"Well,  what  was  the  result?  Surely  they  did  not 
start  them  again  after  running  eight  miles?" 

"  No.  Night  coming  on,  they  agreed  to  divide,  and 
Ace  of  Hearts  walked  over  next  day.  Mr.  James  rode 
him  in  the  first  heat,  and  poor  George  Stevens  in  the 
second.  Jem  Monahan,  the  whip,  of  whom  we  have 
just  been  speaking,  rode  The  Rug." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  Mr.  Briscoe  is  to  be  pre- 
sented with  a  testimonial  by  the  sportsmen  in  your 
neighbourhood  here ;  no  man  is  more  deserving 
of  it;  and,  lam  sure,  it  will  be  a  very  magnificent 
one." 

"  It  will  indeed ;  every  foxhunter  in  the  county  will 
subscribe." 

"Who  are  the  most  liberal  subscribers  to  the  hunt 
fund?" 

"  The  Marquis  of  Ormond  is  a  princely  subscriber ; 
and  Lord  Bessborough,  Lord  Clifden,  Captain   Pon- 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS.  26 1 

sonby,  Sir  Richard  Power,  A.  Flood,  C.  Wandesforde, 
George  Bryan,  M.P.,  H.  W.  Meredyth,  the  Smith- 
wicks,  Sir  J.  Langrishe,  and  Colonel  Tighe,  are  all 
good  supporters." 

"  Will  you  kindly  tell  me  who  are  the  *  first- 
flight  '  men,  or  rather  first  mention  who  were  years 
ago? 

"  Mr.  Clayton,  Wm.  Bayley,  Sir  Richard  Cox,  Sir 
John  Power,  Robert  Hammond,  Horace  Rochfort, 
Henry  Briscoe,  Edmund  and  Richard  Lalor,  H.  Flood, 
Robert  Walshe,  and  John  Wade.  Those  who  gene- 
rally form  the  leading  brigade  now  I  will  tell  you  as 
you  have  asked ;  but  you  know  I  may  unintentionally 
omit  some  entitled  to  be  included.  However,  I  will 
be  as  candid  as  possible.  H.  W.  Meredyth,  Sir 
Richard  Power,  Major  Bunbury,  Lord  Waterford, 
George  Bryan,  our  '  member,'  and  Thomas  Lalor. 
Mr.  Edmond  Smithwick  used  to  go  pretty  well  too ;  he 
had  a  grey  horse,  '  Sam,'  a  great  performer.  He  was 
killed  in  the  hunting-field  a  few  years  ago.  Mr. 
Smithwick  has  had  his  head  preserved,  and  his  hoof 
magnificently  mounted  in  silver,  and  formed  into  a 
stud-case,  was  presented  to  him  by  Mr.  George  Bryan 
and  the  Hon.  Major  Whyte- Melville,  on  the  lid  of 
which  are  engraved  the  following  lines,  composed  by 
the  latter  gentleman  : — 

"  In  the  corner  of  the  stable  there's  a  lone  and  empty  stall  ; 
There's  a  snaffle  and  a  breastplate   hanging  idle  on  the 

wall  ; 
There's  a  hoof  on  the  chimney,  that  was  foremost  in  the 

van, 
And   gazing  on    it — mute  and    sad — a  sorrow-stricken 

man. 


262  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

His   heart  is  aching  with   a  void  that   never  shall  be 

filled, 
For  the  fav'rite  he  loved  so  well — the  fav'rite  that  he 

killed  ; 
Through  the  bounds  of  fair  Kilkenny,  though  he  search 

its  hill  and  plain, 
Ned  Smithwick  cannot   hope  to  find  so   good  a  horse 

again. 

Bank,  wall,  or  ditch,  no  matter  which,    he  landed  safe 

and  clear, 
And 'change'  or  '  kick,' would  do  the  trick,  and  jump 

it,  never  fear ; 
The  fence  could  not  be  strong  enough,  nor  long  enough 

the  day. 
No  hounds  could  race  too  smart  a  pace  for  '  Sam,'  the 

gallant  grey. 

To  E.  Smithwick, 
'•  From  Whyte-Melville  and  George  Bryan." 

*'  From  what  kennels  are  the  hounds  bred,  and  how 
many  couple  have  you  ?" 

*'  They  are  bred  principally  from  the  Yarborough, 
Foljambe,  Grafton,  and  Beauford  kennels.  We  have 
fifty  couple  of  hounds,  and  Mondays,  Wednesdays, 
and  Fridays  are  the  hunting  days." 

"Who  are  the  hunt-servants?  Your  huntsman 
evidently  knows  his  business,  and  does  it  too. 

"Jack  Tidd  is  huntsman,  and  you  have  judged 
him  rightly  ;  he  graduated  under  Duke  with  the  Cur- 
raghmore  William  Quinn  is  whip,  and  the  kennels 
are  situated  near  the  city." 

*'  Well,  what  about  your  country  ?" 

"  I  may  describe  it  as  being  a  good  hunting  and  a 
capital  scent-holding  one.  The  coverts  are  nicely 
situated.      You  require  a  good   fencer  here,  as   you 


THE  KILKENNY  HOUNDS.  263 

meet  plenty  of  big  banks,  many  of  them  ragged  and 
faced  with  stones,  and  in  places  very  big  and  well- 
built  walls.  Your  nag  must  be  a  good  wall-jumper ; 
he  need  not  be  very  good  at  timber-topping,  as  you 
seldom  meet  that  kind  of  fence ;  and  though  the 
'  moon  looks  on  many  brooks  '  in  the  territory,  they 
are  not  very  formidable  obstacles.  Many  noted 
sportsmen,  residing  in  distant  counties,  send  their 
horses  to  be  trained  to  jump  in  Kilkenny,  chasers  as 
well  as  hunters.  It  is  a  fine  grass-country,  and  is 
more  free  from  that  bite  7ioir  of  Irish  hunting-bog  than 
any  hunting-district  in  Ireland,  not  even  excepting  Kil- 
dare.  And  now  you  have  exhausted  my  stock  of  in- 
formation on  this  subject,  and  I  will  therefore  recite 
for  you  some  lines  which  were  written  about  the  Kil- 
kenny Hunt  of  fifty  years  ago,  as  I  daresay  you  never 
heard  it." 

'*  I  never  did,  but  will  be  glad  to ;  so  give  7nelody 
the  'ofiftce'  to  go." 

"  THE  KILKENNY  HUNT  FIFTY  YEARS  AGO. 

"  What  a  meet !     I  remember  one  glorious  spring  morn — 

Our  hearts  beat  with  joy  at  the  sound  of  the  horn  ! 

The  breakfast  at  Rice's*  was  sumptuous,  but  short, 

For  all  were  most  eager  to  join  in  the  sport. 

Harry  Lorrequer's  herof  we  think  of  with  pride, 

And  his  sister,  a  Willett,  they  rode  side  by  side, 

Disdaining  restriction  and  feminine  fear, 

She  so  loved  the  hunting,  and  always  was  near. 

Next  Massey  from  Glenville — how  noble  his  mien — 

He  enjoyed  a  good  fortune,  was  mate  for  a  queen  ; 

And  Fosberry,^  '  Red  George,'  with  a  brogue  as  rich  quite. 

Keen  folk,  these  were  welcom'd  with  cheers  of  delight. 

*  The  present  Club-house  Hotel,  Kilkenny, 

t  Major  O'Flaherty. 

X  Master  of  the  Limerick  Hunt. 


264  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Then  Magennis  rode  hard  when  the  work  it  got  warm, 

Though,  like  young  Ambrose  Power,  he  was  minus  an  arm  ; 

The  young  gov'nor*  rode  Watty  ;  Sir  Wheelers-stanch  rock — 

Rode  a  tight  horse,  a  son  of  the  famed  Hollyhock. 

Big  Bayley,  on  Giant,  made  two  giants  there, 

Yet  his  eyes  and  his  head  they  were  felt  everywhere  ; 

Young  Cooke,  on  his  grey,  from  Kiltinan,  did  well  ; 

These,  with  Fowler  and  Watson. f  all  met  at  Dunbell. 

Time  was  up,  '  into  covert,'  and  clear  through  they  go  ; 

'  Not  at  home,'  said  Sir  John,  'twas  thought  it  was  so. 

We  were  leaving  in  groups,  but  blind  Nixon  said  '  No  1' 

Blind  men's  poems  and  travels  we  cannot  deny, 

But  a  blind,  forward  horseman,  was  rare  to  the  eye. 

*  There's  a  hound  still  in  covert,'  said  Nixon,  '  he's  here!' 

What  the  blind  want  in  sight  they  make  up  in  the  ear. 

Old  Byrne;];  put  them  in.     '  Hark  to  Warwick  1'  he  cried, 

For  Warwick,  old  hound,  was  his  boast  and  his  pride. 

Next  moment  '  away  !'  Warwick  still  at  his  brush. 

For  'twas  Warwick  was  heard  as  the  hound  in  the  bush. 

How  soon  we  reached  Clifden  ;  the  railway  alone 

Would  convince  in  these  days  that  the  thing  e'er  was  done. 

From  Clifden  to  Bishopslough,  thence  to  Kilfane, 

But,  well  stopped  out  there,  he  next  made  for  Greenane, 

Though  he  neared  Thomastown  when  he  changed  his  old  route, 

Ran  towards  Coppenagh  hills  to  baffle  pursuit ; 

But,  pressed  hard  by  the  ever-true  pack,  this  good  fox 

Wheeled  short  round  to  Dangan,  and  earth'd  neath  the  rocks. 

The' field  was  select,  but  with  skill  and  with  speed, 

Sir  John  was  the  first  with  the  hounds  in  their  need  ; 

The  picture  so  gorgeous,  from  Dangan's  full  height, 

Had  wrapped  me  in  wonder,  amaze,  and  delight ; 

Then  the  gallant  Sir  John  cried  out,  '  Yonder's  Brown's  barn  ;' 

And  ?,o  fifiis  I  put  to  the  end  of  my  yarn." 

"  Thank  you  ;  very  orood  ;  as  you  won't  let  me  off, 
I  will  respond  to  your  call,  and  sing  you  a  song  I 
composed  after  a  good  run  with  the  Ward  Hounds.  I 
never  sang  it  before. 

"A  RUN  WITH  THE  WARD  HOUNDS. 

"Come,  boys,  fill  each  glass  on  the  table, 
And  push  the  decanters  about, 
While  1  give  an  account,  if  I'm  able, 
Of  a  run  the  last  time  we  were  out ; 

*  The  late  Sir  John  Power,  Kilfane. 
t  The  master  of  the  Carlow  Hunt. 
I  The  matchless  old  huntsman. 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS.  265 

Since  the  day  that  the  phicky  Lord  Spencer 

Took  the  '  Wards' '  famous  dyke  in  a  fly, 
Such  value  we  never  had  since,  sir — 
'  Boyne  Water'  left  some  of  us  dry. 

Hip,  hip,  boys  1  a  bumper,  hurrah  ! 
Give  each  his  well-earned  rewards  ; 
Success  to  the  men  who  to-day 
Upheld  the  old  fame  of  the  Wards  ! 


Charlie  Brindley  laid  on  his  fair  'beauties,' 

Melodious  they  gave  out  the  '  pay,' 
No  huntsman  more  strict  to  his  duties, 

Success  to  himself  and  his  grey  ; 
Jameson  flew  in  advance  o'er  a  rasper. 

With  brave  Leonard  IMorrogh  before, 
Who  never  yet  opened  a  hasp,  sir, 

Spikes  and  all  he  goes  fearlessly  o'er. 

Hip,  hip,  boys,  &c. 


•'  Joe  Hone,  like  the  famed  Galway  Blazer, 
On  his  bay  leaves  the  rest  in  the  shade; 
He  could  land  on  the  edge  of  a  razor. 

And  not  leave  a  gap  in  the  blade; 
With  Murland  now  close  on  his  quarter. 

And  Watson  enjoying  the  fun  ; 
Though  the  ground  be  as  holding  as  mortar. 
They  are  found  in  the  front  of  the  run. 
Hip,  hip,  boys,  &c. 


See  Harper,  and  Trotter,  and  INIeldon, 

With  Kearsley  are  running  a  race  ; 
Bravo!  my  young  soldier!  faith,  well  done; 

You'll  ne'er  bring  the  Guards  to  disgrace. 
There  go  Kennedy,  Butler,  O'Reilly, 

The  deer  keeping  well  in  their  view. 
While  Mat  Duffy  gains  on  them  so  slyly — 

Sure  he  knows  every  fence  round  Kilrue. 
Hip,  hip,  boys,  &c 


•'  There  M'Donald,  D'Arcy,  and  young 
Christie  M'Grane, 
You  may  see  in  the  thick  of  the  fray; 
While  M'Donogh  skims  over  the  plain, 
Light-hearted  as  ever,  though  grey, 


266  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Turbett,  Leonard,  and  Gavacan  are  here, 
Sailing  on  witliout  hindrance  or  trouble, 

Young  Bob  M'Garry  comes  on  with  a  cheer, 

And  lands  beside  Murphy,  across  the  big  double. 
Hip,  hip,  boys,  &c. 


"  See  bold  Duckett,  who  ne'er  looks  for  gates, 
Of  the  run  he  can  give  the  best  summary ; 
Nor  omit  the  invincible  Bates, 

Girth  to  girth  with  kind  Captain  Montgomery. 
Fair,  too,  as  the  niece  of  St.  Kevin, 

Were  Eve's  daughters,  the  foremost  beside, 
If  the  run  of  their  presence  were  riven, 
But  dull  were  the  sport  at  Kilbride. 

Hip,  hip,  boys,  a  bumper,  hurrah  ! 
We  must  all  bow,  plebeians  and  lords, 
To  the  conquering  heart-binding  sway 
Of  the  beautiful  maids  with  the  Wards." 


'*  Bravo  !  and  now  with  your  assent  we  will  join  the 
ladies;  but  fill  your  glass  before  we  go." 

"  I  will,  and  I  thank  you  for  the  information  you 
have  given  me.  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  fox-hunting 
is  popular  in  Kilkenny.  May  it  be  so  long  after  you 
and  I  are  put  to  ground,  and  I  hope  that  day  is  far 
distant.  Do  not  imagine  when  you  see  '  Irish  Sport 
and  Sportsmen,'  with  the  history  of  the  Kilkenny 
Hounds,  given  in  the  last  chapter  of  my  memoranda  of 
the  chase,  that  I  placed  the  packs  in  the  order  of 
merit.  I  thought  it  would  be  invidious  to  attempt 
to  do  so.  I  have  mixed  the  best  and  the  worst 
up  and  down,  and  just  forwarded  the  histories 
for  publication  according  as  I  had  them  ready. 
I  wish  you  many  happy  returns  of  this  festive 
season.  The  holly  and  ivy  which  we  see  here  before 
us  represents  summer  in  winter  to  the  young  fox- 
hunters  in  the  county  ;  particularly  to  that  good  young 


THE    KILKENNY    HOUNDS.  267 

Sportsman,  Sir  Richard  Power,  1  wish  the  perpetual 
youth  which  is  therein  typified ;  to  him  and  his  ances- 
tors every  votary  of  Diana  in  your  county  is  in- 
debted. May  the  old  ones,  especially  that  true  and 
veteran  sportsman,  Henry  Briscoe,  be,  like  our  be- 
loved island,  '  ever  green.'  Long  may  they  wave. 
And  now  we  will  adjourn  and  see  what  fair  lady  we 
may  catch  under  the  mistletoe." 


268 


IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 


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18 


PART  II, 


PART  II. 

"STARS  OF  THE  IRISH  TURF." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

HENRY,    THIRD    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD. 

[N  commencing-  to  write  biographical  sketches  of 
some  Irish  sporting  worthies,  the  first  name 
that  occurs  to  my  mind  is  that  of  Henry, 
third  Marquis  ofWaterford,  one  of  the  brightest  orna- 
ments of  the  Irish  turf.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the 
following  brief  sketch  will  be  read  by  many,  who  will 
pardon  any  defects  for  the  interest  attaching  to  the 
subject. 

The  Beresford  family  has  long  been  celebrated. 
In  all  branches  of  Her  Majesty's  service  some  of  its 
members  have  earned  fame.  As  statesmen,  in  the 
senate  house,  and  at  the  bar;  as  soldiers,  sailors, 
and  sportsmen,  many  of  them  have  gained  celebrity. 
Henry  De  la  Poer  Beresford,  K.P.,  Marquis  ofWater- 
ford, Earl  and  Viscount  Tyrone,  Baron  Beresford, 
county  Cavan,  and  Baron  De  la  Poer  of  Curraghmore, 
Waterford,  and  a  baronet,  and  Baron  Tyrone  of 
Havesfordwest,  county  Pembroke,  in  the  peerage  of 
England,  was  born  April  26th,  1811  ;  succeeded 
his  father,  as  third  Marquis,  July  i6th,  1826;  and 
died,  March   28th,    1859.     Creations :— Baron  De  la 


274  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN, 

Poer  (by  writ),  1375;  Baron  Beresford  and  Viscount 
of  Tyrone,  1726;  Earl  of  Tyrone,  1740;  Marquis, 
1789;  Baronet,  1605;  Baron  of  Tyrone  in  Great 
Britain,  1786.  The  surname  of  Beresford,  or,  as  it 
was  formerly  written,  Bereford,  was  assumed  from 
Bereford,  in  the  parish  of  Alstonfield,  county  Stafford, 
of  which  manor,  John  De  Bereford  was  seised  in  1087 
(first  William  Rufus),  and  was  succeeded  therein  by 
his  son,  Hugh  De  Bereford,  from  whom  lineally  de- 
scended the  deceased  nobleman. 

Amongst  the  ancestors  of  the  late  Marquis,  we  find 
Thomas  Bereford,  Esq.,  who  resided  at  Newtongrange, 
in  Derbyshire,  during  the  time  of  Henry  VI.  and 
Edward  IV.  With  the  former  of  these  monarchs  he 
served  in  his  French  wars,  and,  according  to  tra- 
dition, mustered  a  troop  of  horse  in  Chesterfield,  con- 
sisting alone  of  his  sons,  his  own  and  their  attendants. 
He  had  sixteen  sons  and  five  daughters  by  his  wife, 
Agnes  Hassel  of  Arcluyd,  Cheshire.  Sir  Tristram 
Beresford  of  Coleraine,  Knight  of  the  Shire  for  Lon- 
donderry, in  the  Parliament  of  166 1,  was  created  an 
Irish  Baronet,  his  father  having,  in  the  reign  of 
James  I.,  settled  in  Ireland,  as  manager  of  the  new 
Plantation  in  Ulster,  for  a  Corporation  of  London- 
derry. Another  Sir  Tristram  commanded  a  troop  of 
foot  against  James  II.,  and  was  attainted  by  the 
Parliament  of  that  monarch.  Sir  Marcus,  who  mar- 
ried, in  1 7 17,  Catherine  Poer,  Baroness  De  la  Poer, 
daughter  and  heiress  of  the  third  Earl  of  Tyrone,  in 
consequence  of  that  alliance  was  advanced  to  a  peer- 
age in  Ireland.  The  most  ancient  writs  to  be  found 
in  the  Rolls  Office  of  Ireland  are  that  by  which 
Nicholas  Le  Poer  was  summoned   to  Parliament  as 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  275 

Baron  Le  Poer,  in  1375,  and  thrice  afterwards,  Richard, 
who  was  created  Baron  of  Curraghmore,  by  Henry 
VL,  in  1452.  The  third  Earl  of  Tyrone  became 
attainted  on  account  of  his  attachment  to  the  for- 
tunes of  James  II.,  and  to  the  House  of  Stuart.  His 
widow,  Anne,  Countess  of  Tyrone,  a  high-spirited  and 
shrewd  lady,  sought  the  favour  of  the  reigning  powers, 
and,  in  171 1,  presented  a  petition  to  Queen  Anne,  on 
behalf  of  herself  and  Lady  Catherine,  her  daughter 
(then  a  minor,  and  afterwards  married  to  Sir  Marcus 
Beresford),  praying  that  the  estates  might  be  secured  to 
them  by  Acts  of  Parliament.  The  petition  was  granted, 
and  an  Act  passed  accordingly.  The  Beresford  family 
were  strenuous  supporters  of  the  House  of  Hanover ; 
and  Sir  Marcus  Beresford,  who  married  Lady  Cathe- 
rine Poer  (or  Power),  sat  in  the  Irish  Parliament  for 
the  borough  of  Coleraine. 

In  1770,  John  De  la  Poer,  barrister-at-law,  was  a 
Commissioner  of  the  Revenue  in  Ireland,  and  pre- 
sided for  many  years  at  the  board.  In  1772,  he  was 
appointed  *'  taster  of  the  wines"  in  the  port  of  Dublin, 
and  sworn  of  Her  Majesty's  Most  Honourable  Privy 
Councillors  in' Great  Britain  and  Ireland. 

Henry  De  la  Poer  Beresford,  father  of  the  third 
Marquis,  was  a  Knight  of  St.  Patrick,  a  Privy  Coun- 
cillor in  Ireland,  Governor  of  the  county  of  Waterford, 
and  Colonel  of  the  Waterford  Militia. 

It  may  be  truly  said  that  the  subject  of  my  notice 
maintained  the  character  and  feelings  bequeathed  to 
him  by  his  great  progenitor,  Roger  De  la  Poer,  who 
accompanied  Strongbow  to  Ireland,  and  there  obtained 
for  his  services  large  territorial  grants.  A  great  and 
learned  gentleman,  writing  of  him,  said  : 


276  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN, 

"  It  mig-ht  be  said  without  offence  that  there  was 
not  a  man  who  did  more  valiant  acts  than  Roger  De 
la  Poer ;  who,  although  he  were  young  and  beardless, 
yet,  he  showed  himself  a  lusty,  valiant,  and  courageous 
gentleman,  and  who  grew  unto  such  good  credit,  that 
he  had  the  government  of  the  country  about  Leighlin 
and  also  in  Ossory,  where  he  was  traitorously  killed ; 
on  whose  slaughter  a  conspiracy  was  formed  among 
the  Irish  to  destroy  the  English,  and  many  castles 
were  destroyed."  —  Giraldns  Cambrensis. 

Again,  SIrH.  Sydney  writes,  27th  February,  1575  : 
"  The  day  I  departed  from  Waterford,  I  lodged  that 
night  at  Curraghmore,  the  house  that  the  Lord  Power 
is  Baron  of;  where  I  was  so  used  and  with  such  plenty 
and  g-ood  order  entertained  (as  adding  to  it  the  quiet 
of  all  the  country  adjoining,  by  the  people  called  the 
Poiver  Country,  for  that  surname  has  been  since  the 
beginning  of  the  Englishman's  planting  Inhabitants 
there),  it  may  well  be  compared  with  the  best  ordered 
county  in  the  English  Pale." 

Lord  Waterford  was  educated  at  Eton  and  Christ 
Church,  Oxford,  and  during  his  career  there  gained 
great  notoriety  for  many  wild,  nay,  reckless  deeds — 
Indeed,  If  I  were  to  write  of  all  the  extraordinary  feats 
accomplished  by  him  the  record  would  fill  more 
than  one  large  volume ;  I  will  just  give  a  few,  hoping 
they  may  amuse.  At  Melton,  he  caused  quite  a  sen- 
sation by  a  practical  joke,  costing  him  a  good  deal 
of  money,  which  he  played  on  an  unsuspecting  and 
eccentric  gentleman  who  worshipped  at  the  shrine  of 
^sculapius  In  that  locality.  The  doctor  went  some 
miles  from  the  town  to  attend  a  patient,  and  be- 
fore entering  the   house  of  the  Invalid,  he  gave  the 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFOKD.  277 

hack  which  he  rode  to  a  youth  to  hold.  While  he  was 
performing-  his  duty,  Lord  Waterford  procured  a  quan- 
tity of  aniseed,  which  he  applied  to  the  horse's  heels. 
He  had  four  couple  of  bloodhounds,  and  having  given 
the  physician  some  **law"  when  he  was  homeward 
bound,  laid  on  the  pack,  which  immediately  set  out  in 
hot  pursuit  of  the  doctor  and  his  steed.  The  horse 
naturally  became  frightened,  and,  despite  the  strenuous 
endeavours  of  his  master,  galloped  several  miles  along 
the  road  and  across  an  extensive  common  closely  pur- 
sued by  the  bloodhounds.  On  another  occasion  he 
astonished  the  "Meltonians"  by  painting  the  toll-bar 
and  other  edifices  ;  and  in  London  he  was  continually 
getting  into  "hot  water" — wrenching  off  knockers, 
changing  sign-boards,  beating  the  watch,  &c.,  &c., 
were  pastimes  in  which  he  frequently  indulged.  At 
Southampton,  too,  he  astonished  the  natives  by  one 
fine  night  painting  the  lions  which  ornamented  the 
bar-gate  blue  and  red. 

Of  the  many  stories  told  of  his  strange  Etonian 
vagaries,  the  following  is  one  :  A  great  sensation  was 
caused  by  the  disappearance  of  the  flogging-block 
from  that  chamber  of  horrors,  the  "  library."  The 
Marquis,  with  one  or  two  companions  who  had  just 
left  Eton,  entered  the  room  (by  walking  along  the 
stone  ledge  from  one  of  the  windows  of  the  upper 
school),  forced  the  door,  and  carried  off  their  prize  in 
triumph,  in  spite  of  the  resistance  of  the  college  watch- 
man. The  block  is  still  in  existence  at  Curraghmore, 
I  believe.  The  young  nobleman  was,  indeed,  the  life 
and  soul  of  the  gay  and  thoughtless  circle  in  which  he 
moved.  I  need  scarcely  say  that  some  of  his  most 
wonderful  feats  were  accomplished  in  Ireland. 


278  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

On  his  way  to  the  Curragh  from  Naas,  he  met  a 
sweep,  whom  he  knew  to  be  a  character  and  a  famous 
boxer.  His  lordship,  determined  to  have  a  pugilistic 
encounter,  used  certain  abusive  language  calculated 
to  **  raise  the  dander"  of  the  other,  who  shrewdly 
guessed  the  motive,  and  resented  (or  pretended  to 
resent)  being  called  "snow-ball"  They  immediately 
"  tackled  to  work,"  and  a  merry  "  mill"  ended  by  his 
lordship  coming  off  decidedly  second  best.  He  gave 
the  conquering  hero  a  ten-pound  note,  and  went  on  to 
the  Curragh,  bearing  very  distinct  traces  of  his  recent 
affray,  and,  on  being  interrogated  by  his  friends  as  to 
the  cause,  told  the  story  with  great  good  humour,  and 
said  that  he  never  had  had  such  value  for  a  "  tenner" 
in  his  life. 

A  parson,  who  knew  that  the  Marquis  was  charit- 
able and  generous  in  the  extreme,  was  in  the  habit  of 
soliciting  alms  from  him  very  frequently.  One  day, 
the  clergyman  drove  a  new  and  excellently  appointed 
trap  to  Curraghmore.  Lord  Waterford  gave  him ^5, 
and  was  rather  displeased  at  seeing  that  he  was  not 
quite  satisfied,  so  he  determined  to  be  free  from  future 
.seiferitation  in  a  quiet  sort  of  way,  and  while  the  clergy- 
«ian  was  partaking  gf  refreshment,  the  wild  nobleman 
amused  himself  by  whitewashing  the  trap,  horse,  and 
harness  all  over. 

In  1840,  Lord  Waterford  established  a  small  pack 
of  staghounds  at  Melton,  and  always  hunted  them  him- 
self. A  very  memorable  run  is  recorded  of  them, 
when,  in  the  month  of  April,  in  the  first  year  of  their 
establishment,  they  hunted  a  stag  a  distance  of  thirty- 
two  miles.  Some  short  time  afterwards  they  took  a 
hind  in  a  cellar  after  a  first-rate  run,  and  the  people 


THE    MARQUIS    OF   WATERFORD.  279 

in  the  neighbourhood  declared  that  she  knocked  the 
cock  out  of  a  beer-barrel,  and  saved  her  life  by  "  over 
liquoring"  the  huntsmen  and  hounds.  One  day,  when 
they  were  running  a  drag,  the  inhabitants  of  a  certain 
town  were  amazed  to  see  them  passing  through  the 
principal  street,  giving  the  melodious  music  for  which 
they  were  remarkable.  The  huntsmen  thought  that 
the  run  was  to  have  ended  at  his  lordship's  stables, 
but  he  gave  the  youth  who  ran  the  "herring"  the 
"tip"  to  go  on  through  the  town. 

There  was  an  old  coachman,  who  lived  at  the  hotel 
in  Naas,  a  noted  pugilist,  he  was  called  "  Red  Ned." 
He  was  an  extremely  ill-tempered,  cranky  old  chap, 
and  Lord  Waterford  knew  it.  His  lordship  hired  a 
carriage  in  Naas  to  bring  him  to  the  residence  of  an 
intimate  friend,  who  resided  a  couple  of  miles  from 
Naas,  and  "Red  Ned"  was  the  driver.  He  did  not 
know  Lord  Waterford.  Before  they  had  gone  very 
far,  his  lordship  commenced  to  "chaff"  Ned,  telling 
him  that  he  didn't  know  how  to  drive,  that  he  would 
walk  as  fast  as  he  was  going,  &c.  Ned  became  so 
enraged  that  at  length  he  pulled  up,  and  refused  to 
drive  any. further,  at  the  same  time  opening  the  car- 
riage-door, and  dragging  Lord  Waterford  out.  A  box- 
ing-match ensued  between  them,  and  after  a  sharp  con- 
test, "Red  Ned"  cried  out:  "Oh!  stop,  stop!  I'm 
bate  entirely.  Oh,  yer  majesty  !  oh,  my  lord  !  I  give  in  ; 
I'm  bate  1  I  fought  scores  of  men,  but  never  met  my 
match  afore.  Let  me  off,  my  lord  !  your  majesty,  my 
lord  !  Oh !  I  know  you  now ;  yer  either  the  devil  or 
Lord  Waterford ;  for  the  devil  resave  the  one  else 
could  bate  me." 

While  at  college.  Lord  Waterford  was  "stroke" 


280  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

in  many  matches— indeed  he  was  a  capital  oarsman. 
When  he  completed  his  university  career,  adopting 
the  course  then  usually  followed  by  youths  of  his 
rank,  he  set  out  for  a  lengthened  tour.  But  absence 
from  his  native  land  does  not  appear  to  have  cooled 
his  rash  and  daring  spirit,  as  he  several  times  came 
under  the  notice  of  the  authorities  during  his  travels. 
When  sojourning  at  Brussels,  he  made  an  attempt  to 
carry  off  the  well-known  "Mannikin;"  and  while  play- 
ing some  harmless  jokes  on  a  Norwegian  peasant  girl, 
in  her  own  country,  he  nearly  met  his  death,  as  his 
skull  was  fractured  by  a  blow  from  a  policeman's 
truncheon.  He  visited  the  American  continent,  where 
he  spent  some  time  buffalo-hunting,  and  in  Africa  he 
destroyed  many  a  '*  king  of  the  forest,"  and  he  had  a 
splendid  lion  in  Curraghmore  for  some  years,  which 
he  had  brought  home  from  that  country. 

The  Marquis  was  staying  at  Liverpool  during  a 
race-week,  about  five-and-thirty  years  ago,  and,  after 
spending  a  very  pleasant  evening,  he  was  returning  to 
his  hotel  with  a  friend  of  mine,  who,  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  died  some  years  ago  (a  genial,  jovial,  popular 
sportsman,  and  a  noted  steeplechase  rider),  when 
passing  a  tobacconist's,  over  the  door  of  whose  house 
hung  a  large  metal  man  with  a  pipe  in  his  mouth,  my 
friend  bet  his  lordship  a  **pony"  that  he  would  take 
down  the  statue.  The  wager  was  made,  and  the  layer, 
who  was  a  great  athlete,  jumped  up,  seized  the  "sign," 
and  with  great  difficulty  smashed  the  fastenings  at- 
tached to  it.  The  statue  and  the  sportsman,  of  course, 
both  came  down  a  "cropper;"  the  "sign"  was  unin- 
jured, but  its  captor  was  severely  shaken.  The  Marquis 
was  pleased  with  the  escapade,  and  having  paid  the 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  251 

bet,  offered  to  give  a  pair  of  "ponies"  for  the  metal 
man,  but  his  friend  declined  the  half  century,  procured 
a  coffin,  and  brought  the  statue  to  Ireland,  and  for 
many  years  the  trophy  could  be  seen  in  a  niche  in  a 
large  tree  in  a  demesne  not  a  thousand  miles  from  the 
Curragh. 

When,  at  the  close  of  the  season  1838-9,  the 
Quorn  Hounds  were  without  a  master.  Lord  Water- 
ford  was  pressed  to  take  them,  but  he  declined.  He 
was  enamoured  of  hunting,  and  was  a  really  good 
man  to  ride  to  hounds.  He  was  "as  bold  as  a  lion," 
had  a  good  seat,  capital  hands,  but  his  head  was  not 
the  best.  He  lacked  those  great  essential  requisites 
to  a  first-class  race  rider — patience  and  coolness — con- 
sequently he  was  inferior  to  those  great  artistes.  Lords 
Macdonald  and  Eglinton,  Sir  Frederick  Johnstone, 
Mr.  Oilman,  Captain  Pettit,  Captain  Beecher,  Mr. 
Purcell,  Mr.  Allen  M'Donogh,  Captain  Ross,  Dick 
Christian,  Tom  Olliver,  and  Mason,  all  of  whom  he 
opposed  in  many  a  great  cross-country  event.  In  the 
shires  and  wolds  of  England,  over  the  oxers  in  North- 
amptonshire and  Leicestershire,  and  the  banks  and 
walls  in  Tipperary,  Waterford,  Kilkenny,  and  Kildare, 
he  led  the  van  throughout  many  a  quick  "  burst"  and 
long-hunting  run.  Some  of  my  readers,  I  am  sure, 
have  heard  of  the  famous  "Porch  run,"  when  Lord 
Lonsdale's  huntsman,  Lambert,  killed  his  fox  in  the 
porch  of  Belvoir  Castle,  and  declared  that  "  I  shall 
now  die  happy."  Lord  Waterford  was  one  of  a  few 
who  rode  that  famous  chase  from  find  to  finish.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  prominent  figures  in  Grant's  cele- 
brated picture,  "  The  Melton  Hunt,"  in  a  notice  of 
which  a  writer  said  of  Lord  Waterford  :   "  As  a  sports- 


282  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

man  few  of  his  experience  rank  higher.  In  the  field — 
as  a  steeplechase  rider — a  rider  over  the  course — a 
yachter — in  all  manly  exercises  he  has  distinguished 
himself."  In  the  coach-box  he  was  quite  at  home, 
could  handle  the  ribbons  in  the  best  style,  and  his 
team  could  scarcely  be  surpassed. 

The  first  time  his  lordship  donned  the  silk  was  in 
1834,  when  he  rode  Lancet  for  the  Aylesbury  Steeple- 
chase ;  but  his  debut  was  unsuccessful,  as  Lancet  fell, 
and  the  celebrated  Vivian   won.     After  the  race  he 
matched  his  horse,  Cock  Robin,  against  the  winner  for 
;^i,ooo  aside,  and  a  fortnight  afterwards  the  match 
came  off,  four  miles  over  the  stiffest  part  of  the  Market 
Harborough  country.     Thousands  came  to  see  it,  and 
Vivian  got  home  in  front  of  his  opponent,  owing  to 
superior  jockeyship,  after  a  very  close  and  severely 
contested  race.     In  1836,  his  lordship  again  wore  the 
*'  blue  jacket  and  black  cap,"  his  well-known  colours, 
and  rode  Yellow  Dwarf  for  the  Welter  Stakes  at  Ayles- 
bury, and  was  third  to  Saladin  and  Vivian.      At  War- 
wick he  was  equally  unfortunate  on  the  same  horse. 
Yellow  Dwarf  was  a  hard-mouthed  brute,  but  a  fine 
fencer.       His   lordship  heard    that   he  was  the   best 
jumper  in  England,  and  sent  word  to  his  owner  that 
he  was  anxious    to  buy  him,  and   told   him  to  send 
the  horse  to  meet  him  at  a  certain  covert  in  Leicester- 
shire.   The  horse  arrived  while  the  field  were  standing 
in  a  lane  beside  a  gorse  which  the  hounds  were  draw- 
ing ;    there  was  a  five-barred  gate  at  the  end  of  the 
lane.     "Jump  the  horse  over  that  gate,"  said  Lord 
Waterford  to  the  rider  of  Yellow  Dwarf.     "  Oh,  no, 
my  lord,   I   will   not."       "Well,   get  down,"  said  his 
lordship  ;  "you're  afraid  ;  Til  ride  him  over  it  myself" 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  283 

He  did  so;  the  horse  jumped  it  beautifully,  and  he 
bought  him  immediately  at  a  high  figure.  At  Dun- 
church  and  Leamington,  he  again  got  situations  on 
Cock  Robin  and  Monarch ;  but  his  greatest  perform- 
ance in  the  pig-skin  between  the  flags  was  accom- 
plished at  Eglinton,  where  he  rode  Blueskin  one 
afternoon  for  three  four-miles  steeplechases,  all  of 
which  he  won,  though  he  met  fresh  opponents  in  each 
contest,  and  carried  a  very  heavy  impost.  Over  this 
course  and  at  Croxteth  Park  he  rode  his  own  horses, 
Tommy  Tickle,  Miss  Chance,  and  Fop,  with  varying 
success.  One  of  the  most  interesting  dead-heats  on 
record  is  that  which  his  lordship  rode  on  Columbine 
against  Robin  at  Croxteth  Park.  On  the  same  day  he 
won  the  Melton  Stakes  on  Red  Wing,  and  the  Free 
Handicap  on  Cardinal  Puff.  This  horse  he  purchased 
from  the  Marquis  of  Westminster  for  1,200  guineas. 
In  1840,  he  won  three  races  in  two  days  at  Croxteth 
Park,  viz.,  the  Hunters'  Stakes  on  Redwing,  Amdelly 
Stakes  on  Confusion,  and  the  Rosslyn  Handicap  on 
Redwing  also.  In  1841,  the  Marquis's  colours  were, 
for  the  first  time,  seen  on  an  Irish  race-course,  when 
they  were  borne  by  a  grey  horse  named  Hackfall  for 
the  Stewards'  Stakes  at  the  Curragh  April  Meeting, 
He  was  not  placed,  and  on  the  following  day  they 
were  again  carried  unsuccessfully  by  Cardinal  Puff, 
The  first  victory  he  achieved  in  this  country  was  at 
the  June  Meeting  following,  when  Redwing,  a  chestnut 
six-year-old,  son  of  Skylark,  created  a  surprise  by  de- 
feating his  quandom  stable  companion,  Falcon,  and 
three  others  for  a  small  sweepstakes.  On  the  next 
day,  in  a  match  for  100  sovs.,  i2st.  ^Ib.  each,  over 
Connolly's    mile.    Lord    Howth's    Augean,    an    aged 


284  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

son  of  Sir  Hercules,  with  3  and  4  to  1  on  him,  easily 
defeated  Lord  Waterford's  Hackfall,  and  Redwing 
suffered  a  couple  of  defeats  also  during-  the  week.  At 
Kilkenny,  in  October,  Manilla  was  twice  beaten,  and 
Blueskln  won  a  hurdle  race,  but  was  not  placed  for 
another.  At  Tramore,  in  the  same  month,  his  lord- 
ship steered  Manilla  to  victory  for  a  minor  stake  over 
timber ;  and  Ballysax,  a  horse  he  bought  from  a  relative 
of  the  author  at  the  end  of  the  year,  also  gained  a  few 
brackets. 

In  1842,  the  first  race  he  won  was  with  Redwing, 
who  beat  Mr.  Watts' s  Forester  for  the  Wellingtons  at 
the  Curragh  April  Meeting,  and  on  the  following  day 
Redwing  walked  over  for  the  Challenge  of  the  Welling- 
tons. At  this  time  Columbine,  Blueskln,  Usurper,  Red- 
wing, Firefly,  Ballysax,  Black  Dwarf,  Fairy  (by  Rock- 
ingham, out  of  Cronstadt),  Conrad,  Manilla,  and  Kil- 
moylan,  comprised  Lord  Henry's  racing  stud  ;  but  none 
of  them  except  Redwing,  Firefly,  and  Fairy  were  very 
good,  the  last-named  being,  Indeed,  a  speedy,  neat  filly. 

In  1843,  "Larry"  Byrne,  who  had  been  for 
some  years  trainer  to  Mr.  Ferguson,  who  resided 
at  Rossmore  Lodge,  resigned  the  situation,  and 
became  manager  of  Lord  Waterford's  stud.  Fourteen 
horses  carried  his  lordship's  colours  that  year,  but  their 
owner  had  not  by  any  means  a  *'  rose}^''  time  of  It. 
Henry,  a  neat  chestnut  four-year-old,  with  an  erratic 
disposition,  won  six  races  value  340  sovs.  and  a  silver 
cup,  Tearing  Thief  won  four  small  stakes,  and  Fairy 
secured  a  couple  of  "  centuries"  at  the  Curragh. 

In  the  following  year,  the  familiar  jacket  was  first 
carried  by  Blueskln,  In  a  race  which  will  long  be  re- 
membered by  those  who  saw  It.     It  was  the  Munster 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  285 

National  Steeplechase  of  fifteen  sovs.  each,  lOO  added, 
Aveight  for  age,  three  miles,  and  nine  ran.  Before 
they  had  gone  far,  a  speedy  mare  named  The  Fawn 
(belonging  to  Mr.  Power)  was  killed,  and  ere  half 
the  journey  had  been  traversed  the  contest  was  con- 
fined to  a  quartette  of  good  horses  and  good  men — Mr. 
Colgan  on  Erin,  Blueskin  ridden  by  his  trainer,  L. 
Byrne,  Fra  Diavolo  steered  by  the  famous  John  Dennis 
(the  ever-to-be-lamented  master  of  the  "  Blazers"),  and 
Mr.  Mat  Dunne  of  Punchestown  (a  true  and  popular 
sportsman)  on  the  game  Fanny  Elssler — a  daughter 
of  Smallhopes.  It  was  a  terrible  struggle,  but  Fanny 
was  first,  after  a  great  finish  with  Fra  Diavolo.  The 
winner  won  many  races,  and  only  that  Brunette  was 
her  superior,  more  than  two  Kilrue  Cups  would  have 
been  placed  to  her  owner's  credit.  The  mare  was  at 
one  time  the  property  of  Mr.  W.  M'Grane,  who  now 
resides  at  Montpelier-hill.  He  used  to  ride  her  as  a 
hack,  never  thinking  that  she  was  such  a  sterling  bit 
of  goods,  although  he  was  then,  as  now,  an  excellent 
judge  of  hunters,  racers,  and  chasers.  He  often  rode 
to  his  farm,  situate  about  seven  miles  from  Dublin,  and 
one  day  while  he  was  there,  the  Kildare  Hounds  hap- 
pened to  pass  by,  on  their  way  to  draw  a  covert  in  the 
neighbourhood,  and  Mr.  M'Grane  joined  the  hunt, 
although  Fanny  Elssler  was  not  all  up  to  his  weight  nor 
in  very  good  trim.  A  fox  was  found,  and  a  splendid 
run  over  the  "cream"  of  Kildare  ensued.  Mr. 
M'Grane  and  the  late  Lord  Howth,  who,  1  need 
scarcely  add,  was  a  "clinker,"  cut  down  a  large  field, 
and  Mr.  Dunne  having  heard  of  the  performance, 
Fanny  Elssler  soon  afterwards  became  his  property. 
That  year  Henry  won  a  plate  of  46  sovs.,  and  also  a 

•9 


286  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

cup  at  Kilkenny.  Another  of  the  stud,  Condor,  a  good 
horse,  by  Economist,  won  the  Wellingtons  of  105  sovs. 
in  April,  and  next  day  beat  a  field  of  eight  good  horses 
for  Her  Majesty's  Plate.  This  horse's  third  appear- 
ance that  year  was  his  last  on  a  race-course,  as  he 
broke  down  when  running  for  the  Kirwans  of  50  sovs. 
each  at  the  Curragh  June  Meeting.  The  chaser  Blue- 
skin  secured  the  New  Melton  Stakes  at  Cahir  of  15 
sovs.  each,  100  added,  but  had  Brunette  not  fallen  she 
would  have  made  him  play  "second  fiddle"  to  her;  a 
few  days  afterwards  he  gained  another  "  bracket"  by 
winning  a  sweepstakes  at  Dungarvan. 

In  1845,  the  Marquis  had  sixteen  horses  in  training, 
including  King  Dan,  a  beautiful  son  of  Philip  the  First, 
which  he  purchased  for  a  very  long  price  from  Mr. 
George  Watts,  and  was  about  the  best  horse  that  per- 
formed in  Ireland  during  that  year.  At  the  Curragh 
June  Meeting  he  won  Her  Majesty's  Plate  of  ico  gs., 
four  miles,  beating  Ironmould,  Colleen  Dhas,  Fireaway 
Helpmate,  Beatrice,  and  Highwayman.  On  Tuesday 
of  the  following  October  Meeting  he  won  the  Kirwan 
Stakes  of  50  sovs.  each,  h.  ft.,  beating  Switcher  and 
Star  of  Erin,  twelve  others  paying  forfeit.  On  the 
following  Thursday,  he  won  the  Cesarewitch  Stakes 
with  100  sovs.  added,  about  two  and  a  quarter  miles, 
beating  Coranna  (winner  of  the  Newmarket  Cesare- 
witch Stakes  and  Chester  Cup,  the  former  comprising 
a  field  of  twenty-five  horses  and  the  latter  thirty-three, 
including  The  Baron,  winner  of  the  Doncaster  St. 
Leger)  and  three  others.  Same  day  he  won  the  Chal- 
lenge of  the  Kirwan  Stakes  of  100  sovs.,  beating 
Switcher.  On  Friday,  he  ran  a  beautiful  race  for  the 
Gold  Whip,   four    miles,    being  only    defeated  by  a 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  287 

nose,  beating  Mr.  Salvan's  celebrated  mare  Alice 
Hawthorn,  Beatrice,  and  Warp.  Lord  Waterford  won 
a  sweepstakes  at  the  Curragh  April  Meeting  on  his 
own  horse,  The  Robber,  defeating  three  others,  and 
at  the  following  re-union  there  steered  a  second  of 
his  racers  to  victory  for  the  Corinthians,  Mr.  Moore  on 
Firefly,  Mr.  Allen  M'Donogh  on  Mordaunt,  and  Olliver, 
ridden  by  Mr.  Kennedy,  finishing  behind  him.  The 
Corinthian  riders  of  those  days  were,  indeed,  sports- 
men in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word — excellent  horse- 
men and  "pillars"  of  the  turf.  On  reference  to  the 
"Calendar,"  I  find  that  for  the  Corinthians  at  the 
"Newmarket  of  Ireland"  in  September,  1845,  Lord 
AVaterford's  Arcanus,  ridden  by  Mr.  G.  H.  Moore, 
won.  His  Lordship  was  second  on  his  own  horse, 
Smike,  Count  Batthyany  third  on  Paragon  ;  Lad  of  the 
Vale  (Mr.  Kennedy),  Woodranger  (Mr.  Nunn),  Switcher 
(Lord  Howth),  also  ran,  but  were  not  placed.  Be- 
fore the  end  of  the  year  thirteen  races  were  won 
by  the  Curraghmore  stud — Henry  won  four,  value 
165  so  vs. ;  Arcanus  two,  value  130  sovs. ;  and  Smike 
and  Firefly  adding  considerably  to  their  owner's  ex- 
chequer. 

In  1846,  fourteen  horses  comprised  the  racing  stud, 
and  the  legitimate  campaign  was  opened  at  the  Cur- 
ragh,  on  the  21st  of  April,  with  a  match  of  100  sovs., 
a  mile  and  a  half,  1 2st  each,  which  resulted  in  the 
defeat  of  Mr.  Irwin's  Whack,  on  whom  6  to  4  was 
laid,  by  Lord  Waterford' s  The  Robber  ;  however,  the 
stable  was  in  very  bad  form  throughout  the  year,  as 
in  Ireland  only  five  races,  value  /407,  were  won  by 
its  representatives  ;  but  King  Dan  won  the  Blythwood 
Free  Handicap  of  95  sovs.  at  Eglinton  Park,  and  at 


288  IRISH   SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

the  same  meeting  he  brought  his  racing  career— a 
very  brilliant  one  it  was — to  an  end,  and  won  a  handi- 
cap of  40  sovs.  * 

The  years  1847  and  1848  were  unlucky  ones  so  far 
as  Lord  Waterford's  fortune  on  the  turf  was  concerned. 
At  the  end  of  1848,  Byrne  resigned,  and,  purchasing 
Mountjoy  Lodge,  set  up  as  a  public  trainer.  His 
Lordship's  horses  were  then  placed  under  the  care  of 
an  adf^pt  at  the  business,  Robert  I'Anson. 

With  the  change  of  trainers  there  came  a  turn  of 
luck,  and  in  1849,  twelve  winners  hailed  from  the 
stable.  Queen  Margaret,  the  dam  of  Lord  Drogheda's 
Clarence,  Mons  Meg,  Queencake,  King  Rene,  &c., 
won  the  Angleseys,  and  proved  herself  to  be  the  best 
animal  of  her  year,  with  the  exception,  perhaps,  of 
Mr.  Watt's  Marchioness  D'Eu.  Her  stable  companion 
of  the  same  age,  Robert  (brother  to  Bon  Mot),  was 
also  a  speedy  colt.  Brother  to  Rat-trap,  Cracow, 
Postilion,  Modesty,  Sir  John,  and  others,  carried  "  Lord 
Henry's"  colours  first  past  the  post  during  that  year, 
six  of  Her  Majesty's  Plates  falling  to  them.  The 
form  shown  by  Sir  John,  a  fine  cut  of  a  chaser  by 
Windfall,  dam  by  Middleton,  at  Liverpool,  in  Novem- 
ber, was  excellent,  when  seventeen  were  weighed  out 
for  the  Grand  Autumn  Free  Handicap,  value  330  sovs., 
and  some  of  the  best  chasers  in  the  world  were  amongst 
them,  and  ridden  by  the  most  accomplished  horsemen. 
The  distance  was  four  miles,  over  what  was  truly  de- 
scribed as  "a  fair  hunting  country."  J.  Mason  was 
on  Proceed,  favourite  at  3  to  i  ;  the  second  in 
demand  was  that  great  four-year-old.  Vain  Hope, 
and  at  sixes  Sir  John  was  third  best  in  the  market. 
Lord  Strathmore  piloted  his  own  horse,  The  Doctor, 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  289 

and  an  Irishman,  Charlie  Canavan,  father  of  David 
and  Willie,  who  have  been  so  fortunate  during  the 
last  few  years  here  in  Ireland,  was  on  Wolverhampton. 
It  was  a  fine  race  between  Sir  John,  who  was  steered 
in  artistic  style  by  J.  Ryan,  Vain  Hope,  The  Doctor, 
and  Proceed.  Sir  John  and  Vain  Hope  cleared  the 
last  flight  of  hurdles  together,  but  the  Irish  horse, 
gradually  forging  ahead,  won  a  well  contested  race  by 
a  couple  of  lengths. 

The  year  following  two  celebrated  horses  were  added 
to  the  string — Lord  George  and  Duc-an-Dhurras — 
and  during  the  season  they  scored  many  wins.  The 
performance  of  the  latter  was,  indeed,  brilliant ;  few 
better  horses  ever  looked  through  a  bridle.  He  was 
by  Molyneux,  his  dam  Calamity,  by  Vampire.  Moly- 
neuxwas  own  brother  to  Bloomsbury,  St.  Giles,  Vacuna 
and  Scroggins.  He  was  not  a  prolific  sire,  but  got  a 
few  first-class  horses.  St.  Giles  won  the  Epsom  Derby 
in  1852,  and  Bloomsbury  the  same  race  in  1859. 
Duc-an-Dhurras  was  a  brown  horse,  15-3  high,  a 
model,  perfect  in  symmetry,  up  to  big  weight,  and  won 
no  less  than  21  races.  In  1850,  at  the  Curragh  April 
Meeting,  carrying  1  ist.  ylh.,  he  won  a  stake  of  10  sovs., 
h.  ft.,  20  sovs.  added;  at  the  same  meeting  he  won, 
at  two  heats,  the  Corinthian  Stakes  of  10  sovs.  each, 
h.  ft.,  25  sovs.  added,  carrying  i2st.  gib. ;  in  the  June 
Meeting  he  won,  at  four  heats  (one  being  a  dead  one), 
carrying  list.  6lb.,  the  Scurry  Corinthian  Stakes  of  5 
sovs.  each,  25  sovs.  added;  he  won  the  Metropolitan 
Stakes  at  the  Phoenix  Park  of  10  sovs.  each,  h.  ft.,.  100 
sovs.  added,  carrying  yst.  i  ilb. ;  at  the  Curragh  Sep- 
tember Meeting,  same  year,  he  won  the  Wellington 
Stakes  of  30  sovs.  each,  h.  ft.^   carrying  yst.   ylb. ;  the 


290  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORibAlJi,i.S. 

next  day,  carrying  gst.  ^Ib.,  he  won  the  Second-class 
of  the  Railway  Stakes  of  15  sovs.  each,  5  sovs.  ft.,  with 
100  sovs.  added.  Lord  Waterford  was  near  winning 
the  Liverpool  Grand  National  that  year,  with  Sir  John, 
who  started  second  favourite — 7  to  1  was  the  price — 
list.  81b.,  and  "Johnny"  Ryan  was  on  his  back. 
Two-and-thirty  candidates  contended  for  Grand  Na- 
tional honours  and  950  sovs.  At  5  to  i  Peter  Simple 
was  favourite,  although  he  carried  top-weight  (i2St. 
2lb.)  His  old  jockey,  Cunningham,  rode  him,  and  he 
won  so  cleverly  the  previous  year,  when  he  defeated  a 
field  of  three-and-twenty,  that  his  party  were  ex- 
tremely sanguine.  Poor  Wynne  rode  the  Knight  of 
Gwynne  ;  his  countryman,  Mr.  Abbot,  was  on  the  Irish 
horse  Farnham,  "Johnnie"  Hanlon  steered  The  Iron 
Duke,  and  a  *'  gallant"  grey,  The  Oaks,  did  battle 
for  her  owner;  Mr.  J.  G.  Murphy,  of  the  Grange, 
Summerhill,  Canavan  rode  her;  and  the  glory  of 
'*  ould "  Ireland,  Abd-el-Kader  by  Ishmael,  out  of 
English  Lass  (gst.  i2lb.),  was  ridden  by  Green,  and 
was  not  backed  for  a  shilling  in  the  ring  before  the 
race,  but  on  entering  the  course  the  second  time  a 
few  who  had  the  misfortune  to  mistake  him  for  Little 
Fanny,  laid  loo's  to  3,  4,  and  5  against  him.  One  of 
the  "  Irish  brigade,"  as  is  almost  invariably  the  case 
in  this  race,  caused  a  scrimmage  at  the  very  first 
fence,  as  The  Oaks  cannoned  against  Peter  Simple, 
and,  interfering  with  him,  placed  herself  /lors  de  combat. 
Abd-el-Kader  made  the  pace  a  "cracker"  along  by  the 
canal,  and  held  a  long  lead  entering  the  straight. 
Before  the  final  flight  of  hurdles  was  reached,  however, 
Sir  John  had  almost  overhauled  him ;  the  leader  hit 
the  last  obstacle  very  hard,  still  Green   kept  him  on 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  29 1 

his  legs,  but  the  hurdle,  pivoting  on  its  central  fas- 
tenings, caught  Sir  John  as  he  leaped  it,  and  nearly 
knocked  him  over,  while  The  Knight  of  Gwynne,  who 
was  next,  landed  safe.  Opposite  the  stand  Wynne 
came  with  a  well-timed  rush,  but  could  not  catch  Mr. 
Osborne's  game  Ishmaelite,  who  won  a  well-contested 
race  by  three  parts  of  a  length  for  a  good  sportsman, 
who  received  a  regular  ovation  when  his  little  horse 
returned  to  the  scales  ;  Sir  John  was  a  good  third. 
The  first  round  up  to  the  water-jump  was  accom- 
plished in  4  mins.  28  sees.,  and  the  whole  distance  in 
9  mins.  575  sees. 

The  Marquis's  horses  performed  very  successfully 
indeed  in  1851.  The  Marquis  of  Carabas  won  three 
races  value  82  sovs.,  Captain  three,  value  ^231  ;  Duc- 
an-Dhurras  won  160  sovs.  ;  Kick-up- the-Dust,  a  very 
good  filly,  then  a  three-year-old,  won  ^515,  and  five 
races ;  Lancaster,  Hero,  and  others,  all  brought 
"grist  to  the  mill."  In  England,  too,  the  Marquis 
fared  well  in  the  racing  world,  as  at  Chester  Kick-up- 
the-Dust  won  the  Grosvenor  Stakes  and  Queen's  Plate, 
and  Roller  the  Citizens'  Guineas.  But  the  followers 
of  the  stable  "  dashed  it  down"  on  Duc-an-Dhurras  for 
the  Chester  Cup,  and  he  ran  very  badly.  The  horse 
ran  well  for  the  Goodwood  Stakes  subsequently,  and 
Lord  George  did  well  at  Brighton,  where  he  won  two 
stakes  cleverly  at  the  same  meeting.  The  equivocal 
performance,  however,  of  Duc-an-Dhurras  there  caused 
great  surprise.  Robinson,  who  had  won  many  races 
for  his  Lordship,  rode  the  horse  in  both  races,  and,  I 
may  observe,  that  at  Brighton  he  lost  one  of  his  stirrup- 
leathers.  After  the  race  Lord  Waterford  dismissed 
Robinson,    and   his    trainer,   I'Anson,   deeming    the 


292  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

decision  a  hard  one,  retired  from  his  service,  and  was 
replaced  by  Richard  Price. 

That  same  year  Sir  John  ran  for  the  *'  Grand  Na- 
tional," carrying-  top  weight  (list.  i2lb.)  Twenty-one 
started.  Rat-trap,  who  was  ridden  by  Jem  Mason,  was 
favourite  at  6  to  1,  and  at  a  point  more  Lord  Water- 
ford's  horse  and  Abd-el-Kader  were  backed.  The 
winner  of  the  previous  year  carried  61b.  more  than  he 
did  on  the  former  occasion,  and  was  ridden  by  Mr. 
Tom  Abbott,  the  justly  celebrated  Irish  amateur. 
Ryan  was  again  on  Sir  John.  The  winner  of  the 
Kilrue  Cup  that  year,  Carrig,  also  ran,  and  Debeau 
rode  him.  At  the  third  fence  the  favourite  refused. 
During  the  early  part  of  the  contest  Tom  OUiver,  on 
Tipperary  Boy,  made  the  pace  good  ;  Sir  John,  Peter 
Simple,  and  Maria  Day,  lying  close  up,  headed  the 
others.  At  the  turn  coming  into  the  straight,  Tip- 
perary Boy,  having  shot  his  bolt,  beat  a  hasty  retreat, 
as  did  Half-and-Half,  who  was  going  well  up  to  this. 
Maria  Day  held  a  clear  lead  at  the  last  obstacle,  but 
hitting  the  hurdle  very  hard,  she  fell  on  to  her  head, 
and,  although  recovered  in  masterly  style  by  Frisby, 
Abd-el-Kader  caught  her  before  she  was  in  her  stride, 
and  Sir  John  was  at  her  quarters.  Long  before  the 
stand  was  reached  the  whips  were  singing  off  the  trio, 
and  none  who  saw  that  grand  and  prolonged  struggle 
can  ever  forget  it.  Shouts  of  "  Abd-el-Kader  wins  ! 
the  Marquis  has  it ;"  and  cheers  for  Maria  Day  made 
the  "welkin"  ring  as,  locked  together,  they  struggled 
up  the  run  home.  The  light-blue  jacket  was  the  first 
colour  lowered,  as,  before  they  came  to  the  stand,  Sir 
John  was  "done,"  and  ultimately,  after  as  fine  an 
exhibition  of  horsemanship  as  was  ever  displayed  at 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  293 

AIntree,  Mr.  Abbott  got  the  gallant  Arab  Chief  home 
In  front,  landing  as  game  a  horse  as  ever  was  girthed 
a  winner  by  a  head  of  a  second  "Liverpool."     Mr. 
Osborne  was   most  anxious  that   Mr.  Abbott  should 
ride  the  horse,  and  in  order  to  get  to  the  weight  he 
had  to  waste  a  great  deal,   but  he  was   by  no  means 
fond  of  adopting  the  "  banting  system."      Early  in 
the  morning  of  the  day  the  race  was  run  Mr.  Abbott 
was  no  less  than  61b.  over  weight.    An  intimate  friend 
of  his,  an  Irish  gentleman,  who  is  still  "to  the  fore," 
begged  of  him  to  go  to  Mr.  Osborne  and  tell  him  that 
he  could  not  ride  lost.  4lb. ;  he  naturally  believed  that 
it  was  quite  impossible  for  a  man  to  reduce  so  much 
in  so  short  a  time,  but  he  would  not ;  he  was  deter- 
mined to  ride,  so  he  put  on  all  the   "sweaters"  he 
could  carry,  and  walked  for  hours,  keeping  them  on 
until  he  was  obliged   to  don  the   silk.      He   was,  of 
course,  very  weak,  and,  as  is  often  the  case,  the  long 
and  severe  exertion  during  the  race  reduced  him  con- 
siderably.    When  he  got  into  the  scales,  to  his  great 
astonishment  it  was   found  that    he  was    light — ^just 
merely   so.     He  was  in   it  for  some  seconds,  and  it 
seemed  he  would  scarcely  '*  draw  it."     It  may  be  truly 
said  that  thousands  were  in  the  balance.    An  Irishman 
— I  will  not  give  his  name,  as  he  is  still  living  at  the 
Curragh — seeing  the  state  of  affairs,  unperceived  by 
the  clerk  of  the  scales,  just  put  his  toe  on  the  weighing 
machine,  turning  it  in  favour  of  Mr.  Abbott.     In  the 
meantime,  Frisby,  who,  as  I  have  already  stated,  rode 
Maria  Day,  hearing  a  rumour  that  his  conqueror  was 
light,  came  rushing  up,  and  met  him  just  as  he  had 
got  out  of  the  scales.     He  immediately  requested  him 
to  get  in  again.     Mr.  Abbott,  not  knowing  what  his 


294  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

countryman  had  done,  was  naturally  disposed  to 
comply  with  the  request,  and  was  about  to  do  so  when 
his  "  friend  indeed"  again  came  to  the  rescue,  and 
said  to  him :  *'  Come  on  out  of  that,  Mr.  Tom,  do  you 
want  to  insult  the  weigh-master  by  making  him  weigh 
you  twice  ?  "  The  trick  was  successful,  and  the  Irish- 
men went  their  way  rejoicing.  The  same  month,  at 
the  Warwick  and  Leamington  Meeting,  Lord  George, 
in  the  hands  of  Captain  Dyson,  won  the  Hunt  Cup, 
beating  a  large  field. 

At  the  end  of  the  year,  Lord  Waterford  purchased 
Redmond  O'Hanlon  from  Mr.  Dunne  of  Ballymanus 
for^i,ooo,  and  The  Marquis  from  Mr.  Watts  for  a 
very  big  price ;  and  in  the  year  following  he  had  as 
good  a  stud  of  racers  and  steeplechasers  as  any  man 
in  Europe.  Lord  George,  Duc-an-Dhurras,  The 
Marquis,  Redmond  O'Hanlon,  Roller,  Cock-crow, 
Augustine,  Lancaster,  Sharavogue,  Ranger,  Eleanor, 
Celt,  Kick-up-the-Dust,  Hero,  Warner,  all  won  races 
for  him — 2>3  ii^  Ireland,  their  value  amounting  to 
^2,680  los.,  and  three  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Channel,  where  Lancaster  won  the  Chesterfield  Stakes 
Sharavogue  the  Citizens'  Guineas,  and  The  Marquis 
the  Dee  Stand  Cup — all  at  Chester.  That  year,  at 
Epsom,  the  Marquis  bought  Barbarian  for  ^1,000  im- 
mediately after  his  running  second  for  the  Derby, 
hoping  to  win  the  Royal  Hunt  Cup  at  Ascot  with  him, 
but  the  horse  unfortunately  broke  down  during  that 
race. 

In  1853  the  stable  was  successful,  eighteen  races, 
amounting  to  ;^  1,664  ic*s.,  being  the  result  of  the  per- 
formance. The  next  year  there  came  a  great  change 
for  the  worse — Lobster,  Marquis,  Lambay,  Warner,  a 


THE    MARQUIS    OF  WATERFORD.  295 

two-year-old,  by  Tearaway,  out  of  Gramachree,  and 
April  Fool  were  the  only  winners ;  eight  races  fell  to 
them,  but  the  sum  total  amounted  only  to  ^371.  With 
a  change  of  the  year  fortune  became  more  favourable, 
and  ^1,288  of  Irish  money  fell  to  his  Lordship,  Warner, 
April  Fool,  and  Augustine  being  the  principal  contri- 
butors. 

In  1856,  the  Marquis's  stable  was  in  singularly  bad 
"form,"  although  Cheerful  Horn  (brother  to  Horn  of 
Chase)  won  eight  races,  but  they  were  worth  only^340. 
None  of  his  stable  companions  won  any  important 
race.  In  1857,  no  better  came;  quite  the  contrary, 
although  Meigh-Dair  was  added  to  the  stable.  But  in 
the  following  racing  season  there  was  a  great  change 
for  the  better,  Lord  Waterford's  horses  winning 
nearly  all  the  principal  races  in  Ireland.  I  should 
have  remarked  that  Weatherall,  who  had  been  private 
trainer  for  some  years  to  Mr.  Worthington,  succeeded 
Price  in  the  management  of  the  stud  at  the  beginning 
of  1859,  and  several  "clinkers"  joined  the  team — 
Vixen,  Daisy  King,  Geology,  and  others,  all  of  them 
performed  brilliantly,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  his 
Lordship's  name  headed  the  list  of  winning  owners  in 
Ireland  with;^2,344  to  his  credit.  The  last  horse  that 
ever  carried  Lord  Waterford's  "cap  and  jacket"  was 
Ace  of  Hearts,  when  he  was  beaten  for  the  Liverpool 
Grand  National,  a  few  weeks  before  his  Lordship's  death. 
When  Mr.  Hodgson  gave  up  the  mastership  of  the 
Quorn  Hunt,  the  Marquis  purchased  several  of  his 
hunters  and  twenty  couple  of  hounds  at  his  sale.  He 
brought  them  with  him  to  Ireland,  and  he  may  be 
called  the  founder  of  the  "  Curraghmore,"  of  which 


296  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

pack  he  was  master  for  nineteen  years  and  six  months, 
his  reign  only  terminating  at  his  death.  On  the  day 
he  died,  the  hounds  met  at  Castlemorris,  county  Kil- 
kenny, about  four  miles  from  Carrick-onSuir.  It  was 
late  in  the  afternoon  when  a  fox  was  found  in  Corbally 
covert.  Lord  Waterford  w^as  riding  a  hunter,  which 
he  purchased  a  year  before  from  the  then  master  of 
the  IMeath  Hounds.  When  the  hounds  came  to  the 
road,  near  Mountain  Grove,  John  Ryan,  the  whip,  and 
the  Marquis  were  in  front  of  the  small  field  of  pursuers. 
They  came  to  a  wall,  about  2|ft.  high;  Ryan  got  over 
safe,  but  his  master's  horse  landed  with  his  fore- feet 
on  some  stones,  and  fell  on  to  his  head  and  knees. 
His  rider  clung  on  to  his  neck  for  a  few  moments,  and 
then  fell  off.  The  fall  was  apparently  harmless,  and 
Ryan  was  amazed  when  he  saw  that  his  Lordship  never 
moved.  In  a  minute  he  was  at  his  side,  and,  assisted 
by  a  groom  named  Thompson,  lifted  up  the  dying 
man.  Dr.  O'Ryan  soon  joined  them,  but  the  poor 
Marquis  was  no  more.  Death  was  almost  instan- 
taneous ;  his  neck  was  broken,  he  never  spoke  — 
just  sighed,  and  expired. 

Great,  indeed,  was  the  grief  throughout  Ireland 
when  the  news  became  widely  known.  Thousands 
mourned  his  loss.  People  of  all  classes  loved  the  gay, 
high  spirited,  generous  nobleman.  He  was  a  model 
landlord,  kind  to  a  fault,  sincere,  genial,  and  jovial. 
He  was  a  nobleman  in  more  than  one  sense  of  the 
word.  His  funeral  was  one  of  the  largest  ever  seen 
in  Ireland.  Vast  numbers  joined  the  mournful  pro- 
cession to  pay  a  tribute  of  respect  to  him  who  was  an 
example  worthy  the  imitation  of  his  class.     The  poor 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  297 

of  his  native  county  lost  in  him  a  true  benefactor.     It 
may  be  truly  said  : 

"  The  sower  stayed  his  hands  to  hear  ; 
The  honest  '  grey-coat'  sighed, 
The  world  appeared  so  sad  and  drear 
That  Tuesday  when  he  died." 

The  Irish  turf  has  never  since  been  patronised  by  so 
staunch  a  supporter  ;  no  less  than  152  nominations  in 
Ireland  and  9  in  England,  including  five  for  the  Derby 
and  four  for  the   Oaks,   were  rendered  void    by  his 
death.     He  had  first-class  stock  of  every  description, 
and   excellent  cattle   and  sheep.      At  a   sale   of  his 
hunters,   held  at  Curraghmore  in   October,  1858,  the 
lots  sold  realised  ^3,100,  and  those  bought  in  were 
knocked  down  for  ^8, 200.    At  the  sale  of  his  thorough- 
breds, which  took  place  a  few  months  after  his  death, 
gerat  prices  were  given  for  some.   On  the  whole,  it  was 
a  very  dear  auction,  buyers  from  all  parts  of  Ireland,  as 
w^ell  as  many  from  England  and  the  Continent  attend- 
ing"-     33  brood  mares,  14  foals,  3  stallions,  14  horses 
in  training,  18  two-year-olds,  23  yearlings,  t,^  hunters, 
and  3  carriage  horses  came  to  the  hammer.      The   t,t, 
mares  and  14  foals  averaged  ^90  7s.     Several  famous 
stud    matrons    and    good    public    performers    were 
amongst  them.     The  Deformed,  covered  by  Gemma- 
di-Vergy,  fell  to  the  bid  of  Mr.  George  Bryan,  ^^260 
being  the  price.      Princess,    covered    by    Gemma-di- 
Vergy,  fell  to  Mr.  Hamilton's  bid  of  50  sovs.     This 
mare  was   the  dam  of  Colleen  Rhue  and  other  good 
racers.      Colleen  Rhue   bred   Prince,   Norma,    Kyrle 
Daly,  Maid  of  Athens — all  good-'uns.    Lord  Drogheda 
purchased  Queen   Margaret  for  ^100.     Sarah  Ellis, 


298  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

with  filly  foal  at  foot,  Mr.  Longfield  paid  a  "  century" 
for.  The  well-known  brood  mare,  Juanita  Perez, 
covered  by  Gemma-di-Vergy,  was  sold  to  Mr. 
Weatherby  for  ^350.  Peri  was  the  highest-priced 
mare  sold,  she,  with  filly  by  Hobbie  Noble,  being 
bought  by  Mr.  George  Bryan  of  Jenkinstown  for 
^380  She  was  stinted  by  Gemma-di-Vergy.  Mr. 
Longfield  purchased  Magnet  for  ^85.  The  sires 
were  Gemma-di-Vergy,  The  Marquis,  and  Royal 
George,  who  was  bought  in  for  ^509.  Mr.  Langan 
of  Bellewstown  gave  £220  for  The  Marquis.  Mr. 
Hamilton,  a  Queen's  County  gentleman,  purchased 
Gemma-di-Vergy  for^  1,050.  This  horse  was  bought 
by  Lord  Waterford  a  month  or  two  before  his  death 
for  8co  gs.  The  fourteen  race-horses  realised 
^2,133  : — Daisy  King,  4  yrs.,  Mr.  Powell,  ^280; 
Bumble  Bee,  3  yrs.,  Captain  Beresford,  ^550; 
Hibernia,  3  yrs.  (the  dam  of  Ould  Ireland,  Pride  of 
Kildare,  &;c.)  Mr.  E.  J.  Irwin,  ^70;  Ace  of  Hearts, 
5  yrs.,  Mr.  Powell,  ^3 1 5. 

The  young  horses  sold  well,  as  also  the  hunters. 
May-Boy  was  bought  by  Mr.  Sewell  for  91  gs.,  and 
the  Marquis  of  Drogheda  gave  ^220  for  Oberon,  he 
won  some  steeplechases  for  him  soon  afterwards. 
The  twenty-nine  horses  brought  ^3,358.  The  largest 
purchaser  at  the  sale  was  Mr.  Hamilton,  who  expended 
some  thousands.  It  was  proved  subsequently  that  the 
unfortunate  gentleman  was  insane,  and,  of  course,  he 
was  not  obliged  to  take  the  horses.  They  were  re- 
sold at  Sewell's,  and  brought  about  the  same  money 
as  he  bought  them  for,  Mr.  John  Cassidy,  of  James' s- 
street,  Dublin,  purchasing  Gemma-di-Vergy  for  Sir 
Lydston  Newman.       Mr.  Lyons  of  Moyanna,  Queen's 


THE    MARQUIS    OF    WATERFORD.  299 

County,  purchased  Princess,  and  many  a  time  since 
has  the  "  yellow  jacket,"  his  well-known  colours,  been 
successfully  carried  by  her  descendants. 

The  Marquis  of  Waterford,  I  should  add,  married, 
in  1842,  the  second  daughter  of  the  late  Lord  Stuart 
de  Rothesay.  The  ceremony  took  place  in  the  Chapel 
Royal.  To  say  that  she  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
women  of  her  day  is  to  say  the  least  in  her  praise. 
She  was,  and  is,  kind,  thoughtful,  charitable,  and 
esteemed  by  all. 

After  his  marriage,  the  Marquis  was  no  longer  wild. 
He  never  at  any  time  made  inroads  on  his  fortune,  and 
although  he  spent  a  great  deal  of  money,  he  never 
forgot  that  property  has  its  duties  as  well  as  its  rights. 


300  IRISH    SPORT  AND    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  CORINTHIAN  CUP  PICTURE,  PUNCHESTOWN,    I  8  54. 

Perhaps  the  most  successful  of  the  many  splendid 
productions  of  the  pencil  of  that  talented  artist,  Michael 
Angelo  Hayes,  is  the  print  which  hangs  within  the 
homes  of  nearly  all  distinguished  Irish  sportsmen, 
*'The  Corinthian  Cup,  Punchestown,  1854."  I  shall 
now  record  some  of  the  feats  in  the  saddle,  and 
give  a  brief  memoir  of  the  subjects  of  Mr.  Hayes's 
portraiture.  Many  of  them  have  "  gone  over  to  the 
majority,"  but  the  fame  of  these  *'  light  of  other  days  " 
will  survive  some  generations  of  sportsmen. 

On  the  left  hand  side  of  the  picture  is  an  admirable 
likeness  of  the  late  Lord  Clonmel. 

JoJni  Henry  Scott,  /\th  Earl  of  Clon?neIl,  was  born 
4th  January,  1817,  and  married,  1838,  Hon.  Anne 
de  Burgh,  eldest  daughter  of  the  second  Lord  Downes, 
and  they  were  said  to  be  the  handsomest  couple  in  the 
Irish  peerage. 

His  Lordship,  as  the  reader  will  see  on  reference 
to  the  first  chapter,  was  Master  of  the  Kildare  Hounds 
for  some  years,  and  was  one  of  the  most  popular  of 
the  many  favourites  who  have  held  that  post.  He  was 
known  as  a  kind-hearted  landlord,  remarkable  for  his 
genuine  wit  and  cheery  humour,  and  was   extremely 


THE  CORINTHIAN  CUr  PICTURE.  3OI 

fond  of  horses  and  hounds,  and  always  kept  a  stud  of 
such  horses  that  I  do  not  exaggerate  when  I  say  that  in 
the  saddle  his  Lordship  generally  "clasped  perfection." 
The  carriage  department  in  Bishop's  Court  was  most 
carefully  looked  after,  and  the  harness-horses  were 
models  of  their  kind,  so  that  his  "  drives"  were  the 
"  pink  of  perfection."  Early  in  life  his  Lordship  was 
an  excellent  "whip,"  but  of  late  years  he  handled  only 
single  "  ribbons."  About  the  time  the  picture  was 
taken,  he  had  given  up  driving  his  own  team,  but  was 
to  be  seen  at  each  annual  gathering  at  glorious 
Punchestown,  in  the  box  seat;  his  usual  overcoat  of 
splendid  proportions,  made  of  a  white  material,  with  red 
and  black  cross-bars  (horse-cloth  pattern),  being  the 
centre  of  a  tumultuous  cheering  crowd,  from  the- 
"gap"  to  the  "yard."  His  love  of  sport,  and  the 
"  Stunner  Tartan  "  were,  however,  the  only  points  of 
resemblance  between  Lords  Clonmel  and  "  Scamper- 
dale."  Old  liahihtcs  of  Punchestown  will  remember 
Lord  Clonmel,  as,  v/ith  long  thong  whip  In  hand, 
dressed  in  the  scarlet  uniform  of  the  Kildare  LIunt 
Club,  and  mounted  on  his  favourite  white  horse,  he 
cantered  up  and  down  the  rails,  cheerily  rating  the 
rustics,  with  whom,  as  with  those  of  his  own  rank, 
he  was  an  especial  favourite.  One  day,  when  "  clear- 
ing" the  course,  a  young  gentleman,  now  a  popular 
medical  man  in  the  county,  did  not  get  out  of  his 
Lordship's  way  quickly  enough.  His  horse,  a  fractious 
four-year-old,  objected  to  pass  the  crowd  at  either  the 

stand   or    the    run-in   end.     "  Begad,  M ,  I  must 

make  him  move,"  said  his  Lordship.  Crack  goes  his 
double  thong,  whirr  goes  the  four-year-old.  Round 
he  comes  with  a  snort,  then  a  plunge,  and  straight 

20 


302  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

away  cannons  against  the  white  hunter  under  double 
thong.  '•  Hullo  !  you  young  ruffian,  I'll  make  you 
leave  this."  And  away  goes  the  four-year-old  and  his 
young  master,  pursued  by  the  white  horse  and  his 
noble  one.  John  Gilpin's  ride  was  not  funnier.  The 
crowd  halloed,  the  stand  encouraged.  "  Go  it,  you 
devil ;"  "  at  him,  Clonmel ;"  "  well  done,  young  ster  ;" 
"  now,  your  Lordship  ;"  "  hurroo  !"  and  so  on,  till  the 
"  young  un "  cleared  the  drop  fence  past  the  stand, 
leaving  his  rider's  hat,  now  encircled  by  the  dread 
'' double  thong,"  as  spo/ia  opijiia  in  the  hands  of  the 
Lord  of  Bishop's  Court.  Lord  Clonmel,  from  the  time 
of  his  retirement  from  the  army,  which  took  place  after 
a  few  years'  service,  generally  resided  in  Ireland. 

The  present  Earl  was  born  on  2nd  of  March,  1838, 
and  succeeded  to  the  title  and  estates  on  the  death  of 
his  father,  which  occurred  in  February,  1866.  He  is 
unmarried.  When  Lord  Earlsfort,  he  served  for  some 
years  in  the  Life  Guards.  He  very  much  resembles 
his  father  in  person  and  character,  and  is  a  good  land- 
lord, large  employer,  liberal  paymaster,  and  subscriber 
to  the  Kildare  and  Tipperary  Foxhounds.  He  is  very 
fond  of  hunting;  and  his  stables  are  tenanted  by 
hunters  as  good  and  good-looking  as  money  and  sound 
judgment  can  procure.  Like  his  father,  too,  he  has  a 
decided /^W^<^;?/  for  "suited"  harness-horses.  His 
Lordship  never  had  racers,  buthe  is  fond  of  the  pastime. 
He  attends  the  principal  English  and  Irish  flat  and 
steeplechase  meetings,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Irish 
National  Hunt  Steeplechase  Committee.  He  deserves 
the  gratitude  of  the  Kildare  tenant  farmers,  for  his  libe- 
rality in  adding  25  sovs.  annually  to  the  Farmers'  Race 
at  Punchestown.    I  should  add  that  he  is  an  Irish  repre- 


THE  CORINTHIAN  CUP  PICTURE.  303 

sentatlve  peer.  However,  he  is  more  frequently  to  be 
seen  where  sportsmen  most  do  congregate  than  in  the 
"  House  ;"  and  if  he  is  a  conservative  in  politics,  he  is 
a  decided  liberal  in  hospitality. 

Next  to  that  of  Lord  Clonmel  is  the  portrait  of  the 
late  Lord  Cloncurry,  who  was  his  intimate  friend  and 
neighbour.  He  was  3rd  Baron,  and  married  the  only 
daughter  of  the  late  John  Kirwan,  D.L.,  of  Castle 
Hackett,  County  Gal  way.  His  Lordship,  who  was  a  first- 
rate  rider  to  hounds,  died  in  1869,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  Valentine  Lawless,  the  present  head  of  the 
house,  who  is  not  such  a  welter  weight  as  his 
father  was,  but  an  ardent  fox-hunter  and  a  remark- 
ably good  horseman.  He  rode  his  own  mare  for 
the  Kildare  Welter  Sportman's  race,  in  1877,  i^  ^ 
manner  which  gained  for  him  the  highest  praise  ; 
and  he  certainly  won  by  superior  horsemanship.  But 
it  is  as  lover  of  th^  "gentle  craft"  and  good  shot 
that  his  Lordship  ranks  highest  as  a  sportsman.  He 
is  one  of  the  best  rifle  shots  and  most  expert  anglers 
in  the  kingdom.  His  brother,  IMajor  the  Hon.  Edward 
Lawless,  served  in  the  Rifle  Brigade,  and  an  officer  of 
the  Kildare  Rifles.  He  is  an  ardent  devotee  of  hunt- 
ing, and  is  one  of  the  very  best  men  to  hounds  in  his 
native  county.  He  Is  a  lover  of  cricket,  too,  but  he 
shines  to  more  advantage  on  the  moor  or  the  mountain, 
as  few  better  game  shots  ever  pulled  a  trigger. 

On  looking  at  the  work  of  art  under  notice,  his 
many  friends  must  have  at  once  recognised  Sir  Philip 
Crampton,  on  "Poteen."  Assuredly  the  popular 
Baronet  was  pre-eminently  entitled  to  the  distinction 
of  a  prominent  place  In  such  a  "  gallery"  of  sportsmen. 
Hs  was,  indeed,  a  sportsman  keen,  the  wittiest  of  wits ; 


304  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

and  bon  vivant  nodes  ambrosiance  were  they,  at  which 
were  found  such  men  as  his  pupil,  Charley  Lever, 
Mr.  Le  Fanu,  "Beauty  Addison,"  Lord  Allen,  and 
his  genial  self. 

The  name  of  Captain  Charles  Warburton,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  "crops  up"  frequently  in  this 
volume.  He  was  one  of  those  who  ably  seconded  the 
efforts  of  Lords  Drogheda  and  St.  Lawrence  to  make 
"  Princely  Punchestown  "  what  it  is  ;  and  he  is  still  an 
acting  and  industrious  member  of  the  executive.  He 
was  one  of  the  best  steeplechase  riders  of  his  time.  In 
saying  this  I  am  paying  him  a  high  compliment,  for 
besides  the  many  grand  horsemen  included  in  this 
famous  picture,  such  men  as  Mr.  A.  Knox,  Mr.  Quinn, 
Mr.  Charley  Lockwood,  Captain  Townly,  Dixon  and 
Severne,  Mr.  St.  John  Brereton,  Major  Bell,  Mr.  Tom 
Kennedy,  Mr.  J.  Kelly,  Mr.  Tom  Abbott,  Captains 
Prettyman  and  Bernard,  and  many  other  great 
amateurs  were  in  their  "hey-day"  of  renown.  I  should 
add  Lord  Poulett  too.  He  was  then  a  captain,  and, 
while  stationed  in  Ireland,  won  many  races ;  on  his  own 
horse,  Smuggler  Bill,  he  frequently  gained  "  brackets." 
His  horses  were  trained  by  Will  Conlon  of  the  Cur- 
ragh,  who  accompanied  his  Lordship  to  the  north- 
western province  of  India,  where  he  was  stationed  for 
eleven  months,  during  which  time  he  accomplished  the 
wonderful  feat  of  winning  forty-three  races  out  of 
fifty-seven  mounts. 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  many  celebri- 
ties In  this  engraving  is  Sir  George  Wombwell,  Bart., 
who,  in  1854,  rode  Slinge  for  the  '*  Cup."  He  was  then 
on  the  Staff.  In  the  Crimea  he  gained  the  repu- 
tation of  being  one  of  the  bravest   officers   on  Lord 


THE  CORINTHIAN  CUP  PICTURE, 


305 


Cardigan's  staff.  At  the  battle  of  Balaclava  he  gained 
enviable  notoriety.  During  that  memorable  battle  he 
had  two  horses  killed  under  him  within  a  quarter  of  an 
hour.  We  have  often  heard  it  said  that  nothing  befits 
a  man  more  for  fatigues  of  war  than  the  training  and 
endurance  gained  by  the  participation  in  the  pleasures 
of  the  field.  There  was  no  more  ardent  advocate  of 
"  The  Sport  of  Kings  "  than  this  worthy  Baronet ;  and 
his  activity  and  horsemanship  was,  Indeed,  an  acquisi- 
tion to  him  In  the  campaign  ;  and  but  for  his  prowess 
In  this  respect,  he  would  have  been  killed  In  the  Bala- 
clava engagement.  He  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Cossacks  ;  but  ere  long,  a  loose  horse  came  galloping 
up  to  where  he  was  standing,  and  he  vaulted  into  the 
saddle,  and  made  his  escape. 

My  readers  may  remember  that  Sir  George  was 
In  the  ferry-boat  which  upset  crossing  the  River 
Ure,  when  six  good  sportsmen  lost  their  lives. 
More  than  one  of  them  was  a  good  swimmer;  but 
Sir  George  could  not  swim  at  all,  yet  he  escaped. 
He  appears  to  have  a  charmed  life.  Sir  George 
Wombwell  is  one  of  -the  strongest  supporters  of 
hunting  In  England  at  present,  but  cannot  be  styled 
a  racing  man. 

On  the  right  side  of  the  picture  Is  the  late  Mr.  Sam 
Reynell,  who  died  recently.  There  were  few  men 
more  highly  esteemed  than  this  Nestor  of  the  chase 
and  noted  Nimrod.  I  have  already  written  of  him  In 
my  notice  of  the  Meath  Hounds.  That  history  was 
penned  before  his  death.  He  very  kindly  supplied  me 
with  much  of  the  Information  it  contains.  He  went  to 
some  trouble  In  order  to  do  so  ;  as  he  said  to  me  at 
the  time  :   "  I  am  ever  anxious  to  lend  a  helping  hand 


306  IRISH    SPORT  AND    SPORTSMEN. 

to  a  sportsman."  He  died  very  suddenly  ;  and  very 
soon  after  I  last  heard  from  him  he  was  on  his  death- 
bed. Take  him  for  all  and  all,  his  like  we  seldom  see. 
He  was  fond  of  steeplechasing,  and  had  a  few  horses, 
but  never  was  very  fortunate  on  the  turf. 

Any  interest  which  I  may  have  stirred  up  in  my 
references  to  those  who  were  the  subjects  of  Mr. 
Hayes'  portraiture  would  be  very  greatly  supplemented 
were  the  names  of  some  Irish  sportsmen  not  repre- 
sented there  dealt  with,  and  amongst  them  some  of 
Captain  Richard  Bernard's  relatives  would  be  entitled 
to  a  foremost  place.  I  use  the  centurion  title  because 
it  was  that  borne  by  the  present  Chamberlain,  Deputy 
Ranger,  and  Colonel  of  the  King's  County  Rifles,  af 
the  time  when  the  picture  was  painted.  It  was 
hereditary  in  the  Bernard  family  to  ride,  especially  in 
the  generation  of  which  Richard  Wellesly  Bernard 
made  one.  His  mother  was  a  Hutchinson,  of  the 
Donaughmore  family,  and  aunt  to  the  Hon.  W. 
Hutchinson.  His  father,  of  Castle  Bernard,  in 
the  King's  County,  and  his  father  before  him, 
were  as  noted  in  the  saddle  as  for  their  banking 
enterprise.  It  is  not  wonderful,  therefore,  that  Colonel 
Richard  Bernard,  like  his  brothers  Scrope  and 
Thomas,  attained  a  reputation  as  a  dashing  horse- 
man. 

As  a  resident  landlord,  discharging  all  the  duties 
attaching  to  a  country  gentleman's  position,  Colonel 
Thomas  Bernard  has  acquired  a  praise  more  valuable 
than  that  which  many  years  ago,  before  he  lost  his 
hand  by  a  gun  accident  when  grouse-shooting,  had 
been  accorded  him  for  his  exploits  as  a  game  shot,  in 
the  saddle  and  on  the  coach-box.     His  other  brother 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP   PICTURE.  307 

did    not    live    long    enough    to    gain    the    place    in 
the    annals    of    Irish    sport    which    his    accomplish- 
ments   would    have    entitled    him    to.       It    is    not, 
however,   my  office    now  to   speak  of  them  or  their 
conquests.     In  my  chronicle  of  sjDort  I  should  rather 
fill  up  some  pages  in  recounting  the  deeds  of  the 
youngest  brother  of  the  three;    and  if  to  *'  witch  the 
world  with  feats  of  noble  horsemanship,"  be  worthy 
of  ambition  to  Colonel  R.  Bernard,  then  belongs  the 
crown   of  conquest.      Early   in    life  he    entered   the 
Austrian  service,  but  long  prior  to  the  Crimean  war, 
through  which  he  served  as  a  volunteer,  the  greater 
sporting  attributes  of  his  own  land  recalled  him  to 
Ireland.    During  the  years  which  have  intervened,  few 
names  have  been  so  constantly  and  so  creditably  as 
his  on  the  lips  of  hunting  and  racing  men  on  this  side 
of  the  Channel.     Elsewhere    I    have   alluded   to  his 
connection  with    the   "old  garrison"   and    Kilkenny 
Hounds,  and  it  is  now  only  possible  for  me  to  assure 
my  readers  that  he  was  a  horseman  of  undaunted 
pluck  and  judgment,  with  a  perfect  knowledge  of  pace, 
exquisite  hands  and  seat,  great  strength,  and  a  coolness 
in  difficulties  and  in  finishing,  which  gained  for  him 
the  credit  of  more  "head"  than  almost  any  of  his 
Corinthian  opponents.      Such  qualities  of  a  successful 
sportsman   were   backed   up   by   a   thousand    others 
which  only  belong  to  the  character  of  a  most  amiable 
and  kindly-hearted  man,  and  perfect  gentlemen,  have 
gained   for   Colonel    "Dick"    Bernard    an   army   of 
admirers  and  well-wishers,  amongst  whom  the  writer 
hopes  he  may  be  permitted  to  enrol  himself. 

The  chapters  on  the  Ward  Union  Hounds  and  the 
"  Kilkennies  "  were  printed,  and  this  brief  reference  I 


3o8  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

have  made  to  Colonel  Bernard  was  written  before 
his  death.  I  need  not  dwell  on  the  circumstances 
attending  his  very  sudden  demise ;  they  are  fresh 
in  the  memory  of  his  friends.  At  the  inquest,  a 
man  looking,  for  the  last  time,  on  the  face  of  Colonel 
Bernard,  said  :  "  Good-bye,  poor  Colonel  Bernard ; 
waistcoat  never  buttoned  over  a  braver  or  kinder 
heart  than  yours."  All  who  knew  him  would  say  the 
same. 

Lord  Waterford  has  been  so  often  written  of  in 
other  chapters,  that  a  mention  of  him  here  would  be 
mere  repetition.  But  his  name  brings  me  back  to  his 
contemporary  and  opponent  on  so  many  a  well-fought 
field,  the  late  "  Lord  Howth."  During  the  fifty-tw^o 
years  which  this  nobleman  was  head  of  the  house  of 
St.  Lawrence,  no  name  loomed  bigger  in  the  view  of 
his  countrymen  than  his.  His  hunting  career  has 
been  elsewhere  touched  on,  to  do  it  justice  were 
a  difficult  task ;  and  a  brief,  and,  perhaps,  imperfect 
reference  to  his  doings  on  the  turf,  is  all  that  is  open 
to  me  now. 

Lord  Howth,  Viscount  St.  Lawrence,  Vice- Admiral 
of  Leinster,  &c.,  born  1803,  succeeded  to  the  title  as 
3rd  Earl,  1822.  The  earldom  of  Howth  is  of  compara- 
tively modern  date — 1 767.  The  barony  is  very  ancient, 
as  his  Lordship's  ancestor.  Sir  Amory  Tristram, 
was  created  Baron  of  Ilov/th,  1 177.  The  first  time  the 
late  Lord  Howth's  name  ajDpeared  in  the  "  Irish  Calen- 
dar" was  in  1826,  when  he  was  only  twenty-three 
years  of  age.  After  such  a  lapse  of  time,  it  would  be 
more  than  useless  for  me  to  allude  fully  to  all  Lord 
Howth's  performances  in  the  saddle,  or  the  *'  doings" 
of  all  the  good  racers  and  chasers  that  carried  his 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP  PICTURE.  3O9 


a 


magpie"  jacket.     I  cannot  give  any  anecdotes  of 
his  Lordship's  escapades  during  his  school  days,  nor 
can  I  state  whether  he  particularly  distinguished  him- 
self during  his  university  career,  but  certain  it  is  that 
he  took  a  "  double  first  "  in  many  schools  through  life. 
Under  silk  and  scarlet  he  was  a  conquering  hero  in 
countless  glorious  cross  country   performances.     No 
better  man  ever  rode  to  hounds  ;  and  as  Corinthian  and 
steeplecliase  rider  he  was  accounted  about  the  best  of 
his  contemporaries.  When  a  very  young  man,  his  name 
became  a  household  word  in  racing  circles,  not  only 
at  home  but  beyond  the  "  silver  streak."    The  first 
horse  he  raced  was  in  1826.     This  was  Penguin,  by 
Waxy,  for  the  King's  Plate,  at  the  Curragh  April  meet- 
ing.    Five     started,    viz.,     Mr.     Savage's     Munster, 
Marquis  of  Sligo's   Straw,  Mr.   Hunter's  Hypocrite, 
Mr.  Caldwell's  My  Mary  Anne,"  and  Penguin.     It  was 
a  great  race,  and  was  won  after  four  four-mile  heats, 
by  Munster,  ridden  by  Will  Conlon    of  the  Curragh. 
In  the  June  meeting  following,   Penguin  won  a  heat 
for  the  King's  Plate,  but  broke  down  and  ended  his 
racing  career  in  the  second  go.  Two  years  afterwards, 
Lord  Howth  again  raced  a  horse,  Modesty,  which  ran 
unplaced  for  the  Corinthians  at    the  Curragh.     Mr. 
M'Donogh    rode   her;    Mr.   Tom    Ferguson  won    on 
Queensbury ;  Mr.  Mayne  was  second,  on  brother  to 
Altmont,  Mr.  William  Disney,  third,  on  Johnnie  Bush, 
and  Mr.  Walter  Purdon  was  distanced  on  Mr.  Bing- 
ham's  Puritan.     At    the    October    meeting,  at   head 
quarters  that  same  year,  Mr.  Bingham's  Governor  beat 
Lord  Howth's  Soap  in  a  m.atch  for  50  sovs.  each,  two 
miles.     The  first  time  I  find  his  Lordship's  name  given 
as  riding  a  race  (and  I  looked  carefully  over  the  old 


3IO  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

calendars)  is  when  he  is  mentioned  as  having  piloted 
an  unnamed  horse,  by  Sir  Roger,  the  property  of 
Colonel  Armstrong,  for  the  Corinthian  Stakes,  at  the 
Curragh  June  meeting,  1829.  He  was  not  placed  in 
a  large  field  ;  and  after  three  evenly  contested  heats, 
Colonel  Gilbert,  on  Lord  Portarlington's  Cour  de  Lion, 
beat  Mr.  Disney  on  Talma.  At  the  Curragh  April 
meeting,  1830,  Lord  Howth  won  his  first  race,  and 
rode  himself.  It  was  on  Oueensberry.  He  carried 
12 St.  131b.  for  the  Corinthians  ;  five  ran.  Queensberry 
was  the  first,  and  Lord  Portarlington's  Dandy,  ridden 
by  that  celebrated  horseman,  Captain  Petat  of  the  7th 
Hussars,  was  second.  For  the  third  heat,  Dandy 
came  in  first,  but  the  stewards  awarded  the  race 
to  Queensberry  ;  because,  when  just  near  the  judge's 
chair.  Dandy  turned  savage,  and  caught  the  stirrup 
leather  and  boot  of  Lord  Howth  in  his  mouth, 
and  thus  interfered  with  his  chance. 

For  several  years  after  this  victory  his  Lordship 
rode  in  nearly  all  the  Corinthian  races  at  Irish 
meetings,  sometimes  for  Queen's  Plates  too,  and 
frequently  in  steeplechases  in  England  and  Ireland  ; 
and  from  that  time  up  to  his  death  he  always  had 
several  race  and  steeplechase  horses  in  training.  At 
this  period,  the  patrons  of  the  turf  were  very  fond  of 
making  matches,  and  it  was  not  unusual  to  see 
eight  or  ten  decided  during  a  Curragh  meeting.  At 
a  reunion  there  in  June,  1830,  Lord  Howth's  Queens- 
berry,  i2st.,  beat  Mr.  Forbes's  Snooks,  iist.,  In  a 
match  for  50  sovs.  each,  one  mile,  owners  riding;  and 
on  the  same  day  Mr.  Forbes's  Little  Shakes  beat  Lord 
Howth's  Long  Legs  in  a  match  of  50  sovs.  each, 
three     miles.      At     this     period     there     were     four 


TPIE  CORINTHIAN  CUP  PICTURE.  3  I  I 

meetings  held  annually  at  the  Curragh,  and  the 
racing  continued  at  each  of  them  six  days  in  the 
week  ;  and  In  June  there  was  always  a  second  Monday. 
On  Monday,  November  15th  of  that  year,  Mr.  F'orbes 
and  Lord  Howth  had  two  matches  over  the  old  Ash- 
bourne steeplechase  course.  In  the  first,  Mr.  Forbes' s 
Zanga,  iist.,  beat  Lord  Howth's  Fiddler,  11  st.  In  the 
second  Lord  Howth's  Johnnie,  i2st.,  beat  Mr.  Forbes's 
Little  Shakes,  list.  In  both  the  owners  rode,  and  the 
stake  was  100  sovs.  each.  Mr.  Forbes  was  an  officer 
in  the  Coldstream  Guards,  the  owner  of  several 
racehorses,  and  a  first  rate  horseman.  In  1831 
his  Lordship  had  several  racehorses,  and  was  very 
fortunate,  particularly  in  matches.  One  of  the  most 
Interesting  and  exciting  races  of  the  year  was  a  sweep- 
stakes of  25  sovs.  each,  over  Connolly's  mile,  between 
Lord  Howth's  Lancet,  lost.  lolb.,  Lord  Clanmorrls's 
Tidings,  I2st.,  Mr.  Forbes's  29th  of  July,  lost.  lolb. 
Owners  rode,  and  they  finished  in  the  order  written. 
In  1835,  Lord  Howth  was  appointed  Steward  of  the 
Turf  Club ;  the  other  two  were  Colonel  Westenra  and 
Mr.  John  Maher,  M.P.,  Balllnkeele,  Enniscorthy.  With 
the  exception  of  the  Sllgo  whip,  which  was  won  by 
Emu  in  1836,  no  very  Important  race  was  won  by  his 
Lordship's  horses.  "Little  fishes  were  sweet"  to  him, 
and  he  preferred  running  his  horses  In  Corinthian  races. 
In  which  he  could  ride  himself,  and  in  small  stakes, 
to  flying  at  bigger  game.  With  Emu,  the  Little 
Clown,  Claret,  and  others,  he  won  many  races. 

In  1 84 1,  the  **team"  were  in  great  "form,"  and 
comprised  C.  G.,  the  Colonel,  Spring-heel'd  Jack. 
Doctor  Sangrado,  Paste,  Penelope,  filly  by  Barebones, 
Magic,   Profligate,   Flash,  Augean,  Hazard,  and  St. 


312  IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 

Lawrence.  With  the  last- mentioned  four  he  was  very 
fortunate,  and  St.  Lawrence  was  probably  the  best 
horse  in  Ireland  that  year.  He  was  by  Skylark  or 
Lapwing,  and  won,  in  1 840,  the  Gold  Cup,  presented  by 
His  Majesty  George  IIL,  and  other  races.  In  1841,  he 
ran  twelve  times,  won  nine  races,  and  was  second  for 
three.  He  won  the  St.  Lawrence  Stakes  of  180  sovs. 
at  Howth,  four  Queen's  Plates,  the  Lord  Lieutenant's 
Plate,  the  Steward's  Stakes,  the  Kirwan  Stakes,  at  the 
Curragh,  as  well  as  a  match,  run  at  the  Curragh  in 
September,  of  500  sovs.  each,  four  miles,  in  which 
St.  Lawrence,  4  yrs.,  yst.  ylb.  (Wynne),  beat  Lord 
Milltown's  Cruiskeen,  aged,  8st.  71b.  Betting,  4  to  i 
on  St.  Lawrence.  Cruiskeen,  I  may  add,  won  the 
Cesarewitch  (the  first  run  at  Newmarket)  in  1839.  ^" 
1841,  the  Peel  Cup  and  the  Gold  Cup  were  resigned  to 
his  Lordship.  He  raced  no  less  than  twenty  horses  in 
Ireland  in  1841,  and  they  carried  the  "  magpie"  jacket 
frequently  home  in  triumph.  Morpeth,  St.  Lawrence 
(sold  for  a  large  sum  at  the  end  of  the  year).  Dr. 
Sangrado,  and  Condor  were  the  best.  Four  Queen's 
Plates  and  the  Lord  Lieutenant's  Plate,  were  placed  to 
his  Lordship's  credit,  as  well  as  several  other  valuable 
stakes  ;  including  the  first  Angleseys  he  won,  and 
the  Sligo  Stakes.  Five  ran  for  the  Angleseys,  but 
Condor,  by  Economist,  from  Humming  Bird's  dam, 
won  easily. 

Having  sold  several  horses  and  sent  a  few  to 
England,  the  only  ones  he  ran  in  1843  were  Condor 
and  Morpeth,  and  he  sold  them  both  before  the  end 
of  the  season.  During  the  next  year  his  colours 
were  carried  a  few  times,  but  never  successfully. 
However,   in    1845   ^^    ^'•'^^    '^    large  stud   together 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE.  313 

again,  and  Switcher,  Wasp,   Crosby,  and  Wolf  Dog 
all  won  races  for  him. 

Any  horses  Lord  Ilowth  had  in  England  were 
trained  at  Danebury,  and  some  of  his  best  feats  in  the 
saddle  were  performed  at  Croxteth  Park,  Eglinton, 
Bibury,  Warwick,  and  Goodwood.  The  first  animal 
his  Lordship  sent  to  Danebury  was  St.  Lawrence.  He 
won  the  Stand  Cup  at  the  Liverpool  July  meeting, 
1842,  beating  several  first-class  horses,  including 
Roscius,  winner  of  the  Cambridgeshire  two  years  pre- 
viously ;  Satirist,  winner  of  the  St.  Leger ;  and  Vulcan, 
winner  of  the  Cambridgeshire.  Mr.  Gully  purchased 
St.  Lawrence  from  Lord  Howth,  and  he  won  thirteen 
races  during  the  following  racing  season.  Lord  Howth 
won  the  Chester  Cup  in  1848,  with  Peep-o'-day-boy. 
The  first  brood  mare  his  Lordship  had  was  Remnant, 
the  grand-dam  of  Wire.  He  purchased  her  from  Lord 
Sligo,  and  had  several  good  horses  from  her — Doctor 
Sangrado,  Tom  Pipes,  Wall-flower,  and  Seaman,  to  wit. 
Another  he  purchased  from  Lord  Sligo,  was  Ezora. 
It  was  through  Foinualla,  a  Birdcatcher  mare,  out  of 
Brandy  Bet,  the  dam  of  Cruiskeen  (winner  of  the  first 
Cesarewitch  and  Chester  Cup),  that  Lord  Howth  gained 
classic  honours  on  the  turf,  and  at  the  stud.  She  bred 
for  him  Kingstown,  second  to  Wild  Dayrell,  for  the 
Derby,  and  Mincepie,  winner  of  the  Oaks.  Lord  Howth 
also  had  Ackworth,  winner  of  the  Cambridgeshire ; 
Christmas  (dam  of  Gleenavena),  Mistletoe,  ]\Ierry 
and  Wise,  and  Sutton,  winner  of  the  Cambridge- 
shire ;  Plum  Pudding,  Snapdragon,  Chocolate  (dam 
of  Malahide).  From  Fidget  he  bred  Lambay,  Ter- 
magent,  and  Dancing  Master.  Dahlia  bred  him 
Dr.  O' Toole  and  Ireland's  Eye.      He  also  bred  Indi- 


314  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

gestlon,  Dr.  O'Leary,  and  many  other  "clinkers." 
Mincepie,  Dr.  O' Toole,  Ackworth,  and  Kingstown,  ran 
in  Mr.  Hill's  name ;  he  had  shares  in  them.  I  must 
conclude  my  brief  memoir  of  Lord  Howth  by  assuring 
my  readers  that  he  was  one  of  the  best  "  all  round" 
sportsman  of  his  time,  and  was  for  years  the 
staunchest  patron  of  the  Irish  Turf.  His  cheery 
humour  and  many  estimable  points  of  character 
ensured  for  Lord  Howth  a  widespread  and  deserved 
popularity. 

I  give  a  chapter  to  each  of  the  other  subjects  of 
Mr.  Hayes'  portraiture. 


THE  CORINTHIAN  CUP  PICTURE.  315 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  CORINTHIAN  CUP  PICTURE — CONTINUED. 

Number  three  on  the  key  before  me  Is  Mr.  John  J. 
Preston   of  Belllnter,    Navan,     on    Auburn,    a  very 
distinguished  and    popular  sportsman,  who,   "years 
ago,"  gained  an  enviable    and   deserved   reputation 
as    a   horseman    and    patron    of   racing  and     hunt- 
ing.    His   name    appeared    as    an    owner  of  horses 
in  "  The  Irish  Racing  Calendar  "  as  early  as  1840; 
and  his  cap  and  jacket  was  first  carried  by  Rising  Sun, 
when  that  son  of  Recovery  ran  unplaced  for  a  sweep- 
stakes at  the  Meath  Hunt  Meeting  in  1840,  on  the 
same  afternoon  that   Brunette,  then  the  property  of 
Mr.  Alley,  won  the  Meath  Hunt  Cup,  value  100  sovs., 
(given   to    be    run    for    by    Mr.    Preston,  who   for 
several  years  gave  a  valuable  trophy  for  competition 
at  that  reunion).     On  the  second  day  of  the  meeting 
Rising  Sun,  ridden  by  George  Molony,  won  the  Ladles' 
Purse.     His   next   horse.  Enterprise,    ran   but  once, 
that  was   at  Bellewstown,  where  he   failed  to  gain  a 
"bracket."     In  September,  1840,  Mr.  Preston  won  his 
first  race  at  the  Curragh,  when  Sunset  beat  Brenda,  a 
mare  belonging  to  Mr.  "Jemmy"  Knaresboro,  in  a  match 
for  a  hundred  aside  "  over  the  course."    Some  months 
afterwards  Sunsetwona  small  stakes  at  Trim.  In  March, 
1845,  ^^^'  Preston  rode  Brunette  for  the  Kilrue  Cup. 
She  was  placed  fourth,  Mr.  Hicks'  Regulator,  under 


3l6  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

the  careful  guidance  of  Mr.  Jameson,  winning.  In 
1843,  ^^^-  Preston  had  several  racers  and  chasers,  in- 
cluding Knight  of  Tara,  Great  Wonder,  Brunette, 
Morning  Star,  Zinc,  sister  to  Poacher,  The  Bard, 
Mountain  Hare,  Harpy  Eagle,  Noble,  Vallerie,  and 
Clear  Air;  and  Great  Wonder  won  three  races,  in- 
eluding  two  Queen's  Plates.  Tara,  a  grey,  by  Manfred 
won  a  couple  of  stakes  ;  and  many  a  time  Mr.  Preston 
"  cut  down  "  a  Ward,  Meath,  or  Kildare  "field"  on 
him.  Brunette  won  the  Westmeath  Urn,  the  Bellinter 
Cup,  Kilrue  Cup,  and  a  sweepstakes  of  150  sovs.  at 
Dunboyne.  During  the  following  year,  he  raced  several 
horses,  but  Brunette  was  his  only  "bread  winner."  She 
won  the  Westmeath  Urn,  Kilrue  Cup,  Foxhunter's 
Stakes  at  Ormond,  and  120  sovs.  at  Limerick.  In 
1845  M^-  Preston's  lucky  star  culminated.  Norma 
won  some  races  for  him.  Mountain  Hare  increased  the 
balance  at  his  bankers  considerably,  so  did  Mordaunt, 
and  Sir  Herculeus's  most  distinguished  daughter  won 
the  Kilrue  Cup,  Westmeath  Urn,  Foxhunter's  Stakes 
at  Ormond,  the  Meath  Gold  Cup,  New  Melton  Stakes 
at  Cahir,  and  the  Commissioners'  Plate  at  Cashel.  Her 
stable  companion,  Hark  Over,  then  a  two-year-old, 
and  very  speedy  colt,  beat  her  half  brother,  Mr. 
Knaresboro's  Hark-in,  in  a  match  for ^100  a  side,  at 
the  Curragh  September  Meeting.  This  performance 
was  followed  up  by  running  third  for  the  Pagets,  to 
two  first-rate  horses,  Chanticleer  and  Burgundy 
Chanticleer  divides  with  Faugh-a-Ballagh  the  honour 
of  being  Birdcatcher's  best  produce.  He  was  bred  by 
the  late  Mr.  Christopher  St.  George,  was  got  by  Bird- 
catcher  out  of  Whim,  a  grey  mare  bred  by  the  late 
Colonel  Westenra.    As  a  racer  the  dam  failed  to  pay  her 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE.  317 

way,  and  was  purchased  from  the  Colonel  by  Mr.  St. 
George,  who  put  her  to  the  stud. 

Chanticleer's  first  race  was  when  he  finished  third  to 
Lord  Howth's  Mermaid  and  Mr.  J.  Preston's  Osprey, 
for  the  Angleseys.  Osprey  was  ridden  by  Bell,  who 
came  over  from  England  specially.  The  filly  appeared 
to  have  the  race  in  hand,  but  Bell,  holding  his  op- 
ponent too  cheap,  lost.  He  saw  his  mistake,  and 
was  so  sorry  that  he  declined  a  fee  for  riding  her. 
Chanticleer  was  purchased,  in  1847,  by  the  late  Mr. 
Merry,  for  ^1,000,  and  the  sporting  ironmaster  was 
little  known  on  the  turf  till  he  startled  the  world  with 
the  "  gallant  grey,"  when  he  achieved  a  series  of  bril- 
liant triumphs  in  1 8^:1 8,  including  the  Goodwood  Stakes 
and  Doncaster  Cup.  In  1845  Chanticleer  started  three 
times,  without  winning ;  he  won  a  few  races  at  the 
Curragh  in  1846.  In  1847,  he  started  nine  times  ^^^ 
won  six: — Queen's  Plate,  Curragh,  April,  ;^i05  ; 
Queen's  Plate,  Curragh,  June,  ;,^i05;  Queen's  Plate, 
Curragh,  June,  ;^  105  ;  Queen's  Plate,  Curragh,  June, 
;^I05,  The  Glasgow  Cup,  at  Paisley,  ^^loo;  Silver 
Bells  at  Paisley,  ;/^ 60  ;  total, ^580.  In  1848,  he  started 
fourteen  times,  and  won  ten  : — Manchester  Welter 
Cup,  ;^  100;  Castle  Irwell  Stakes,  ^^go  ;  The  North- 
umberland Plate,  £995  ;  The  Newcastle  Gold  Cup, 
/160;  The  Goodwood  Stakes,  ^^  1,1 20;  The  Stirling 
Gold  Cup, ^2  15  ;  The  Ayr  Cup,;^ioo;  The  Doncas- 
ter Cup,  ^470;  Queen's  Plate  at  Caledonian  Hunt, 
;^io5  ;  Queen's  Plate  at  Caledonian  Hunt,  ;^io5  ; 
total,  ^3,460.  In  1849,  he  started  nine  times,  and  won 
twice:— The  Newcastle  Gold  Cup,  ;^i4o;  Lichfield 
Queen's  Plate,^io5  ;  total, /245.  Started  forty-one 
times,  won  twenty-one.     Total  winnings,  ;^4, 730. 

21 


3l8  IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 

In  1846,  Brunette  won  the  Foxhunters'  Stakes  at 
Lismacrory,  and  the  Kilrue  Cup  for  the  fourth  time, 
the  Grand  Handicap  at  Worcester,  and  Grand  Handi- 
cap at  Hereford.  Mordaunt,  Bubble,  Fullcry,  and 
View-Halloo  performed  very  badly ;  and  Irish  King, 
although  one  of  the  best  two-year-olds  in  Ireland, 
failed  to  compensate  in  any  degree  for  their  defeats. 
He  was  second  for  the  Angleseys,  and  for  a  valuable 
sweepstakes  to  Horn  of  Chase-  When  winning  the 
Pagets,  he  swerved  just  below  the  judge's  box,  and 
consequently  was  beaten  by  Mr.  Whaley's  Calcavella. 
Osprey  ran  very  well  for  the  Epsom  Oaks,  and  won  a 
Queen's  Plate  at  the  Curragh. 

In  1847,  Brunette  broke  down  ;  her  racing  career 
and  her  owner's  may  be  said  to  have  terminated  about 
the  same  time.  Mr.  Preston  has  not  had  a  *'  flyer  " 
since  ;  but  Sunblush  (second  to  Anatis  in  1855  for  the 
Kilrue  Cup),  Autumn,  and  one  or  two  others,  car- 
ried his  crimson  and  gold  jacket  successfully.  He  still 
attends  the  principal  flat  and  steeplechase  meetings  in 
Ireland,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  Irish 
Turf  Club.  He  established  a  race  meeting  at  Bellinter 
some  years  ago,  and  is  a  very  generous  contributor  to 
the  race  fund  every  year  there,  and  to  the  Trim  meet- 
ing also.  He  keeps  an  excellent  pack  of  harriers,  and 
has  a  large  stud  of  hunters.  He  rides  straight  across 
country,  and  enjoys  the  hunting  as  thoroughly  as  he 
used  to  thirty  years  ago,  when  the  names  of  Preston 
and  Brunette  were  household  words  in  sporting  circles. 
In  a  word,  Mr.  Preston  discharges  all  the  duties  apper- 
taining to  his  position  as  a  country  gentleman  and  large 
employer  in  a  manner  which  has  won  for  him  the  esteem 
of  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance. 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE.  319 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE — CONTINUED. 

A  LITTLE  in  the  background,  on  a  favourite  hunter,  is 
the  tall  figure  of  theMarquis  of  Drogheda.  The  likeness 
was  an  admirable  one.  Henry  Francis  Seymour  Moore, 
3rd  Marquis  of  Drogheda,  K.P.,P.C.,  late  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  of  the  Kildare  Rifles,  Ranger  of  the  Curragh 
of  Kildare,  and  Lieutenant  of  Kildare,  the  only  child 
of  Lord  Henry  Seymour  Moore  and  Mary  Parnell, 
second  daughter  of  Sir  Henry  Parnell,  created  first 
Lord  Congleton,  was  born  on  the  14th  of  August, 
1825,  and  succeeded  his  uncle  in  1837. 

The  Marquis,  who  is  descended  from  a  very  dis- 
tinguished ancestry,  at  a  very  early  age  went  to  Eton, 
and  having  spent  six  years  there,  returned  to  Ireland 
and  entered  Trinity  College,  where  he  graduated. 
After  a  very  long  minority,  having  ample  means  and 
an  undeniable  taste  for  out-door  amusements,  he  on 
attaining  his  majority,  became  a  patron  of  field 
sports — hunting,  racing,  and  coursing,  to  all  of  which 
he  has  ever  since  been  unflinching  in  his  support. 
When  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  took  the  master- 
ship of  the  Queen's  County  Hounds;  and  during  his 
reign,  which  lasted  three  years,  showed  first-rate  sport, 
although  many  difficulties  beset  men  in  his  position 
during  these  troubled  times,  the  famine  years.  The 
first  race  the  Marquis  of  Drogheda  won  was  the  Kildare 
Hunt  Cup,  with  Improvident,  when  the  meeting  was 


7,20  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

held  at  Teapot  Hill,  near  Nine  Mile  House.  In  1848, 
at  a  meeting  held  at  Emo,  Queen's  County,  the 
Drogheda  Cup,  value  100  sovs.,  a  donation  of  the 
Marquis,  was  won  by  his  own  horse,  Westmeath, 
ridden  Mr.  J,  G.  Adair  of  Rathdair,  who  has  at  present 
a  splendid  stud  of  hunters,  and  occasionally  leads  a 
Kildare  and  Queen's  County  field  in  a  good  run. 
Twelve  months  afterwards,  Westmeath  won  the 
Kildare  Hunt  Cup,  and  ran  fairly  well  for  the  Kilrue 
Cup,  in  that  memorable  struggle  over  Lucan*s 
high  banks  and  green  pastures,  when  Farnham,  Sir 
John,  and  Abdel-Kadei  lought  a  hard  battle  for  that 
valuable  stake.  The  following  year,  three  started  for 
the  Kildare  Hunt  Cup.  It  was  a  grand  race,  between 
Mr.  T.  De  Burgh,  on  Medora,  Captain  C.  Warburton 
on  Switcher,  and  Mr.  "Harry*' Moore  on  Westmeath. 
Switcher  made  the  running  to  the  fourth-last  fence, 
when  the  others  joined  issue,  and  ran  head  and-head 
to  the  last  one,  where  Westmeath  was  beaten  ;  and, 
after  a  severely  contested  race,  Medora  won. 

A  match  took  place  a  few  days  afterwards  over  the 
same  course,  which  excited  a  great  deal  of  interest  in 
the  county  amongst  racing  and  hunting  men,  between 
Mr.  T.  De  Burgh  on  Medora,  and  Mr.  George  P.  L. 
Mansfield,  of  Morristown,  Lattin,  on  his  own  horse, 
Kilmallock.  These  worthy  sportsmen  were  rivals  in 
many  daring  feats  with  the  "  Kildares,"  and  the  re- 
spective merits  of  the  men  and  horses  were  the  subject 
of  many  discussions  amongst  their  numerous  friends 
and  admirers.  One  evening,  after  a  brilliant  run,  they 
made  the  match.  The  conditions  were  I3st,  each,  owners 
up,  for  50  sovs.  each.  After  a  great  race  Medora 
was  victrix.     Westmeath  won  the  Drogheda  Cup  that 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE-  32  I 

year  for  the  second  time,  and  in  1851,  the  Kildare 
Hunt  Cup  and  a  small  sweepstakes  at  Whitefield, 
ridden  on  both  occasions  by  Captain  Phillips,  a  gallant 
officer  of  the  43rd  Regiment.  Strange  to  say,  this 
horse  only  ran  twice  the  following  year,  and  that  was 
for  the  same  stakes,  over  the  same  courses.  He  won 
both,  under  the  careful  guidance  of  Captain  Charles 
Warburton,  who  piloted  him  successfully  for  the  Kil- 
dare Hunt  Cup  in  1853,  when  this  lucky  chaser  won 
the  much-coveted  trophy  for  the  fourth  time,  and  third 
year  in  succession. 

In  1855,  the  Kildare  Hunt  Cup  was  again  taken  to 
Moore  Abbey,  as  Beware  won  it  for  the  Marquis.  Tom 
of  Tuam  came  in  first,  but  was  disqualified  for  not 
having  carried  I2lbs.  extra,  as  being  a  winner  of  twice 
£S^-  I  will  now  pass  over  a  few  years,  merely  re- 
marking that  Grisella,  Templemore,  and  Ladybird 
carried  the  "black  and  silver,"  but  were  not  very 
successful  performers.  There  was  a  turn  in  the  tide 
in  i860,  as  at  Punchestown,  Templemore,  ridden  by 
that  grand  horseman  and  good  sportsman,  Mr.  George 
Knox  of  Brownstown,  Curragh,  won  the  Union  Plate. 
During  the  years  186 1-2,  his  horses  did  nothing  worth 
recording. 

In  1863,  at  the  Kildare  Hunt  Meeting,  the  first 
race  on  both  days  fell  to  him.  The  Punchestown  Plate 
he  won  with  Ladybird,  and  the  Naas  Plate  with 
Oberon.  Both  were  piloted  by  "  Dan"  Meany,  and  the 
last-named  was  purchased,  after  running,  by  Lord 
Henry  Bentinck.  During  the  following  year  the  colours 
were  carried  only  once  to  victory,  viz.,  at  Springhill, 
where  Satanella  won  the  most  important  race.  In 
1 866,  Robin  Hood  won  the  Conyngham  Cup,  and  it  was 


32  2  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

pleasing  to  see  this  valuable  stake  go  to  him  who 
made  Punchestown  what  it  has  been  for  years  past — 
the  best  steeplechase  reunion  in  the  world.  Soon 
afterwards  he  won  the  Howth  Stakes  with  Clarence ; 
twelve  months  afterwards  the  military  race  at  Baldoyle, 
with  La  Rose.  Mons.  Meg,  La  Rose,  and  Allen-a- 
dale  then  comprised  the  stud,  but  they  were  very 
moderate.  In  1871,  the  Marquis  of  Drogheda,  for 
the  first  time,  won  a  race  at  the  "  Newmarket  of  Ire- 
land," when  King  Rene  defeated  eight  opponents  for 
the  Trainers'  Stakes.  I  need  not  refer  to  the  perform- 
ance of  his  horses  since  then.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
Swivel,  Pelagia,  Minette,  Tambourine,  Hypatia,  Coun- 
tersign, and  Philammon,  won  races  for  him.  He  has 
in  his  stables  at  present  youngsters  of  the  highest 
parentage  and  great  promise,  including  the  two-year- 
old,  Miriam,  by  Crown  Prince,  out  of  Rachel ;  Frederick 
William,  by  the  same  sire,  from  Swivel ;  Sisyphus,  by 
Outcast,  from  Satanella  ;  and  a  yearling.  Arras,  by 
Kidderminster,  out  of  Swivel. 

The  Marquis  has  several  brood  mares,  and  it  is  a 
noteworthy  fact  that  all  the  horses  he  has  bred  were 
remarkable  for  their  good  looks,  and  were  gifted  with 
size,  bone,  and  substance,  which  proves  that  the  mares 
have  been  judiciously  mated,  and  their  offspring  care- 
fully tended.  His  Lordship  never  allows  his  horses  to 
be  hurried  in  their  preparation,  nor  thoroughly  *'  wound 
up  "  when  two  years  old.  I  am  sure  he  is  not  an  advo- 
cate for  two-year-old  races,  and  he  has  certainly  good 
grounds  for  opposing  those  who  hold  that  early  train- 
ing has  not  a  prejudicial  effect  on  the  thoroughbred 
horse.  His  horses  are  trained  at  home,  and  Monny- 
penny,  who  has  charge  of  them,  is  a  master  of  his  art. 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE.  323 

The  Marquis  of  Drogheda  is  one  of  the  mainstays  of 
the  Irish  turf,  the  acknowledged  leader  amongst  Irish 
racing  men,  and  no  person  has  the  prosperity  of  the 
turf  and  its  patrons  more  at  heart  than  he.  Many  of 
my  readers  have  seen  him  at  Punchestown,  where  he 
is  invariably  so  energetic  and  indefatigable,  that  he 
appears  to  be  ubiquitous,  and  to  have  the  shoulders 
of  Atlas  and  the  eyes  of  Argus.  He  takes  the 
greatest  interest  in  every  sporting  reunion,  and  to 
the  evil  doers  he  is  a  source  of  dread.  How  often 
do  we  hear,  when  speaking  of  some  animal  being 
stopped  in  a  race,  the  query  put,  ''  Was  the  Marquis 
there  ?"  or  hear  it  said,  "  Oh,  it  is  well  for  the  owner 
and  rider  that  the  Marquis  was  not  there ! "  *'  Johnny 
Armstrong"  has  a  wholesome  horror  of  his  Lordship, 
the  much-feared  enemy  of  the  ''pull  'em  and  scratch 
'em  division." 

Irish  coursers  are  indebted  to  him  for  giving  them 
his  extensive  preserves  to  course  over,  and  he  goes  to 
much  trouble  and  expense  in  order  to  have  a  plentiful 
supply  of  "  fur "  on  the  famed  plains  of  Bourbawn, 
where  lovers  of  the  leash  hold  some  of  their  most 
important  meetings  annually  ;  and  those  who  have 
ever  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  the  dinners  of  the 
Leinster  Coursing  Club,  and  heard  the  enthusiasm  with 
which  his  health  is  drunk,  must  have  noted  that  he  is 
an  especial  favourite  with  lovers  of  coursing ;  and 
they,  as  they  are  bound  to,  feel  much  indebted  to  him 
for  his  liberality  and  kindness.  His  Lordship  is  a  very 
liberal  subscriber  to  the  Kildare  Hunt  Club.  The 
"bags  "  made  at  the  annual  battue,  and  the  result  of 
frequent  visits  of  the  "  Kildares,"  prove  that  game  of 
all  sorts  are  to  be  found  in  large  numbers  in  the  Moore 


324  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Abbey  coverts.  He  is  an  enthusiastic  and  successful 
yachtsman.  I  should  add, that  he  married,  August,  1847, 
the  Hon.  Mary  Caroline,  eldest  daughter  of  the  second 
Lord •  Wharncliffe.  To  "sum  up,"  I  may  observe 
that  the  Marquis  of  Drogheda  may  be  said  to  have 
played  the  role  of  a  man  of  the  world  and  a  sports- 
man, and  to  have  acquitted  himself  to  such  satisfaction, 
that  there  is  no  more  popular  member  of  society  in 
the  country. 

By  the  Marquis  we  find  a  good  portrait  of  the  late 
Surgeon  Rynd,  the  especial  friend  of  riding  men,  and 
than  whom  there  was  no  more  enthusiastic  lover  of 
sport  in  the  land. 

The  place  of  honour  was  accorded  by  the  artist  to 
the  late  Captain  the  Hon.  J.  W.  Hely-Hutchinson, 
A.D.C.,  on  Torrent,  as  he  occupies  the  centre  fore- 
ground, and  the  likeness  is  a  "speaking"  one.  Captain 
Hutchinson  was  brother  to  the  late  and  uncle  to  the 
present  Lord  Donoughmore.  Of  the  many  noted 
sportsmen  who  died  on  the  inhospitable  shores  of  the 
Crimea,  none  were  more  universally  and  sincerely  re- 
gretted than  he.  In  him  the  turf  lost  one  of  its  best 
supporters,  the  army  one  of  its  most  esteemed  orna- 
ments, and  hundreds  mourned  at  his  death  for  a 
staunch,  generous  friend  and  bon  camarade^  who  never 
failed  a  suppliant,  or  quailed  before  shot,  shell,  or 
"yawner."  With  the  lightest  of  hands,  firmest  seat 
in  the  saddle,  and  a  heart  ever  in  the  right  place,  he 
was  a  perfect  horseman. 

In  1850,  at  the  Dundalk  Garrison  Races,  he  was 
invincible.  Three  races  were  run,  and  he  rode  the 
winner  of  each,  including  a  match  for  50  sovs.  on  his 
mare  Mariam,  in  which  he  beat  an  officer  of  his  own 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE  325 

Regiment  (13th  Light  Dragoons),  Mr.  T.  White,  on 
Croom-a-boo,  after  a  great  race.  He  won  many  races, 
but  never  rode  a  better  one  than  on  the  late  Colonel 
Richard  Bernard's  Beware,  for  the  Kildare  Hunt  Cup 
in  1854.  Seven  started,  and  it  was  one  of  the  most 
severely  contested  races  ever  run  over  that  course. 
Beware,  The  Dodger,  The  Squire  (winner  of  the 
Corinthian  Cup  in  1853),  and  Captain  Warburton's 
Disowned  were  all  backed  freely.  Diamond,  Disowned, 
Knowsley,  and  Beware  kept  close  company  throughout, 
and  Diamond  won  by  a  short  head.  Beware  defeated 
Diamond  by  a  neck  for  second  place,  Knowsley 
finished  a  similar  distance  behind  her,  fourth.  Half  an 
hour  afterwards  ''  Denny"  Wynne  won  the  Farmer's 
Race,  on  Haphazard,  and  then  nineteen  were  weighed 
out  for  the  Corinthian  Cup.  So  much  money  was 
put  on  Torrent  that  he  started  at  six  to  four ;  and  he 
pulled  his  backers  through  very  easily.  Next  day. 
Captain  Hutchinson  won  the  Welters  on  Torrent  A 
few  weeks  afterwards,  he  rode  the  same  horse  for  the 
Kilrue  Cup,  and  he  fell  over  a  bank  near  home. 
Jumpaway,  a  four-year-old,  by  Blackfoot,  the  property 
of  Mr.  M.  Dunne  of  Punchestown,  ridden  by  Mr.  Tom 
Abbott,  won.  The  gentleman  taken  with  the  starter's 
flag  in  hand  Is  Colonel  Campbell  of  "  the  Bays,"  on 
Free  Trade.  He  rode  many  winners;  won  several  races 
for  "the"  Marquis  ofWaterford,  and  could  finish  as 
well  as  any  man.  A  little  In  the  background  is  Mr. 
William  Kennedy,  ex-Master  of  the  Kildare  Fox- 
hounds. For  his  character  as  a  M.  F.  H.  and  rider  to 
hounds  I  refer  you  to  the  chapter  on  the  **  Klldares." 
Mr.  Kennedy  is  the  second  son  of  the  late  Sir  John 
Kennedy,  and  was  born  In  1821.      When  very  young 


326  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

he  showed  his  predilection  for  racing,  particularly  on 
the  flat,  and  for  many  years  he  stood  high  on  the  list 
of  successful  gentlemen  riders,  and  was  one  of  the  very 
best  Corinthian  riders  in  the  country.  He  had  a  few 
horses  of  his  own,  too ;  and  with  Altro,  Arbutha,  and 
Cruisk  (brother  to  Russborough,  which  ran  a  dead 
heat  with  Voltigeur  for  the  St.  Leger),  he  won  several 
stakes. 

Then  there  is  Captain  Barclay,  of  the  i6th  Lancers, 
on  Merlin.  He  is  a  fine  horseman,  and  won  several 
races  in  England  and  Ireland,  both  on  the  flat  and 
over  the  country.  He  rode  many  good  races  in 
Punchestown.  He  was  second,  in  1858,  for  the  Corin- 
thian Cup  on  Phoenix,  the  best  chaser  in  Ireland  that 
day,  as  proved  by  his  giving  Ace-of-Hearts  2st  6lb., 
and  running  him  to  a  neck.  The  Captain's  best  per- 
formances in  the  pig-skin  was  his  riding  Merlin, 
against  Captain  Hutchinson  on  Free  Trade,  for  a 
Corinthian  Stakes,  two  miles,  over  the  Confy-Castle 
course  on  Patrick's  Day,  1854;  it  ended  in  a  dead 
heat,  and  spectators  were  **  witched"  by  the  artistic 
horsemanship  of  the  gallant  Lancer  and  Light  Dra- 
goon ;  and  many  a  shamrock  was  drowned  that  night 
in  bumpers  to  their  health. 

Over  the  same  course,  in  a  month  afterwards,  at  a 
military  meeting.  Captain  Barclay  won  four  out  of 
five  races  run  during  the  day.  Mr.  J.  G.  Price,  then 
an  officer  in  the  2nd  Dragoons,  was  a  good  rider  too, 
and  was  second  for  the  "  Cup  "  this  year  on  The 
Squire.  He  was  thought  to  ride  more  "  wickedly  "  to 
Hounds  than  any  contemporary,  and  was  called  by 
some  the  "  Demon  "  horseman.  Few  stronger  men 
in    the   saddle   were    ever   known.      Major    Dickson, 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE.  327 

who  afterwards  commanded  the  gallant  "  Red  Lan- 
cers," Mr.  Thomas  Boyce,  just  then  entering  on  a 
career  of  victory,  and  Captain  Halton,  were  officers  of 
the  same  Regiment  (the  i6th  Lancers).  They  were 
rivals  in  many  cross-country  tourneys,  popular  sports- 
men, and  good  riders.  And  I  may  say  so  too  of 
Captain  Chichester,  the  only  representative  of  the  7th 
Dragoons  in  the  print. 

The  artist  hit  off  to  a  nicety  the  expressions  and 
features  of  Mr.  (afterwards  Major)  Wilkin  ;  and  this 
plucky  Hussar  was  at  that  time,  and  for  years  after- 
wards, a  sporting  celebrity.  He  is  taken  on  The 
Squire,  a  good  son  of  Welcome,  and  on  him  he  had  the 
honour  and  glory  of  winning  the  first  Corinthian  Cup. 
I  may  add,  the  first  really  large  stake  run  for  in 
Punchestown.  Captain  Severne  was  at  the  time  one  of 
the  best  men  of  the  day,  and  the  only  one  that  ever 
won  this  race  twice:  first  in  1856,  on  Mr.  Brown's 
Abdul-Medjed,  a  son  of  Blackfoots,  when  seven  ran, 
and  Captain  Barclay  was  second  on  Major  Colborne's 
Bolivar.  Twelve  months  afterwards  he  won  it  again, 
on  Major  (now  Colonel)  Forster's  Ringleader,  after  a 
severely  contested  race  with  Captain  Townley  on  Sir 
John  Power's  Fox.  Captain  Severne  still  survives  to 
lead  his  brother  Squires,  in  the  hunting  field,  in  his 
native  Shropshire,  which  he  now  represents  in  Parlia- 
ment. He  has  also  sat  for  Ludlow,  and  parliamentary 
late  hours  have  not  impaired  his  fire  with  hounds. 

The  tall  figure,  aristocratic,  and  handsome  features 
of  the  late  Marquis  of  Conyngham  were  admirably 
portrayed  by  Mr.  Hayes. 

The  Right  Hon.  Francis  Nathaniel  Conyngham, 
Marquis  of  Conyngham,  and  otherwise  much  betitled, 


328  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

was  the  eldest  son  of  Henry,  first  Marquis  of  Conyng- 
ham,  by  Elizabeth,  eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  Joseph 
Denlson,  of  Denbles,  Surrey,  and  therefore  cousin  of 
the  late  speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons,  Viscount 
Ossington.  He  was  born  in  Dublin  in  June,  1799, 
and  died,  at  his  residence,  Hamilton  Place,  Piccadilly, 
July  1876.  When  a  child,  the  late  Marquis  was  page 
of  honour  to  the  Prince  Regent.  When  young  he 
entered  the  Life  Guards.  On  the  death  of  his  eldest 
brother.  Lord  Francis  Conyngham,  he  entered  Parlia- 
ment as  member  for  Donegal,  and  retained  his  seat 
until  he  succeeded  to  the  Marquisate  in  1832.  He 
was  for  some  time  Under-Secretary  of  State  for 
Foreign  Affairs,  and  a  Lord  of  the  Treasury.  When 
raised  to  the  Upper  House,  Earl  Grey  offered  him  the 
appointment  of  Postmaster-General,  which  he  held 
during  the  time  his  party  were  in  power,  and  on  their 
return  to  office,  he  resumed  the  position,  which  he  filled 
until  his  appointment  as  Lord  Chamberlain  to  King 
William  IV.,  and  Privy  Councillor.  He  filled  the  same 
important  office  during  the  earlier  years  of  the  reign 
of  her  present  Majesty.  Many  years  before  his 
death  the  Marquis  retired  almost  entirely  from  public 
life,  and  lived  generally  in  Ireland,  at  Slane  Castle — 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  mansions  in  this  country — 
charmingly  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Boyne. 
The  house,  grounds,  and  stables  are  all  well  worth 
seeing,  and  there  is  a  magnificent  collection  of  old 
china  and  objits  de  luxe^  as  the  Marquis  had  a  great 
taste  for  the  Bea7ix-Ar:s.  He  was  devoted  to  yachting, 
was  commander  of  the  St.  George  Yacht  Club, 
and  to  him  belonged  the  Flower  of  Yarrow,  the  Sul- 
tana, the  Sea  Flower,  Shamrock,  Colville,    and    also 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE.  329 

the  following,  which  were  built  from  his  own  lines  :  — 
The  Cecile,  i8o  tons,  Helen,  280,  and  the  Constance, 
350.  He  was  patron  of  the  Conyngham  Club.  His 
career  as  a  turfite,  though  long,  was  not  very  brilliant. 
Many  years  ago  he  had  a  few  horses  in  training  at 
Newmarket  with  Wm.  Day,  and  soon  after  his  colours 
— French-grey  and  cerise — were  first  seen,  he  won  a 
sweepstakes  of  500  sovs.  (12  subs.)  with  Gayhurst, 
ridden  by  Buckel  ;  with  Mansfield  and  Royal  Oak  he 
won  some  minor  races.  In  1850,  the  Marquis  of 
Conyngham  formed  a  small  breeding  stud,  and 
became  a  member  of  the  Irish  Turf  Club.  In  1852,  he 
won  his  first  race  at  the  Curragh  with  Thunder.  In 
1853,  his  Lordship  purchased  the  famous  Sultan,  then 
a  yearling,  and  in  a  year  afterwards  won  some  races 
with  him.  Lightning,  and  other  horses.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  he  was  successful  with  Iros,  Simpleton,  Stella, 
and  Sultan.  The  last-named  won  the  Madrids  and 
other  stakes,  and  was  then  sent  over  to  Woodyeates  to 
be  trained  for  the  Good^^ood  Stakes,  for  which  he  was 
not  placed.  He,  in  1855,  ran  badly  for  the  Cesare- 
witch,  but  proved  himself  to  be  a  great  horse  in  a  few 
weeks  afterwards  by  winning  the  Cambridgeshire, 
carrying  7st.  61b.,  ridden  by  Tim  Goater;  the  odds 
were  4  to  i  against  him,  and  twenty-one  ran.  I  believe 
Lord  Conyngham's  relative,  the  Marquis  of  Anglesey, 
was  then  part  owner  of  Sultan.  At  the  June  Meeting 
that  year  Stella  won  the  first  class  of  the  Irish  Oaks 
for  Lord  Conyngham,  and  since  then  Dancing 
Master,  Spinster,  Vine,  Blind  Harper,  Marmion, 
General,  Dr.  Syntax,  Woodranger,  Saucy  Boy,  Watch- 
man, Spring  Daisy  (now  called  Revolver),  Hot  Shot, 
La  Rose,  Boreas,  Vermicelli,  Ballet-Girl,  Outcast  Bee 


330  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

(second  for  the  Angleseys  in  1869),  Souffle,  Athens, 
Macbeth,  Avant,  Courier,  and  others,  carried  his 
pretty  colours,  and  nearly  all  of  them  more  than  once 
successfully.  On  the  whole  his  Lordship  was  decidedly 
unfortunate,  for  none  of  our  most  valuable  races  fell  to 
him,  notwithstanding  his  long  connection  with  the  turf 
He  was  a  generous  contributor  to  the  funds  ofBellews- 
town,  and  many  other  Irish  race  and  steeplechase 
meetings,  and  one  of  the  principal  shareholders  in  the 
Palmerstown  Breeding  Association.  In  1866,  in  order 
to  encourage  the  supporters  of  that  stud  farm,  he 
bought  all  the  yearlings  reared  there,  with  one  excep- 
tion. He  gave  ;^  1,000  for  eleven.  They  were  the 
first  lot  ever  bred  there,  and  the  average  price  was 
higher  than  that  realised  at  any  subsequent  sale  of  the 
Palmerstown  youngsters. 

He  sent  them  to  Newmarket  to  be  trained,  but 
they  were  all  bad.  The  horses  he  had  in  Ireland 
were  prepared  for  their  engagements  by  James 
Murphy  of  Conyngham  Lodge,  and  after  his  death  by 
his  son  James,  and  some  of  them  at  home  by  his  Lord- 
ship's private  trainer,  Moran. 

I  should  add  that  the  late  Marquis  was  married  to 
Lady  Jane  Paget,  daughter  of  the  first  Marquis  of 
Anglesey.  He  was  very  popular  in  Irish  and  English 
society,  and  especially  so  with  his  tenantry. 

One  of  the  most  noted  sportsmen  in  the  beautiful 
water-colour  is  Lord  St.  Lawrence  (now  Lord  Howth) 
on  Mushroom. 

William  Ulick  Tristrajn  St.  Lawf'e7ice  was  born  on 
the  25th  June,  1827,  and  succeeded  his  father,  1874. 
He  has  been  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  County  Dublin 
Militia,  and  was  formerly  a  captain  in  the  7th  Hussars. 


THE    CORINTHIAN    CUP    PICTURE.  33 1 

He  was  elected,  in  1 868,  as  member  for  Galway  borough, 
and  represented  that  constituency  until  he  succeeded 
his  father.  As  was  only  natural,  from  his  earliest 
years,  his  Lordship  was  devotedly  attached  to  field 
sports.  And  there  is  not,  amongst  the  many 
lovers  of  manly  sports  and  pastimes  in  Ireland,  a  more 
ardent  devotee  of  each  and  every  one  of  them  than  he, 
nor  is  there  one  who  takes  a  greater  interest  in  the 
well-being  of  the  legitimate  and  illegitimate  branches 
of  the  national  pastime.  As  a  rider  on  the  flat  and 
over  the  country,  as  a  rider  to  hounds  and  as  master 
of  hounds,  he  is  entitled  to  the  highest  place.  When 
Punchestown  was  in  its  infancy  he  laboured  indefati- 
gably  in  its  behalf.  In  Gahvay  he  established  a  meet- 
ing of  the  first  order.  For  the  Howth  and  Baldoyle 
reunion  he  worked  wonders,  and  his  labours  were  un- 
selfish ;  he  was  industrious,  not  for  his  own  weal  but 
for  that  of  his  brother-sportsmen.  No  one  can  accuse 
him,  not  even  the  most  narrow-minded,  of  having  any 
personal  motive  in  his  zeal  as  a  promoter  of  racing. 
He  appears  to  have  an  especial  taste  and  talent  of  a 
high  order  for  framing  articles ;  and  to  his  suc- 
cessful endeavours  in  this  respect  we  are,  to  a  great 
extent,  to  attribute  the  flourishing  condition  of  the 
prospects  of  the  patrons  of  racing.  And  if  his  Lord- 
ship had  succeeded  in  carrying  some  of  the  resolutions 
he  brought  before  the  rulers  of  the  turf,  the  executives 
of  race-meetings,  the  owners  of  race-horses,  in  a  word, 
all  who  make  up  that  great  republic,  the  turf,  would 
be  even  better  satisfied  than  they  are.  During  the 
days  of  Lord  St.  Lawrence's  youth  he  delighted  to 
wander  through  his  father's  stables,  admiring  the  many 
equine   worthies    which   made    up  the    "string,"    or 


^^2  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

through  the  paddocks,  looking  at  the  brood  mares 
and  their  offspring  as  they  gambolled  o'er  the  luxuri- 
ous sward. 

When  serving  in  the  yth  Hussars,  his  Lordship  had 
the  good  fortune  to  have  as  brother-officers  many 
sportsmen  good  and  true.  In  every  Irish  province, 
in  most  English  shires,  he  has  performed  extraor- 
dinary feats  in  the  hunting-field.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  he  has  had  some  very  severe  falls,  but  they  do 
not  appear  to  have  shaken  his  iron  nerves  or  damped 
his  keen  love  for  the  "noble  science."  Elsewhere  I 
have  written  of  him  as  a  master  of  foxhounds.  I  shall 
now  refer  to  some  of  his  many  exploits  on  the  turf  in 
this  country.  At  the  Phoenix  Park  Military  Meeting 
in  1846,  he  rode  his  first  race  on  a  filly,  named  The 
Witch,  belonging  to  Mr.  Littledale;  she  was  second; 
her  owners'  Maid  of  Erskine,  piloted  by  Captain 
Erskine,  winning.  That  same  evening  a  large  as- 
semblage witnessed  a  fine  race  between  Colonel 
Campbell  on  Nubian,  Captain  Erskine  on  Crib,  and 
Lord  St.  Lawrence  on  Mouche ;  they  finished  in  the 
order  written.  Next  day,  he  was  second  on  Vesture 
to  Colonel  Campbell  on  Crib,  and  immediately  after- 
wards won  his  first  race,  riding  Crib ;  Nubian  was 
second,  and  four  others  were  "  tailed  off."  Next  day, 
Colonel  Campbell,  on  the  Squire,  defeated  his  Lordship 
on  Gadfly,  in  a  match,  50  sovs.  aside,  one  mile  and  a 
half,  lost.  each.  He  rode  six  races  at  this  meeting. 
During  the  years  1847  and  1848,  he  did  little  in  the 
pig-skin.  In  1849,  ^^  rode  his  own  horse,  Paragon, 
for  the  Kildare  Hunt  Cup  at  Punchestown,  and  was 
placed  fourth  in  a  field  of  eight ;  and  during  the  next 
few  years  was  up  in  several  Corinthians,  but  though  a 


THE  CORINTHIAN  CUP  PICTURE.  ^^;^ 

most  artistic  rider  he  failed  to  win  races.  But  so  it  is 
on  the  turf.  **  Dame  Fortune"  never  establishes  her 
sex  more  fully  than  in  her  treatment  of  racing  men, 
she  appears  to  deal  out  her  favours  to  them  in  a  most 
capricious,  unnatural,  and  often  unjust  manner.  At 
the  Howth  and  Baldoyle  Meetings,  in  1854,  Lord  St. 
Lawrence's  Brown  Bess  (Colonel  Campbell)  walked 
over  for  the  Tantivy  Cup  ;  and  next  day,  his  Lordship 
rode  a  grand  race  on  Mr.  Atkinson's  Borgia  for  the 
Renewal  of  the  Warblers,  but  was  defeated  by  Captain 
Hutchinson  on  Kate.  The  second  day,  on  his  own 
horse,  Souter  Johnny,  he  was  third  in  two  heats  to  Mr. 
**  Cootie"  Hutchinson  on  Matilda — a  speedy  daughter 
of  Bird  Catcher — and  Captain  Hutchinson  on  Cyprus, 
for  the  Helter  Skelter  Stakes ;  and  on  the  same  day, 
second  of  sixteen  starters,  on  Souter  Johnny,  for  the 
Cigar  Stakes,  to  Captain  Halton  on  the  favourite,  Mr. 
Whelan's  Robber. 

A  month  afterwards,  Lord  St.  Lawrence  won  a  race 
at  the  Heath  of  Maryboro',  defeating  several  oppo- 
nents. In  1855,  he  supplied  the  favourite  for  the 
"feature"  of  the  Kildare  Hunt  Meeting,  the  Corin- 
thian Cup,  a  mare  called  Miss  Bayley ;  Captain  Blade, 
who  lately  commanded  the  King's  Dragoon  Guards, 
rode  her,  but  she  blighted  the  hopes  of  his  Lordship 
and  a  legion  of  well-wishers  by  coming  to  grief  at  "  the 
double."  On  the  same  day,  Miss  Bayley  made  a  suit- 
able retraction  for  her  transgression  of  the  morning  by 
winning  the  Military  Cup,  beating  fifteen  opponents. 
Lord  St.  Lawrence  soon  afterwards  piloted  the  winner 
of  the  Scurry  Corinthians  at  the  Curragh.  In  1855, 
he  rode  a  few  races  to  which  I  need  not  refer;  but  I 
am  sure  he  never  finished  better  than  on  Rakeaway,  at 

22 


334  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Baldoyle  May  Meeting,  1856,  for  the  Corinthians.  It 
was  a  great  race  between  him,  Mr.  William  Kennedy 
on  Viceroy,  and  the  late  Mr.  "Willie"  Long  on  the 
late  Lord  Howth's  Bulldog,  the  winner,  Rakeaway 
was  second. 

On  reference  to  the  ''Calendar"  of  1857,  it  will 
be  seen  that  Lord  St.  Lawrence's  Lobster,  ridden  by 
the  late  Colonel  Bernard,  beat  Sir  William  Gordon 
on  Ballina,  and  six  others,  for  the  Kildare  Hunt  Cup. 
And  a  month  afterwards.  Lobster,  again  ridden  by 
Colonel  (then  Captain)  Bernard,  won  a  valuable  steeple- 
chase for  his  Lordship  at  the  Irish  Grand  Military 
Meeting,  over  the  old  Ashbourne  course.  Before  many' 
weeks  elapsed,  Lobster  again  carried  the  colours  to  the 
front  at  Kilkenny,  this  being  his  third  win  without  an 
intervening  defeat.  But  he  was  beaten  soon  afterwards, 
after  a  game  struggle,  at  Baldoyle,  for  a  flat  race,  by 
Mr.  William  Kennedy  on  Lord  Waterford's  Bonni- 
vard.  In  1858,  his  Lordship's  Brandon  (Captain 
Crymes)  won  the  Kildare  Hunt  Cup.  Twelve  months 
afterwards,  his  Lochnane,  ridden  by  Mr.  Boyce,  was 
beaten  for  the  same  race  by  his  only  opponent,  Mr.' 
Aylmer's  Arab  Maid  (dam  of  Zuelika,  Huntsman, 
Zoibede,  Sultana,  Abdallah).  The  colours  were  then 
laid  aside  for  a  year,  to  be  unfolded  once  more  at 
Punchestown,  when  his  Lordship's  Fancy,  ridden  by 
the  late  Captain  M'Craith,  won  the  Kildare  Hunt 
Cup.  That  was  not  his  only  win  that  day,  as 
Schamyl,  ridden  by  Jem  Monahan,  won  the  Punches- 
town  Stakes.  Not  only  twelve  months,  but  as 
many  years  elapsed  before  Lord  St.  Lawrence's 
name  was  again  included  in  the  list  of  winning 
owners,    and    then    he   won    the   Kildare  Hunt    Cup 


THE  CORINTHIAN  CUP  PICTURE.  335 

with  Susan,  steered  by  Captain  Smith,  after  a  dead 
heat  with  Mr.  Forbes' s  Hock;  Ayrefield,  another  of 
his  horses,  was  third  for  the  same  race,  a  year  after- 
wards, and  in  1877,  his  colours  were  carried  a  few 
times  unsuccessfully. 

His  Lordship  is  a  Liberal  In  politics ;  is  unmarried; 
he  is  one  of  those  who  appreciate  racing  as  a  national 
pastime,  and  not  merely  as  an  Instrument  for  gambling. 
Eiiji)!,  he  is- a  sportsman  sa?ts  peur  et  sans  reproche — 

"  Loving  the  sport  for  its  dear  sake  alone  ; 
Hating  the  base  defilers  of  its  fame ! " 


33 6  IRISH   SPORT   AXD    SPORTSMEN. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MR.    JOHN    HUBERT    MOORE. 

I  VENTURE  to  assert  that  the  following  brief  memoir 
of  the  gentleman  whose  name  figures  at  the  top  of  the 
page  will  be  read  with  interest.  On  both  sides  of 
the  Shannon,  as  well  as  of  St.  George's  Channel,  he 
has  a  legion  of  friends.  Over  the  stone-walls  of  Galway, 
the  banks  and  ditches  of  Leinster,  and  the  oxers  of 
many  an  English  shire,  he  has,  by  his  brilliant  style 
of  riding  to  hounds,  established  his  undeniable  claim 
to  the  distinction  of  being  regarded  as  a  "first-flight 
man." 

In  the  land  of  his  nativity,  the  cordial  greetings 
invariably  accorded  to  him  when  his  blue-and-white 
jacket — colours  familiar  to  every  Irish  racing  man — is 
carried  successfully,  is  a  proof  of  his  popularity.  And 
those  who  know  him  best  will  coincide  with  me  when 
I  say  that  he  is  a  "  sportsman  complete." 

John  Hubert  Moore  was  born,  in  1819,  at  Shannon- 
grove,  in  the  county  Galway ;  and  is  the  eldest  son  of 
Captain  Garrett  Moore,  of  the  younger  branch  of  the 
O'M cores,  who  were,  in  1664,  banished  from  their  ter- 
ritory of  Leix,  in  the  Queen's  County,  to  Connaught,  by 
Cromwell,  who  believed  all  who  were  in  that  province 
to  be  beyond  the  pale  of  civilisation. 

O' Byrne,  in  his  History  of  the  Queen's  County, 


MR.    JOHN    HUBERT    MOORE.  337 

writing  of  the  O'Moores,  says  :  **  They  had  for  ages 
to  struggle  against  evil  vicissitudes  ;  for  ages  hostility 
bent  her  bow  against  them ;  for  ages  they  withstood 
the  malignity  of  the  Saxon  spoilers,  who  are  now  vic- 
torious over  them ;  but  history  and  tradition  alike 
declare  their  fall  to  be  effected  by  treachery.  It  could 
not  be  possible,  amidst  the  plots  and  massacres  of  the 
time  of  Mary  and  Elizabeth,  that  the  fiery,  enterprising, 
and  noble  spirit  of  the  O'Moores  could  remain  calm 
and  rest  in  peace  while  the  enemy  destroyed  their 
country.  No ;  all  honour  to  their  name,  they  rose  in 
the  face  of  countless  foes.  The  military  spirit  of  the 
O'Moores  was  such  that  England  had  to  break  by 
treachery  and  violence  what  she  could  never  bend  to 
her  will,  even  when  she  descended  to  bribes  and  pro- 
mises the  most  lavish. 

*'  History,  ancient  or  modern,  gives  no  account  of 
any  family  more  brave,  devoted,  or  constant  to  their 
motto  :    Sonper  co)isians  et  Jidclis. 

"Of  all  Irishmen,  the  O'Moores  were  the  most 
noble  and  valiant.  We  read  of  the  Queen's  O'Demp- 
seys,  the  Queen's  O'Connors,  the  Queen's  Dunnes, 
but  we  never  find  the  Queen's  O'JMoores. 

"An  eternal  glory  to  their  name!  they  fell,  as 
heroes  should,  with  the  dazzling  lustre  of  their  fathers' 
names  around  them.  For  2,764  years  they  flourished 
faithful  and  true ;  and,  If  all  the  Irish  had  been  as 
valiant  as  the  ever-to-be-venerated  O'Moores, no  nation 
in  the  world  could  have  overcome  them.  They  stood 
as  brave  as  lions  in  their  woods,  and  on  the  bounds  of 
their  principality  won  by  acts  of  gallant  bravery.  They 
laid  down  their  lives  for  their  country  and  religion, 
and  the  Saxon  enemy  for  ages   could  only  step  into 


338  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

power  over  their  dead  bodies.  It  stands  evident  that 
the  O'Moores  were  a  very  dearly  loved  people.  Of 
each  O' Moore,  the  words  of  the  poet  may  be  used : 

"  '  O'Moore,  untainted  by  flight  or  by  chains, 
While  the  kindling  of  life  in  his  bosom  remains, 
Shall  ever  exult,  or  in  death  be  laid  low, 
With  his  back  to  the  field,  or  his  feet  to  the  foe.' 

*'  They  could  not  bear  the  whips  and  scorn  of  time, 
the  oppressor's  wrong,  the  proud  alien's  contumely. 
When  they  hurled  themselves  against  a  remorseless 
power,  they  left  us  a  glorious  example  that,  if  we 
follow,  they  have  not  lived  in  vain : 

"  '  For  lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us 
We  can  make  our  lives  sublime. 
And,  departing,  leave  behind  us 
Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time.'" 

John  Hubert  Moore  seems  to  have  Inherited  a 
love  for  wild  sports,  to  keep  him  out  of  the  way  of 
which  his  parents  consigned  him  to  the  care  of  Dr. 
Jameson  of  Carlow  while  very  young.  At  this  excel- 
lent school,  however,  he  appears  to  have  met  with 
kindred  souls  in  the  Alleys  of  Dublin,  in  after  years 
masters  of  the  "Wards  ;"  the  Palmers  of  the  Queen's 
County ;  the  Droughts,  and  others,  all  of  whom,  in 
after-life,  excelled  in  field  sports.  Entered  at  Trinity 
College  at  an  early  age,  we  find  him  holding  his  own 
in  the  "  first-flight"  with  the  '*  Wards,"  on  a  thick  bay, 
Bachelor ;  and  there  are  many  still  spared  who  re- 
member the  boys  of  that  flight:  Mick  Yourrell  on  Dan 
O'Connell,  Captain  "Charley"  Forrester  on  Lady 
Longford,  Clarke,  Hicks,  the  Alleys,  John  Preston  of 


MR.  JOHN  HUBERT  MOORE.  339 

Bellinter,  Lord  Howth,  and  the  everlasting  Charley 
Brindley. 

He  subsequently  resided  on  the  borders  of  the 
King's  and  Queen's  Counties,  where  for  two  seasons 
he  hunted  with  a  fine  pack  under  the  management  of 
that  famous  sportsman,  Mick  Drought,  than  whom  no 
better  master  or  more  hospitable  soul  ever  held  a 
horn.  Thence  circumstances  brought  him  back  to  his 
native  county,  where  he  became  the  intimate  friend 
and  rival  in  the  field  of  John  Dennis,  familiarly  called 
"  Black  Jack,"  then  master  of  the  renowned  "  Blazers." 
At  this  period — about  the  year  1844 — l^^  seems  to 
have  commenced  the  indulgence  of  that  passion  for 
steeplechasing  he  has  ever  since,  under  varying  cir- 
cumstances of  difficulty,  clung  to  ;  and  with  Miss 
Mathews,  Silence,  Rasper,  and  others,  he  might  be 
seen  doing  the  five-feet- walls,  as  the  chasers  of  to-day 
fly  the  wattle-fence  of  modern  mis  government. 

About  this  time,  too,  we  find  him  the  constant 
companion  of  John  Longworth  of  Glynn,  who  then, 
and  for  many  years  after,  hunted  Westmeath  and  part 
of  Roscommon  county,  at  his  own  expense,  rivalling,  in 
the  glory  of  fox-hunting,  that  prince  of  good  fellows 
and  gentleman  and  sportsman,  the  late  John  Eyre 
of  Eyrecourt  Castle,  county  Galway,  whose  countries 
the  river  Shannon  divided,  and  who  was  killed  from  a 
fall  in  the  hunting-field,  and  can  never  be  forgotten 
by  those  who  knew  him,  or  ever  heard  him  cheer  on 
his  grand  pack  to  the  death.  We  also  find  Mr.  Moore 
hunting,  and  our  record  says,  "going  well,"  in  the 
splendid  Lower  Ormond  country,  then  hunted  by  a 
pack  the  property  of  Mr.  James  Drought. 

Soon,  the    fearful    famine    and    Landed    Estates 


340  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Court  revolution  shrouded  in  gloom  the  events  of  the 
time,  and  the  subject  of  this  biography,  while  endea- 
vouring to  float  the  family  estates  in  the  rushing 
torrent  of  overwhelming  difficulties,  was  a  marked 
man ;  twice  fired  at,  and  once  saved,  when  his  des- 
truction seemed  almost  certain,  by  one  of  the  party 
sworn  to  take,  we  might  say,  that  charmed  life  away ; 
but,  at  the  last  moment,  it  appeared  that  the  would-, 
be  assassin's  heart  was  touched,  and  could  not  forget 
acts  of  kindness  received  and  love  engendered  while 
sporting  together  with  his  intended  victim,  his  master 
in  happier  times.  He  created  a  panic  amongst  his 
companions,  and  in  the  hands  of  Providence,  saved  a 
life — of  such  impulses  Ireland  can  and  ever  will  be 
able  to  boast. 

Again,  in  1853,  we  find  Mr.  Moore  residing  at 
Moatfield,  in  Tipperary,  as  popular  as  if  nothing  had 
ever  occurred;  and  in  1855,  he  rode  his  famous,  but, 
therefore,  unmanageable  hunter,  Express,  by  Hark- 
away,  I  St.  3lb.  overweight,  for  the  Galway  Members' 
Hunt  Race,  over  the  Knockbarron  course,  four 
and  a-half  and  five  feet  walls,  three  miles;  and 
although  he  had  wasted  considerably,  he  could  not 
scale  less  than  i3st.  31b.,  with  a  51b.  saddle;  breaking 
a  leather  a  mile  and  a-half  from  home,  he  was,  of 
course,  much  exhausted  by  the  hardest  of  pullers,  yet 
he  was  second,  beaten  only  by  a  length.  Eight  started, 
and  Mr.  "Val"  Blake's  grey  gelding,  Gortnamona, 
ridden  by  Mr.  "  Tom  "  Naghten,  owner  of  that  great 
chaser  Thomastown,  won.  He  was  again  second  for 
the  i4st.  Welter  Stakes  at  Oundle,  in  Leicestershire, 
a  few  months  afterwards ;  and,  strange  to  say, 
came  second  in  the  i6st.  Welter  Stake  next  day,  over 


,    MR.    JOHN    HUBERT    MOORE.  34 1 

a  rough,  natural  country,  three  miles,  run  In  7  min.  and 
30  sees.,  the  fastest  welter  at  such  weights  on  record. 

In  1856,  Express  ran  third,  in  a  field  of  nine,  for 
the  Punchestown  Welter,  ridden  by  Captain  "  Charley" 
Warburton.  He  was  then  sold  to  Mr.  Studd,  the  owner 
of  that  successful  aspirant  for  Grand  National  honours, 
Salamander. 

About  this  time,  Mr.  Moore  had  such  animals  as 
Sir  Hercules,  Emigrant,  Seaman,  Nugget,  Huntsman's 
Horn,  Fairy  Saint,  Fairy  King,  The  Rake,  The 
Witch,  Grizette,  Express,  The  Friar,  Mont  Blanc,  Ugly 
Buck,  Kilcock,  Cooksboro',  The  Dodger,  Ballycasey, 
and  many  other  good  horses.  Leaving  Moatfield, 
owing  to  Ill-health,  he  settled  In  Cheshire.  Then'ce 
we  find  him  bringing  over  such  horses  as  the  flat  racer 
Joey  Ladle,  Tom  Thumb,  and  Doctor  De  Jongh  (horses 
that  had  never  seen  an  Irish  bank),  to  win  the  Down- 
shire  and  Drogheda  Plate,  at  Punchestown,  in  1868, 
and  several  other  races.  But,  becoming  afflicted  with 
rheumatic  gout  till  almost  a  cripple,  Mr.  Moore 
again  gave  up  the  horses,  and  contributed  some 
of  the  highest  priced  animals  sold  at  the  great 
Combermere  sale  of  1870.  Intending  to  fall  back  on 
a  warmer  climate,  but  having  some  horses  still  in  Ire- 
land, and  many  friends  whom  he  wished  to  see,  he, 
with  great  difficulty  and  pain,  came  across  the 
channel,  and  found  himself  In  the  cheery  company 
of  his  old  friend,  Allen  M'Donogh,  at  Athgarvan 
Lodge ;  where  In  a  few  days  the  change  of  scene,  and 
the  air  of  the  far-famed  Curragh,  so  rekindled  the  old 
fire,  that  he  decided  on  taking  Jockey  Hall,  and  form- 
ing the  present  formidable  stable.  I  need  not  dwell 
upon  the  great  success  of  his  undertaking,  but  I  may 


342  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

observe  that  last  year  the  stable  won  (with  fourteen 
winning  horses)  forty  races,  the  sum  realised  amount- 
ing to  the  handsome  total  of;^4,3i2 — -^1,860  being 
spoil  from  the  Saxon. 

This  worthy  sportsman  may  now  be  seen  in  good 
health,  perfectly  free  from  his  old  enemy,  still  enjoy- 
ing a  burst  with  foxhounds,  when  scent  lies  and  the 
pace  is  good,  with  all  the  keen  enjoyment  of  an  Irish 
foxhunter  of  the  good  old  school,  who  ever  scorned 
to  look  for  a  start  till  the  hounds  were  on  the  line, 
and  never  pressed  the  puzzled  pack  while  working  out 
that  wonderful  riddle,  scent. 

Being  of  such  quality,  is  it  astonishing  that  Mr. 
Moore  and  his  belongings  occupy  a  front  place  among 
Irish  sportsmen  ?  In  wishing  him  many  more  pleasant 
years  amongst  them,  I  only  share  the  feeling  which  is 
deep  in  the  hearts  of  the  countrymen  of  a  fine  hale 
Irish  gentleman,  of  the  true  old  stock. 


MR.    ALLEN    M'dONOGH.  343 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

MR.     ALLEN     m'DONOGH. 

As  I  have  promised  to  record  in  it  the  "  doings  "  of 
the  most  remarkable  patrons  of  field-sports,  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  those  who  honour  my  maiden  essay  as  an 
author  with  their  kind  support,  I  think  this  work  would 
be  deficient,  were  on  its  pages  not  inscribed,  in  a 
very  special  way,  the  name  of  Mr.  Allen  M'Donogh. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  noted  of  the  many  sporting 
celebrities  who  have,  by  their  straightforward  con- 
duct, their  love  of  sport,  and  their  wonderful  feats  in 
the  saddle,  tended  to  make  Irish  sportsmen  famous 
throughout  the  world.  Mr.  M'Donogh  was  born,  in 
1808,  at  Willmont,  one  mile  from  Portumna,  in  the 
County  of  Galway.  When  a  mere  boy,  he  evinced  an 
ardent  love  for  silk  and  scarlet  and  out-door  sports  of 
all  kinds.  His  father,  although  he  never  raced  a 
horse,  always  kept  a  stud  of  good  hunters.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  notice  remembers  to  have  seen,  when  very 
young,  eight  of  his  father's  horses  (value  for  at  least 
^800),  shot  one  morning,  owing  to  their  being  affected 
by  that  terrible  malady,  glanders,  then  much  more 
prevalent  than  now.  When  he  was  eight  years  old, 
Mr.  M'Donogh's  father  died,  and  a  few  years  afterwards 
he  was  sent  to  Tullamore  College,  to  be  inducted  into 
a  knowledge  of  syntax  and  prosody,  but  he  evidently 
preferred  Diana  to  all  the  gods  and  goddesses  he  met 
with  in  his  classical  readings.  He  was  no  sooner  in 
the  academy  than  he  became  "  home  sick ;"  and,  long- 
ing for  his  equine  and  canine  pets,  and  to  "  tread  once 


344  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

more  his  native  heath,"  he,  three  days  after  his  arrival 
there,  "  stole  away,"  and  walked  thirty-two  miles  back 
to  his  home,  where  he  arrived  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  and  fearing  to  meet  his  relatives,  he  lay  down  in 
the  pleasure-grounds,  where  he  was  found  some 
hours  afterwards  asleep.  He  was  then  sent  to 
Shinrone,  where  he  finished  his  school-days.  When 
a  boy,  he  used  to  spend  most  of  his  time  with  his 
neighbour  and  uncle,  Mr.  Doolan  of  Derry  Lodge, 
Shinrone,  who  owned  Paddy  from  Cork,  Nabocklish, 
and  other  good  chasers,  and  kept  a  pack  of  harriers. 
Mr.  M'Donogh  was  generally  either  in  the  kennel,  the 
stable,  or  the  pig-skin.  In  treating  of  him  as  a  horseman, 
I  may  say  that  he  met  with  few  equals  in  his  many  ex- 
ploits on  the  race-course  or  in  the  hunting-field.  He  is  a 
real  artist,  and  combines  an  elegant  seat,  with  fine 
hands,  quick  eye  for  a  country,  and  he  never  loses  his 
head  ;  no  matter  how  great  the  difficulty  or  exciting  the 
finish,  "Allen  "  was  always  as  "  cool  as  a  cucumber." 
He  adopted  the  Chiffney  secret  of  riding  to  a  nicety. 
You  may  have  never  heard  of  the  *'  Chiffney  secret," 
so  I  will  tell  you  of  it.  Some  years  ago,  a  person 
advertised  in  The  Field,  "  Chiffney  Secret  of  Riding," 
price  los.  6d.  The  proprietor  of  the  paper  did  not 
suspect  any  fraud,  and  several  others  were  equally 
"sold,"  when  having  enclosed  the  money,  expecting 
to  receive  in  return  a  book  on  horsemanship,  they  got 
instead  the  following  brief  advice: — 

"  The  Chiffney  Secret  of  Riding. 

"  Your  head  and  your  heart  keep  boldly  up, 

Your  hands  and  your  heels  keep  down, 

Your  legs  close  in  to  your  horse's  sides, 

And  your  elbows  close  to  your  own."'^ 

-•■  Jack  Haslin,  an  Irish  celebrity  (D.  Wynn's  instructor),  used  to 
say,  "  Hands  low,  elbows  close,  and  a  stiff, shin." 


MR.    ALLEN    M'DONOGH.  345 

The  first  cap  and  jacket  Mr.  M'Donogh  wore  was 
when  he  rode  Hugo  de  Lacy  for  the  Hunt  Cup,  at 
Tipperary,  for  Mr.  Doolan.  He  then  weighed  only 
5St.,  and  won.  His  first  racer  was  a  mare  named 
Gulnare.  At  sixteen  years  of  age  he  won  a  steeple- 
chase on  her  at  Loughrea.  He  subsequently  bought 
Rakeaway;  and  he  soon  brought  back  some  of  the 
purchase-money  by  winning  £60  at  Athlone,  after  a 
terribly  severe  race  of  four  four-mile  heats.  Mr. 
M'Donogh  was  very  ill  at  the  time,  and  was  so 
exhausted  after  the  last  heat,  that  he  had  to  be  assisted 
back  to  the  scales.  He  rode  Rakeaway  in  1834  for 
the  Corinthians  at  Loughrea,  but  Avas  beaten.  In 
1835,  Nimrod  and  Rakeaway  were  his  only  horses, 
and  he  steered  them  both  for  a  couple  of  times,  but 
not  to  victory.  In  the  following  year,  Gipsy,  Orleans, 
Sir  William,  and  Now-or-never  comprised  his  stud. 
At  the  Curragh  June  Meeting,  on  Gipsy,  los.  ylb.,  he 
beat  Mr.  Powell's  Majorum  in  a  match,  two-mile  heats, 
for  50  sovs.  each  PP.  ;  and  on  the  last  day  of  that 
same  re-union,  he  defeated  a  large  field  for  the  Corin- 
thians on  Orleans,  a  horse  by  Alcaston,  or  Philip  I. 
In  August,  a  three  days'  meeting  was  held  at  Howth, 
called  "  The  Howth  Park  Meeting."  There  were 
four  races,  all  run  in  heats,  decided,  and  no  person 
was  allowed  to  ride  except  members  of  the  Howth 
Racing  Club,  or  gentlemen  qualified  as  for  the  Corin- 
thians at  the  Curragh.  The  piece  de  resistance  was  the 
St.  Lawrence  stakes,  of  10  sovs.  each,  100  added,  one 
mile  and  a-half  heats.  The  first  heat  was  won  by  Mr. 
M'Donogh  on  Orleans,  beating  the  late  Lord  Howth 
on  Emu,  after  a  close  finish  ;  Mr.  Parson's  Persse  was 
third  on   Mr.   Knox's  Zora.      The   second  and  final 


34^  IRISH    SPORT   AND    SPORTSMEN. 

heats  were  won  by  Lord  Howth's  Delirium  (Mr. 
Mayne)  easily.  Sir  William  carried  his  owner  to  the 
fore  in  a  couple  of  races  at  Loughrea,  and  for  one 
at  Castlebar,  but  Now-or-never  failed  to  gain  a 
"  bracket "  that  year,  but  he  subsequently  won 
four  years  in  succession  the  Ormond  Hunt  Cup. 
Sir  William  made  two  unsuccessful  essays  in  1837. 
He  was  a  beautiful  chestnut  horse  by  Welcome, 
a  perfect  fencer,  but  a  very  erratic  customer,  lie 
won  several  valuable  steeple-chases  in  England. 
On  one  occasion,  in  a  race  which  came  off  at 
Neston,  near  Chester,  he  beat  a  large  field  of 
first-class  chasers,  though  he  fell,  and  dragged  Mr. 
M'Donogh  fully  a  hundred  yards.  Shortly  after- 
wards he  ran  him  for  a  race  at  Dunchurch  ;  and  he  was 
g^oing  wonderfully  well,  when,  at  the  end  of  the  second 
mile,  a  man  named  Ball  rode  at  him,  and  knocked  him 
over.  Captain  Lamb,  owner  of  the  Great  Vivian,  was 
at  the  place  where  the  contrdeinps  took  place,  and  saw 
that  Ball  had  ridden  deliberately  at  Mr.  M'Donogh. 
He  pursued  him  for  fully  a  mile,  overhauled  him,  gave 
him  his  deserts — a  good  horse- whipping.  That  night, 
when  Mr.  M'Donogh  was  lying  in  bed,  suffering  from 
a  broken  collar-bone  and  two  fractured  ribs,  the  result 
of  the  fall,  Mr.  John  Elmore,  the  well-known  dealer, 
visited  him,  and  purchased  Sir  William  for ^350.  A 
few  days  afterwards  Lord  Cranstown  bought  him  for 
;^  1,000,  and  matched  him  against  Lord  Suffield's  Jerry 
for  ^1,000  a  side,  four  miles,  over  the  Quorn  country. 
Sir  William  could  not  be  managed  by  strange  hands. 
Many  first-class  horsemen  were  put  on  him,  but  he 
mastered  them  all.  The  match  was  made  on  a  Mon- 
day ;  on  the  Thursday  evening  following  a  messenger. 


MR.    ALLEN   M'DONOGH.  347 

all  the  way  from  Melton,  arrived  at  Wlllmont  with 
a  letter  from  the  late  Lord  Howth.      His  Lordship 
explained  matters,  and  entreated  Mr.  M'Donogh  to  go 
over,  to  use  his  own  words,  "  to  get  them  out  of  the 
hole."     It  was  a  long  journey  in  those  days,  when 
there  were  no  railway  lines ;  however,  he  went,  arrived 
in  Leicester  on  the  following  Sunday,  saw  that  the 
horse  was  in  "blooming  condition,"  and  got  on  his 
back.    Sir  William  showed  a  good  deal  of  temper,  but 
after  a  length  of  time  he  got  him  over  a  couple  of 
small  fences.     The  course  was  an  ugly  one — post  and 
rails,  razor-backed  banks,  and  water,  were  to  be  met 
with  in  the  line.  As  was  generally  the  case  in  these  days, 
the  track  was  from  one  windmill  to  another.     There 
was  an  immense  assemblage  of  the  "  rank  and  fashion," 
indeed  of  people  of  all  classes,  to  witness  the  contest. 
Jerry  was  favourite,  and  trusted  to  the  guidance  of 
Jem  Mason,  who  sent  him  to  the  front  the  moment 
the  flag  was  lowered,  to  the  delight  of  Mr.  M'Donogh, 
who  was  afraid  to  make  play,  fearing  that  his  horse 
would  baulk.     The  first  fence  was  a  nice  bush-fly,  and 
when  Jerry  came  to  it,  he  wheeled  right  across  Sir 
William,  who  went  straight,  flew  it  like  a  bird,  and 
won  in  a  walk.    This  took  place  in  1839,  and  in  a  year 
afterwards  Jerry  won  the  Liverpool  Grand  National, 
beating  twelve  competitors.    I  should  have  mentioned 
that,  in  1838,  Mr.  M'Donogh  had  a  trio  in  training, 
My  Lady,  Fracture,  and  Bolivar ;  on  the  last-named, 
a  useful  son  of  Tramp,  he  won  the  Battersby  Whip, 
with  105  sovs.,  and  the  Vaughan  Goblet,  with  155  sovs., 
at  Howth,  but  neither  of  the  others  brought  "grist  to 
the  mill"  that  season. 

During  the  next  four  years  he  had  no  horses  in 


348  IRISH:   SPQRT    AXD    SPORTSMEN. 

training,  and  rode  but  few  races.     In  1843,  the  only; 
win  he  scored  in  Ireland  was  on  Tidings,  a  mare  be-, 
longing  to  Mr.  Richard  Connolly  of  New  Haggard, 
Trim.     It  was  the  Hunt  Race  at  Trim,  of  50  sovs.; 
added,  four  miles  over  the  old  Ashbourne  course,  i2st. 
each.     Captain  Armit  was  second  on  Field-Fare.     On 
the  same  day,    Mr.    M'Donogh   rode  the   celebrated 
Peter  Simple  for  the  Kilrue  Cup,  and  this  race  is  one' 
of  the  most  memorable  to  be  found  recorded  in  the 
^*  Calendar,"  so  long   associated  with   the   name  of. 
Hunter.      It  was    a  sweepstakes    of   10   sovs.   each, 
^100  added,  for  all  horses  carrying  i2st.,4lbs.  allowed 
to  mares  and  geldings,   four  miles  '*  over  a  sporting- 
country,"  or   what   would   now  be   considered  a  very; 
ugly  one.     Mr.  Preston  was  on  his  famous  Brunette  ; 
Milo  was  ridden  by  Wynne,  the  immortal  '*  Denny;" 
Blueskin  did  battle  for  Lord  Waterford  ;  Captain  For- 
rester was    on   Lady   Longford,  Mr.    Rutherford   on 
Paddy  Whack ;   Mr.  Preston  had  a  second  string  to 
his  bow  in  Morning  Star  ;  Mr.  "  Charlie  "  Lockwood 
piloted  Teetotum ;  Mr.  Peter  Alley,  of  Ward  Hunt  re- 
nown, Post  Boy.     Mr.   D'Arcy's   Mischief  and  Mr. 
Davies'  Regulator  also  ran.     Mr.  M'Donogh  backed 
his  mount  for  a  "century,"  and  took^ioo  to^20  that 
he  would  not  be  "headed"  after  jumping   the  first 
fence.    Peter  Simple,  of  course,  went  to  front,  and  made 
the  pace  a  "  cracker,"  but  before  he  reached  the  third 
obstacle,  Denny  Wynne  shot  past  him  on  Milo,  so  the 
wager  was  lost.     Many  said  if  Mr.  M'Donogh  had  not 
made  that    bet    he  would    have   won.     As    it    was, 
Brunette  did  win,  Milo  was  second,  and  Peter  Simple 
third.     In  1844,    the  subject  of  this   memoir  went  to 
reside   with    Mr.     Preston,    at   Bellinter.      However, 


MR.    ALLEN    M'DONOGH.  349 

during-  that  year  he  was  remarkably  lucky.  He  won 
the  Westmeath  Urn  on  Brunette,  beating  Tidings  and 
Sam  Slick. 

On  the  20th  March,  at  the  Kildare  Hunt  meeting, 
he  won  the  Ponsonby  Bowl  on  Major  Woodhouse's 
Kilfane,  beating  Paddy  Whack  and  four  others.  A 
few  days  afterwards,  he  won  the  Kilrue  Cup  on 
Brunette,  defeating  Mr.  Simpson's  Albert,  Mr.  Alley's 
Desperate,  Captain  Burnett's  Mameluke,  Captain 
Watt's  Eber,  Captain  Dyson's  Gondorf,  and  Mr.  Matt 
Dunne's  Fanny  Elssler.  During  the  race,  a  heavy 
snow  shower  fell,  and  almost  blinded  the  riders  ;  near 
home  Fanny  Elssler  ran  against  a  post  and  fell.  Mr. 
Dunne  was  riding  her ;  and  he  often  assured  me  that 
he  would  have  beaten  Brunette  but  for  the  mishap. 
Fanny  Elssler  won  the  Kilrue  Cup  in  1848  and  1850. 
In  the  month  of  April,  Mr.  M'Donogh,  on  Brunette, 
won  the  Foxhunter's  Stakes,  at  the  Ormond  and 
King's  County  meeting;  a  few  days  afterwards  a 
valuable  stake  at  Limerick,  beating  Mathew  (winner 
of  the  Grand  National),  Fencer,  and  Victor.  In  June, 
the  Hurdle  race  (2nd  class)  at  the  Curragh,  on  Mr. 
Preston's  Great  Wonder,  Lord  Waterford's  Firefly, 
and  Mr.  Ferguson's  Fireaway,  being  his  only  oppo- 
nents. At  the  Curragh  October  Meeting  following,  he 
*'  landed"  the  Corinthian  on  Fireaway.  A  week  after 
that,  when  piloting  Brunette  for  the  New  Melton  Stakes 
atCahir,he  got  a  severe  fall  andBlueskin  won.  Notwith- 
standing some  injuries  sustained,  a  few  hours  after  the 
accident  Mr.  M'Donogh  won  a  sweepstakes  on  Mr.  Pres- 
ton's Mountain  Flare.  During  the  following  year  he 
did  wonders  for  Mr.  Preston.  He  won  for  him  the 
Hunt  race  at  the  Kilrue  National  Steeplechases,  on 

23 


350  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Norma,  a  daughter  of  New  Fashions,  and  on  the  same 
mare  the  Kell's  Challenge  Cup,  defeating  Mr.  Alley's 
The  Breeze,    and  Mr.    Barnwall's   De   Freyne.      At 
this   time   Brunette    was    in    her    "hey-day."       She 
began  the  year  well  by  winning  the  Kilrue  Cup  (for 
the  third  time  in  succession),  beating  ten  good 'uns, 
including   Mathew,    St.    Leger,    Sam    Slick,    Fanny 
Elssler,  and  the  Switcher.     Soon  after  this  she  won 
the   Foxhunter's    Stakes    at    the    Ormond    Meeting, 
defeating   Myrha    (ridden   by    Sir  George   Douglas), 
Mathew,  and  Saucepan.      Her  next  appearance  on  a 
race- course  was  at  Mullingar,  where  she  won  the  West- 
meath   Challenge  Urn,   value   loo  gs.,  with  40  sovs. 
added.     Sam  Slick  was  her  only  opponent.     Then  she 
easily  defeated  St.  Leger  for  the  Trim  Gold  Cup,  and 
on  that    day   week    the   wonderful   daughter   of   Sir 
Herculeus  ran  third  for  a  sweepstakes  at  Lucan.    The 
"  talent  "  looked  upon  the  race  as  a  certainty  for  her. 
All  the  runners  except  herself  fell,  and  Mr.  M'Donogh 
was  walking  in  a  winner  when,  to  his  utter  astonish- 
ment, the  remounted  Sam  Slick  shot  past  him  and  won. 
Mr.  M'Donogh  was  not    much    to   blame ;    as    often 
occurs,  it  was  a  case  of   "caught  napping."     How- 
ever, some  of  those  who  backed  Brunette  were  greatly 
annoyed,  made  unpleasent  remarks,  and  one  of  them 
went  so  far  as  to  strike  her  rider.     In  the  month  of 
September,  she  won  the  New  Melton  Stakes,  value  215 
sovs.,  at  Cahir,  beating  Regalia  and  Saucepan.    A  few 
days  following  Sam  Slick  (i2st.  3lb.)  beat  her,  carry- 
ing i2st.  51b.,  for  the  Rock  Stakes  at  Cashel,  after  a 
severely  contested  race.  The  same  day  Mr.  M'Donogh 
won  the  County  Plate  on  The  Disowned ;  but  in  the 
next  race  he  did  not  fare  so  well,  as  he  rode  Mountain 


MR.    ALLEN    m'dONOGH  35 1 

Hare,  and  when  going  at  an  up  bank,  an  old  woman 
ran  across  him  and  caused  the  horse  to  come  down 
a  "cropper."  Two  of  Mr.  M'Donogh's  ribs  were 
broken,  and  he  was  very  severely  shaken.  Lord 
Waterford  sent  him  to  Cashel  in  his  carriage,  and  two 
doctors  attended  him.  To  the  astonishment  of  all  who 
knew  the  nature  of  the  injuries  he  had  sustained,  he 
won  the  Commissioners'  Plate  next  day,  for  which 
Saucepan,  Regalia,  and  Love-Letter  ran,  on  Brunette. 
A  filly  of  his,  by  Harkaway,  from  Coquino,  won  the 
second  class  of  the  Harriers'  Stakes  that  year,  and  I 
believe  he  was  part  owner  of  Osprey,  a  filly  by  Bird- 
catcher,  out  of  Emily,  entered  for  all  her  engagements 
in  Mr.  Preston's  name.  She  was  second  for  the 
Angleseys,  for  which  a  baker's  dozen  competed, 
including  Chanticleer  (the  favourite;,  Flirtaway,  Lizzie 
(by  Harkaway),  and  Erin-go-bragh.  Bell  came  over 
from  England  and  rode  her.  He  thought  he  was 
winning  easily,  when  Jacques  came  with  a  tremendous 
rush  on  Lord  Howth's  Mermaid,  and  "nailed"  him  on 
the  post.  Bell,  knowing  his  mistake,  was  so  sorry  that 
he  declined  to  accept  any  payment  for  the  mount. 
Osprey  ran  for  the  Epsom  Oaks,  and  two  distances 
from  home  she  looked  so  like  winning  that  Mr. 
M'Donogh,  thinking  that  it  was  "  all  over  but  the 
shouting,"  threw  his  hat  on  high  ;  but,  like  some 
others,  he  lost  his  money  and  his  chapeau,  as 
she  "cut  it"  at  the  finish,  and  Mendicant 
won.  Twenty-four  ran.  Osprey  performed  very 
badly  afterwards.  Great  as  were  the  triumphs  of 
Mr.  M'Donogh  and  Brunette  in  1845,  they  were 
equally  successful  in  1846,  when  he  rode  her  for 
all    her   races,   except    when    she    finished    third    to 


352  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Red  Vixen  and  Fairy  Queen,  for  the  Mare's 
Plate,  in  September,  at  the  Curragh.  She  won 
the  Foxhunter's  Stakes  at  Ormond,  beating  Mathew, 
Firefly,  and  Fireaway.  She  subsequently  won  the 
Kilrue  Cup  carrying  i2st.  ylb.  ;  St.  Leger,  5  yrs. 
1 2 St.,  was  second;  Mathew,  aged,  list.  81b.,  third; 
Miss  Tisdall,  Blister,'  and  Stoleaway,  were  beaten 
off. 

Great  was  the  astonishment  of  turfites  when,  soon 
after  these  performances,  Saucepan,  ridden  by  Mr. 
William  M'Donogh,  beat  her  at  Cashel.  This  was  the 
mare's  last  race  that  year.  In  1847,  she  ran  for  the 
Liverpool  Grand  National,  and  Mr.  M'Donogh  ac- 
cepted ^10,000  to  ^100  about  her  winning.  She  was 
as  fit  as  the  proverbial  fiddle  when  leaving  Worcester 
for  Liverpool,  and  was  conveyed  there  in  a  van,  and 
arrived  safely  the  Saturday  before  the  race.  Early 
next  morning,  the  boy  who  had  care  of  her  came  to 
Mr.  M'Donogh  and  told  him  that  she  was  amiss.  He 
immediately  went  to  see  her,  and  noticed  that  she 
seemed  to  be  hungry,  starving  in  fact,  and  chewed  hay 
and  corn  but  could  not  swallow  it,  owing  to  an  affec- 
tion in  the  throat.  He  telegraphed  to  a  very  intimate 
friend  of  his  to  come  to  him  at  once.  Consultation 
with  his  friend  gave  little  satisfaction,  as  the 
busy  tongue  of  rumour  had  driven  the  mare  to 
100  to  I,  and  Mr.  M'Donogh,  like  Sternes  Starling, 
found  he  could  not  get  out.  About  twelve  o'clock 
the  night  before  the  Grand  National,  when  Mr. 
M'Donogh  had  been  some  time  in  bed,  the  servant 
came  and  told  him  that  a  gentleman  wanted  to  see 
him  on  very  important  business;  he  was  naturally 
opposed    to     having    an     interview    with     any    one 


MR.    ALLEN    m'dONOGH.  353 

under  the  circumstances ;  but  he  consented,  and  was 
surprised  to  find  that  the  visitorwas  his  friend,  Mr.  Dycer. 
He  said,  "  Is  it  true  Brunette  has  gone  wrong  ?  If  so, 
I'll  be  ruined.  I  have  ^2,000  on  her,  and  to-night  I  bet 
another^2,ooo  that  she  'd  start."  Mr.  Dycer's  feel- 
ings may  be  imagined  when  he  heard  the  truth. 
However,  Mr.  M'Donogh  consoled  him  to  a  certain 
extent,  by  assuring  him  that  if  he  could  not  get  off  the 
bet,  the  mare  would  go  to  the  post,  even  if  it  were 
necessary  to  carry  her  to  it.  Immediately  after  Mr. 
Dycer  had  left  the  room,  another  gentleman  was 
announced  ;  and,  strange  to  say,  it  was  the  person  with 
whom  Mr.  Dycer  had  the  wager  as  to  the  mare  run- 
ning. He  offered  to  give  Mr.  M'Donogh  ^1,000  if 
the  mare  did  not  start.  I  need  scarcely  say  that  the 
tempting  offer  was  refused.  On  "  the  morning  of  the 
day,"  the  mare  blundered  over  a  couple  of  small  fences, 
and  appeared  to  be  unable  either  to  gallop  or  jump. 
However,  she  started,  and  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
behind  when  jumping  the  brook  opposite  to  the  stand. 
The  spectators,  who  did  not  know  or  would  not  believe 
that  there  was  something  wrong  with-  her,  hissed  and 
hooted.  Warming  to  her  work,  she  made  up  lost 
ground  rapidly,  actually  jumped  the  last  hurdle  with 
the  leader,  and  finished  a  good  fourth  to  Mathew.  She 
certainly  would  have  won  easily  had  she  been  fit.  She 
was  engaged  in  the  Warwick  Steeplechase  run  a  fort- 
night afterwards.  Mr.  M'Donogh  put ^100  on  her  at 
20  to  I.  The  ground  was  rather  hard,  one  of  the  fences 
was  a  very  nasty  drop,  and  knowing  that  the  mare 
was  shaky  on  her  "understandings,"  he  was  afraid  of 
her  breaking  down.     Consequently  he  asked  a  noble 


354  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

lord,  who  was  one  of  the  stewards,  to  have  some  tan 
put  on  the  landing  side  of  this  fence.  "  Oh,  no,"  he 
said,  "  you  want  to  have  the  ground  soft  for  your  old 
crock."  Ilis  Lordship  had  a  horse  in  the  race ;  he 
was  backed  for  a  "pile"  of  money  ;  and  at  this  very 
fence,  first  time  round,  he  fell  on  landing,  so  that  his 
Lordship,  perhaps,  by  not  saving  the  crock  upset  the 
pot.  At  this  fence,  second  time  round,  Mr.  Preston's 
mare  broke  down,  and  ended  her  racing  career.  She 
certainly  was  a  "  clinker."  Mr.  M'Donogh  won  nine- 
teen races  on  her,  including  the  Hunt  Cup  at  Birr, 
Hunt  Cup  at  Cahir,  and  Hunt  Cup  at  Cashel,  two 
years  in  succession.  She  won  the  Kilrue  Cup  four 
times  in  succession,  ridden  three  times  by  Mr. 
M'Donogh.  Never  did  horse  and  rider  understand 
each  other  better  ;  their  confidence  was  reciprocal ; 
and  long  after  the  hand  that  pens  these  lines  returns 
to  the  dust,  "Allen  "  M'Donogh  and  Brunette  will  be 
remembered  in  Ireland,  and  stories  related  of  their 
wonderful  achievements.  She  was  a  dark  brown,  about 
15-2  high,  with  great  depth  of  girth,  and  powerful 
quarters,  and  was  more  remarkable  for  gameness  and 
brilliant  fencing  than  speed.  She  had  a  few  foals  ; 
but,  strange  to  say,  none  of  them  were  good.  Indeed, 
I  think  they  never  started,  as  they  were  tried  and  found 
wanting. 

One  of  the  most  marvellous  feats  of  horsemanship 
on  record,  was  performed  by  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphy, and  occurred  when  he  was  riding  Sailor  for 
the  principal  race  at  Bandon,  in  the  spring  of  1835. 
Ten  started  for  it,  including  Monarch  and  Valentine, 
both  great  chasers.  Sailor,  when  leading,  fell  at  the 
fourth  last  fence,  Mr.  M'Donogh  very  narrowly  escaped 


MR.    ALLEN    M'DONOGH. 


355 


being    killed     by  Monarch ;    however,   he    was    up 
and  in  the  saddle  without  much  delay.  In  the  struggle 
to  get  Sailor  on  his  legs  again,  the  head-stall  of  the 
bridle  broke,  and  the  bit,  of  course,  dropped  out  of 
the  horse's  mouth  ;  but  his  plucky  pilot  determined 
to  go  on.     Mr.   M'Donogh  steered  Sailor  with   gear 
•  as  imperfect  as  that  employed  by  our  lamented  Nes- 
tor, Admiral    Rous,    when    he  saved    His   Majesty's 
good    ship,     the  "  Pique."      The   first  fence  he    met 
after    the    misadventure    was    a    drop    into    a  very 
narrow  lane,  with  a  small  bank  on  the  opposite  side ; 
fearing  that  the  horse  would  bolt  if  he  jumped  him 
into  the  lane,  he  turned  the  whip  on  him  and  sent  him 
at  it  as  fast  as  he  could  go.  Sailor  jumped  from  field  to 
field ;   M'Donogh  got  him  safely  over  the  last  fence, 
guiding  him  with  his  bridle  in  his  left,  and  whip  in 
right  hand.      The  rider  of  Valentine,  seeing  the  awk- 
ward predicament  he  was  in,  endeavoured  to  run  him 
out  at   the  last  turn,  but  failed,  and  he  won  by  four 
lengths,  amidst  a  scene  of  the  greatest  enthusiasm. 
The  great  difficulty  then  was  to  pull  him  up.  The  first 
fence  he  met  after  passing  the  post  was  a  four-foot- 
wall,  which  he  jumped ;  the  next  was  another  wall 
still  higher,  which  he  also  leaped ;  he  then  went  into 
a  field  surrounded  by  a  thick  hedge,  and  after  some 
time,  the  country  people  succeeded  in  stopping  him. 
Never  was  a  more  cordial  ovation  accorded  to  a  man 
than  to  Mr.  M'Donogh  that  day;   the  cheering  con- 
tinued for  a  length  of  time,  and  the  people  hoisted  him 
on  their  shoulders  and  carried  him  about  the  course. 
The  following  day  he  rode  Sailor  for  a  steeplechase. 
The  horse  fell  going  through  a  gap,  and  injured  his 
head  so  severely  that  some  of  the  brain  was  actually 


356  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN.  • 

visible.  He  recovered  ;  but  for  a  long  time  after  the 
occurrence  he  was  almost  mad.  Heretofore,  as  he  was  a 
rather  good-tempered  animal,  I  believe,  Mr.  Elmore 
bought  him  for  ^300,  and  sold  him  soon  afterwards 
for  ^1,000.  Mr.  M'Donogh,  about  this  time,  used  to 
hunt  a  good  deal  in  England ;  and  though  he  seldom 
gave  high  prices  for  his  horses,  he  was  invariably  well- 
mounted  and  well-known  in  the  shires  as  being  "a  first 
flight"  man  in  the  days  when  the  Marquis  of  Water- 
ford,  Sir  David  Baird,  Lord  Macdonald,  Assheton 
Smith,  Lords  Clanricarde,  Suffield,  and  Strathmore, 
Fred.  Gardiner,  Sir  Francis  Goodricke,  Mr.  Mostyn, 
Mr.  Villiers,  Mr.  G.  H.  Moore,  Captain  Beecher,  Lord 
Eglinton,  Captain  Lamb,  Sir  Frederick  Johnstone,  Mr. 
Powell,  Mr.  William  M'Donogh,  Mr.  Val.  Maher,  John 
Elmore,  Billy  Bean,  Tom  Olliver,  and  Jem  Mason, 
were  in  their  "palmiest  days."  It  often  occurred, 
when  the  sport  w^as  not  very  good  with  the  hounds, 
to  wind  up  with  a  steeplechase  over  the  "Vale."  One 
bad  scenting-day,  Mr.  M'Donogh  was  riding  Cigar, 
when,  about  six  miles  from  Northampton,  the  Marquis 
of  Waterford  proposed  to  have  a  race,  a  sweepstakes 
of  10  sovs.  each,  and  ten  entered.  The  country  over 
which  they  ran  was  very  big,  distance  five  miles,  and 
a  church-steeple  the  winning-post.  Cigar  made  all 
the  running,  jumped  twenty-nine  feet  over  a  brook, 
and  won.  That  evening,  a  distinguished  circle  of 
friends  dined  together  in  Northampton  ;  and  after 
dinner  an  incident  occurred — one  of  many  I  could 
relate — which  showed  the  good  nature  of  our  sports- 
man. When  returning  thanks,  after  his  health  had  been 
drunk:  he  said,  "Gentlemen,  this  is  a  very  happy 
moment  for  me,  but  not  so  for  poor  Tom  Olliver,  as" 


MR.    ALLEN    M'DONOGH.  357 

you  are  aware  he  was  arrested  to-day  immediately 
after  the  race,  and  lodged  in  prison  for  debt.  I  pro- 
pose that  we  raise  a  subscription,  and  satisfy  hi!=  cre- 
ditor." The  hat  went  round,  and  about  300  sovs. 
were  immediately  subscribed.  Mr,  M'Donogh  was 
thereby  enabled  to  pay  the  debt,  and  had  the  pleasure 
of  handing  a  balance  of  130  sovs.  to  the  renowned 
"jock."  This  story  reminds  me  of  another,  relative  to 
Tom  Olliver ;  a  pleasing  illustration  of  the  fact  that 
all  true  sportsmen  are  kind-hearted.  The  incident  I 
am  about  to  relate  I  take  the  liberty  of  copying  from 
an  old  sporting  periodical : 

"Jem  Mason,  having  received  from  Tom  Olliver  a 
private  and  confidential  communication  that  he  was 
not  only  in  '  Short-street'  but  entertaining  the  sheriff 
of  the  county,  and  all  he  possessed  between  earth  and 
sky  was  "  Trust-me-not,"  who  had  been  the  cause  of 
this  financial  pressure;  he  asked  him  to  buy  the  horse 
of  him,  so  that  he  might  get  rid  of  his  unwelcome  visitors. 
'  Don't  you  sell  your  horse,'  was  the  reply,  'but  send 
him  to  me  and  I  will  win  you  a  race  ;'  and  the  advice 
was  accompanied  by  a  fiver  for  the  railway  fare.  The 
added  money  brought  the  horse  to  Harlesden  Green, 
where  he  was  entered  for  a  small  steeplechase,  for 
which  Jem  paid  the  stake.  The  horse  came  on  the 
ground  with  a  terrific  bit,  which,  the  instant  the  rider 
saw,  he  removed,  and  substituted  a  double-rein  snaffle, 
which  Tom  protested  would  never  hold  him.  But  he 
was  told  to  mind  his  own  business,  and  wait  and  see 
his  horse  win,  which  he  did  very  cleverly ;  and  Tom, 
in  his  delight  and  gratitude  for  having  had  a  hundred 
put  into  his  '  kick,'  as  he  termed  it,  took  an  oath  that 
he  would  fight  for  Jem  up  to  his  knees  in  blood  !  a 


358  IRISH    SPORT   AND   SPORTSMEN. 

recog;nition  of  value  received  which  we  do  not  often 
witness  in  this  world.  And  so  much  did  Jem  appre- 
ciate the  compliment  that  he  rode  and  won  for  Tom 
several  steeplechases  afterwards,  taking  a  tremendous 
jump  with  Trust-me-not  at  St.  Albans,  and  breaking 
his  leg  on  him  at  Derby,  where  he  was  ridden  over, 
and  confined  so  long  to  his  bed  that  he  could  not  ride 
Miss  Mowbray  in  the  Liverpool  Steeplechase.  But  in 
Mr.  Goodman  he  found  an  excellent  substitute." 

Mr.  M'Donogh  bought  a  little  horse,  called  Per- 
fection, when  a  two-year-old,  for  14  sovs ;  he  was  by 
Monarch,  out  of  a  Connemara  pony.    He  thought  very 
little  about  him,  until  one  day  the  harriers  were  hunt- 
ing near  Willmont,  and  ran  into  the  field   where  the 
horse  was  ploughing ;   he  kicked  himself  free  of  the 
harness,  and  set  off  after  the  hounds.     He  jumped  a 
wall  about  three  feet  high,  and  then  cleared  the  deer- 
park  wall,  six  feet  six  inches.     The  horsemen  had  to 
make  a  long  detour  to  get  into  the  park,  and  when 
they  overhauled  the  pack,  they  found  them  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  where  they  got  into  the  park ; 
they  had  just  killed  their  hare,   and  Perfection  was 
with  them.    He  was  subsequently  taken  in,  well  cared 
for,  and  hunted  for  a  season.     Mr.  William  M'Donogh, 
alias  "  the  Blazer,"  alias  "  Ould  Muck,"  Allen's  brother, 
one  of  the  best  steeplechase  riders  in  the  world,  was 
stopping  in  Liverpool  during  the  race-week,  when  one 
night    the    topic  of  conversation  was  relative   to  the 
performances  of  Irish  horses  over  walls.     The  upshot 
was,  that  a  well-known  English  sportsman  bet  William 
M'Donogh  that  he  would  not  get  a  horse  to  jump  six 
six-foot   walls   in   fifteen   minutes.     He  accomplished 
the  feat  on  Perfection  in  seven  minutes. 


MR.    ALLEN    M'DONOGH.  359 

A  year  after  that,  Mr.  Allen  M'Donogh  lost  a  large 
sum  of  money  at  Aintree,  and  sold  Perfection  and  two 
hunters  to  Goodman  Levy.  Soon  afterwards,  he  won 
a  steeplechase  at  Banbury  on  Cannon-Ball.  Goodman 
Levy  came  to  him  after  the  race,  and  said :  "  I  have 
that  pony  I  bought  from  you  entered  in  the  next  race, 
will  you  ride  him  for  me?"  He  declined,  saying, 
"Oh,  he  is  only  a  slow  hunter,"  but  after  some  press- 
ing, he  consented,  knowing  he  was  a  good  fencer. 
Sixteen  started,  and  he  won  by  a  field. 

Apropos  of  "Goody"  Levy,  he  was  the  man  who 
had  the  management  of  the  notorious  Running  Rein, 
and  Lord  George  Bentinck  traced  the  guilt  of  that 
nefarious  transaction  home  to  him.  His  Lordship, 
knowing  that  the  horse's  legs  had  been  dyed,  endea- 
voured to  find  the  chemist  where  the'' mixture"had  been 
purchased.  He  suspected  Levy  to  be  connected  with 
the  attempted  swindle ;  and  when  his  Lordship  went 
to  Rossi's,  to  make  inquiries,  he  ascertained  that  a 
large  quantity  of  hair-dye  had  been  sold  a  short  time 
previously  to  a  person,  and,  the  proprietor  added, 
"  the  gentleman  ordered  a  second  jar,  and  forgot  to 
pay  for  it."  "Oh!"  immediately  exclaimed  Lord 
George,  "  I  am  sure  of  him  now;  it  must  be  Levy;" 
and  he  brought  Mr.  Rossi  with  him  to  Tattersall's, 
where  he  knew  Levy  was  ;  and  the  moment  the  chemist 
saw  him,  he  identified  him  as  being  the  purchaser  of 
the  dye.  Levy  was  a  passionate  gambler.  He  had 
several  racehorses  at  one  time,  and  won  many  valu- 
able stakes ;    but  he  died  in  poverty. 

After  Perfection  won  the  race  alluded  to,  Mr.  M'Do- 
nogh met  Lord  Cardigan  one  day  in  the  hunting-field  ; 
his  Lordship  asked  him  would  Perfection  be  a  suitable 


360  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

hunter  for  him  ?  He  replied  in  the  negative ;  but  his 
Lordship  gave  a  long  price  for  him.  The  first  day  he 
hunted  him  he  gave  him  three  falls ;  he  then  gave 
him  to  his  brother-officer,  Mr.  De  Burgh.  He  bought 
Augustine  from  Captain  Scott,  of  the  3rd  Dragoon 
Guards,  whose  feats  and  horses  were  well-known 
then,  as  they  are  forgotten  now,  in  this  country,  though 
the  gallant  Captain,  arbiter-general  in  sporting  matters 
in  Australia,  keeps  their  recollection  bright  there  by  his 
performances  amongst  the  Melbourne  turfites.  With 
Augustine,  Mr.  M'Donogh  was  very  unfortunate.  He 
brought  him  with  two  others  to  La  Marche,  and  he 
was  so  sanguine  about  winning  the  principal  steeple- 
chase there,  that  he  refused  1,250  sovs.  for  him  the 
morning  of  the  race.  He  went  to  the  course  himself 
early  in  the  forenoon,  and  told  his  groom  to  follow  an 
hour  afterwards  with  the  horse.  The  servant  did  not 
know  the  way,  some  people  misdirected  him ;  and 
although  the  stewards  were  kind  enough  to  wait  an 
hour  for  him,  he  did  not  arrive  till  the  race  was  over. 
On  the  following  Sunday,  Augustine  started  for  a  race 
at  La  Marche,  and  his  owner  put  500  sovs.  on  him. 
There  was  a  very  nasty  brook,  about  seventeen  feet 
wide,  within  the  circuit,  and  he  said  to  his  jockey, 
Byrne  :  "  Make  the  pace  good,  but  steady  him  coming 
at  this  water-fence  ;  if  you  go  very  fast  at  it,  he  's  sure 
to  fall."  Byrne  did  the  very  reverse,  and  Augustine 
fell.  Monsieur  Delamere  then  purchased  him  for 
;^i,ooo,  and  ran  him  a  few  days  afterwards  for  a 
steeplechase;  Mr.  M'Donogh  again  backed  him  for  a 
large  sum,  and  begged  Monsieur  Delamere  to  allow 
Byrne  to  ride  him,  but  he  refused,  and  put  up  Lamp- 
logh.     The  horse   bolted,  and  fell  over  the  ropes ;  a 


MR.    ALLEN    m'DONOGH.  36 1 

few  days  after  that  he  won  a  large  stake,  but  his  late 
owner  hadn't  a  shilling  on  him.  Mr.  M'Donogh  had 
a  horse  named  Seaman,  and  when  running  in 
at  Warwick,  he  bolted,  lost  fully  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  yet  he  won.  Flyfisher,  another  of  his,  was  a 
great  horse;  he  sold  him  to  Mr.  Murray,  the 
Manchester  dealer,  for  ^600,  and  he  disposed  of  him 
to  Mr.  Powell  for  double  the  money.  Just  after  Mr. 
M'Donogh  parted  with  him,  he  ascertained  that  Lord 
Stamford  would  have  given  ;^  1,000  for  him. 

In  1850,  Mr.  M'Donogh  went  to  reside  at  Athgar- 
van  Lodge,  the  Curragh,  as  desirable  a  residence 
aS  a  sportsman  could  wish  for.  He  kept  a  long 
string  in  training  when  there,  and  his  Nom-de-guerre^ 
Captain  Williams,  generally  appeared  in  the  list  of 
subscribers  to  any  important  Irish  race,  and  not  un- 
frequently  amongst  the  nominators  for  English 
Steeplechases.  He  was  very  unfortunate  with  his  flat 
racers,  and  always  had  a  greater  liking  for  the  illegiti- 
mate pastime  than  racing.  His  horses  always  went 
to  the  post  very  fit,  sometimes  rather  over  done.  He 
compelled  them  to  undergo  a  very  severe  preparation, 
and  consequently  many  promising  youngsters  broke 
down  under  his  severe  discipline.  He  won  a  great  many 
valuable  cross-country  events,  and  all  his  chasers  were 
first-rate  fencers.  They  were  generally  freely  backed  by 
the  public,  who  were  always  sure  of  having  an  honest 
run  for  their  money.  M'Donogh  used  to  import 
ten  or  a  dozen  yearlings  annually  from  Eng- 
land ;  and  his  well-known  figure  was  generally  to  be 
seen  near  Mr.  Tattersall's  rostrum  during  the  St. 
Legerweek,  and  his  cheery  voice  was  heard  at  many 
important  yearling  sales.     He  was,  and  is,  a  capital 


3^2  IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 

judge  of  horses,  whether  racers,  chasers,  hunters,  or 
roadsters.  He  seldom  gave  a  high  price  for  a  yearling. 
The  most  he  ever  gave  was  175  guineas  for  Knight- 
bridge,  a  colt  by  the  Knight  of  Kars,  out  of  Black- 
Cotton,  by  Faugh-a-Ballagh.  He  bought  Red  Wine, 
when  a  foal,  for  ^100,  and  he  was  decidedly  the  best 
two-year-old  of  his  year  in  Ireland,  and  won  the 
Nursery  Stakes,  Waterford  Testimonials,  the  Kir- 
warlins,  and  Ballymanus  Stakes,  and  ran  second  to 
Dora  for  the  Angleseys.  He  was  a  moderate  three- 
year-old.  Another  good  horse  he  got  for  sm.all  money 
was  Switch,  for  ^75  ;  Cameo,  by  Cannobie,  out  of 
Camiola,  by  Wind  hound,  he  bought  for  ^15;  his 
hocks  were  so  blemished  that  he  appeared  to  be  incur- 
able. Shortly  after  he  got  him  he  rode  him  across 
the  Curragh  to  where  the  15th  Hussars  were  being 
drilled.  Several  of  the  officers  "chaffed"  him  about 
his  mount,  and  one  asked  if  he  thought  him  a  fit  one 
to  come  and  inspect  them  on.  "  He  beats  anything 
in  the  Regiment  for  a  mile,"  was  the  reply.  "How 
long  will  you  give  us  to  consider  it  ?"  "  Until  this 
evening  ;  and  I'll  bet  you  a  crown  you  don't  come  and 
make  the  match,  and  a  tenner  that  I  win  if  you  do" 
The  match  came  off  next  day,  and  Cameo  won  in  a 
canter.  His  owner  then  put  him  into  training,  and  he 
won  several  valuable  stakes.  In  1 864,  he  ran  for  the 
National  Hunt  Race  at  Punchestown,  and  was  backed 
for  a  great  deal  of  money  ;  soon  after  starting  he  was 
cannoned  against  by  another  horse ;  both  fell,  and  Mr. 
Exshaw,  who  rode  the  son  of  Cannobie  in  the  hurry 
and  excitement  jumped  on  to  the  other  horse,  and  did 
not  discover  his  mistake  until  it  was  too  late  to  catch 
Cameo.     One  of  the  finest  races  ever  seen  in  Punches- 


MR.    ALLEN    m'DONOGH.  363 

town  took  place  on  the  next  day  for  the  Downshire 
Cup  ;  eight  started,  and  there  was  a  grand  "  set 
to"  between  Captain  Ricardo  on  Cameo,  Mr.  George 
Knox  on  Lottery,  and  Mr.  Valentine  on  Mont-pelier, 
Cameo  won  by  a  head,  and  Lottery  beat  Mr.  M'Grane's 
horse  by  a  similar  distance  for  second  honours. 

Mr.  M'Donogh  got  Blush  Rose  in  exchange  for  a 
worthless  hack.  She  was  a  speedy  mare,  and  won  several 
races.     He  appears  to  have  possessed  a  happy  knack  of 
imparting  to  his  pupils  that  perfect  style  of  horseman- 
ship for  which  he  himself  was  proverbial.    Some  of  the 
best  steeplechase  riders  of  the  age  graduated  under 
him,    including   Captain  Ricardo,   Captain  Pritchard 
Raynor,  Mr.  T.  Beasley, Paddy  Gavin,  and  George  Gray. 
Captain  Pritchard  Raynor,  late  5th   Dragoon  Guards, 
was  a  fine  horseman,  and  won   several   steeplechases, 
including  a  few  for  his  preceptor,  and,  moreover,  distin- 
guished himself  highly  on  two  celebrities  bearing  the 
name  of  Blondin,ashe  rode  one  while  walking  on  the  tight 
rope  across  the  Alhambra,  and  the  other  successfully 
round  Punchestown  and  other  courses.    Mr.  M'Donogh 
purchased  Spanish  Lord  when  a  yearling,  at  Lord  Stam- 
ford's sale,  for  20 guineas.  When  a  four-year-old  he  won 
the  Irish  Grand  Military  at  Punchestown,  ridden  by  Cap- 
tain Pritchard  (as  he  was  then  called).     Mr.  M'Donogh 
trained  him  for  that  race.      His  stable-companion,  the 
fashionably-bred  Garde  Civique,  won  the  Conyngham 
Cup  next  day.     Captain  H.  M'Calmont  rode  him,  and 
he  was  not  backed  for  a  shilling  by  his  owner,  who  had 
his    money   on    another    of    his   horses,    Ajax.     Mr. 
M'Donogh  was  second  for  this  race  the  previous  year, 
with   one  of  the  best  chasers  that  ever  carried  the 
''yellow  and   ruby,"  Glenavon,  a  four-year-old.     Mr. 


364  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Garrett  Moore  rode  him,  and  he  was  beaten  cleverly 
by  Chasseur,  a  horse  the  property  of  the  late  Colonel 
Ainslie.  A  very  long  price  was  refused  for  Glenavon 
after  the  race,  ^600,  I  think.  He  broke  down,  and 
never  ran  again.  The  worthy  sportsman  under  notice 
astonished  some  of  the  youngsters  by  the  style  in 
which  he  rode  Fairymount,  a  horse  of  his  own,  by 
Warlike,  forthe"Downshire,"  inPunchestown,  in  1867. 
When  he  walked  out  of  the  dressing-room  in  a  '*  bran  " 
new  jacket,  and  with  a  pair  of  white  kid  gloves  on  (he 
always  wore  kid  gloves  when  riding  a  steeplechase), 
some  junior  sportsmen  were  joking  with  him,  and  I 
well  remember  the  hearty  cheer  accorded  to  him  when, 
putting  his  hand  on  Fairymount' s  wither,  he  said  : 
"Some  of  you,  youngsters,  can't  do  this,  though;" 
and  he  immediately  vaulted  into  the  saddle  (not  a 
bad  performance  for  a  man  in  his  fifty-ninth  year). 
He  was  fifth  in  a  field  of  thirty.  Fairymount  was 
engaged  in  the  Conyngham  Cup,  run  next  day.  His 
owner  thought  it  useless  to  start  him,  but  yielding  to 
the  earnest  solicitation  of  Paddy  Gavin,  he  did  so. 
He  had  much  difficulty  in  getting  a  man  to  ride  him  ; 
at  length,  he  secured  the  services  of  Captain  Hutton. 
Twenty  ran,  and  25  to  i  was  laid  against  Fairy- 
mount ;  he  won  easily.  For  95  sovs.  Mr.  M'Donogh 
purchased  Mr.  Saville's  speedy  miler,  Uhlan,  late  Blue- 
skin.  He  put  him  to  the  jumping  business,  and 
ran  him  for  the  Grand  Stand  Plate  at  Cork  May 
meeting,  1871.  He  backed  him  to  win  ^4,000,  and 
he  started  first  favourite  in  a  field  of  twenty-nine 
runners.  He  was  defeated,  after  a  most  exciting  finish, 
by  an  English  mare,  Captain  Barker's  Aurifera. 
Jones  just  got  her  home  in  front  by  a  length.     Many 


MR.    ALLEN    M'DONOGH.  -^65 

censured  Mr.  T.  Beasley  for  the  manner  in  which  he 
rode  Uhlan,  and  said  that  he  should  have  won.  We 
seldom  see  an  old  head  on  young  shoulders ;  he  had 
not  much  experience  then.  The  course  is  a  circular 
one,  and  it  is  very  difficult  to  steer  clear  in  where  there 
are  so  many  in  the  fray  ;  and  I  think  it  must  have  been 
apparent  to  every  one  who  saw  the  race,  that  several 
were  watching  Uhlan,  and  that  he  was  shut-out  more 
than  once.  He  bungled  over  the  last  hurdle  too  ;  and 
I  coincide  with  many  good  judges  I  have  heard  state, 
that  no  man  could  have  altered  the  result  of  that 
race. 

The  last  time  that  Mr.  M'Donogh  sported  silk  was 
at  Punchestown,  1872.  He  rode  for  a  sweepstakes  of 
25  sovs.  each,  owners  up,  two  miles  and  a  half,  i4St. 
each.  The  result  of  the  race  was  : — Mr.  Sadlier's 
Bismarck,  carried  lolb.  over,  ist;  Mr.  Linde's  Neria, 
2nd  ;  and  Mr.  M'Donogh's  Humming  Bird,  3rd.  For 
some  years  past  he  had  had  no  horses  in  training,  and 
he  seldom  goes  to  a  race-meeting,  though  he  some- 
times backs  his  fancy.  He  is  a  thorough  sportsman. 
Nil  despcrandum  appears  to  be  his  motto.  He  was 
a  good  game-shot,  and  a  devoted  Waltonian,  and 
he  could  "whip  "  a  stream  in  artistic  style.  I  could 
relate  many  incidents  of  remarkable  feats  accom- 
plished by  him  with  the  gun  and  the  fly-rod.  I  will 
just  mention  a  couple.  Many  years  ago  when  shooting 
on  the  mountains,  near  Cashel,  two  deer,  a  buck  and 
doe,  crossed  his  path,  when  his  gun  was  charged  with 
snipe-shot.  They  were  close  together  when  he  fired  ; 
the  doe  fell  dead  on  the  spot,  and  the  other  was  found 
dead  a  mile  further  on.  That  reminds  me  of  a  story  he 
told  me  about  a  pointer  of  his  which  he  had  with  him 

24 


366  IRISH  SPORT  AND  SPORTSMEN. 

that  day.     His  performance  was,  to  say  the  least  of  it, 

a  striking  instance  of  canine  sagacity.     The  grouse 

were  very  wild,  and  he  could  not  get  within  range  at 

all.      After  some  hours  of  fruitless  labour  after  them, 

he  noticed  that  the  dog  went  a  long  distance  before 

him,  made  a  wide  detour,  and  drove  the  birds  back  to 

him,  and  in  this  way  he  got  several  brace. 

He  was  fishing   in   Connemara  for  trout  one  day 

and  rose  a  fine  salmon.     He  missed  him,  and  tried 

every  fly  he   had  without  getting  a  second  chance. 

Having  killed  about  a  dozen  and  a  half  of  good  trout, 

he  repaired  to  his  lodgings,  and  tied  a  fly,  with  which 

he  returned  to  try  conclusions  with  the  salmon.     The 

first  cast  he  made,  he  hooked  him,  and  after  playing 

him  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour  with  light  tackle,  a 

trout-rod,  and  without  net  or  gaff,  he  killed  a  fish 

weighing  24lbs. 

In  1872,  Mr.  M'Donogh  left  Athgarvan  Lodge, 

and  for  some  years  past  he  has  resided  in  Dublin. 

He  always  has  a  few  hunters ;  and  may  frequently  be 

seen  riding  through  town,  or  in  the  Phoenix  Park,  or 

driving  his  well-appointed  trap  and  high-stepper,  and 

sometimes  enjoying  a  day's  fox-hunting  in  Meath  and 

Kildare.     He   is   a  veritable  "  ever-green  ;"   and   it 

would  appear  that  many  happy  days  are  yet  in  store 

for  him  to  enjoy  the  manly  sports  he  loved  so  well : 

"  On  eagle's  wings  immortal  scandals  fly, 
While  virtuous  actions  are  but  born  and  die." 

But  he,  during  a  long  and  eventful  career,  has  pre- 
served a  reputation  unblemished,  a  high  character, 
and  a  good  name.  All  who  know  him,  his  biographer 
included,  hope  that  he  may  **  prosper  in  his  ways," 
and  that  happiness  may  gild  the  last  years  of  the  life 
of  this  "fine  old  Irish  sportsman." 


IRISH    JOCKEYS    AND    RACING    OFFICALS.  367 


OUR  IRISH  JOCKEYS  AND  RACING  OFFICIALS. 

Oh  !  gentlemen,  I'm  much  surprised  you  ask  of  me  to  sing, 
You  know  my  voice,  and  so  you  know  'tis  really  '*  not  the  thing  ; 
But  if  you  choose,  I'll  not  refuse  to  do  the  best  I  can. 
And  what  more  can  I  do,  my  friends,  "  or  any  other  man  ?" 
Chorus — So  push  around  the  wine,  my  boys,  and  fill  your 
glasses  bright, 
And  here's  the  toast,  "The  Irish  Turf,"  our  only 
toast  to-night. 

I  know  you  are  good  sportsmen  all,  and  "  racy  of  the  soil," 
And  most  of  you  I've  often  met  at  Cork  Park  and  Baldoyle ; 
You  must  be  the  right  sort,  my  boys,  and  consequently  then, 
I'll  sing  a  song  as  best  I  can  about  our  Irish  "  racing  men." 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

Each  year  I  have  some  leisure  time,  and  though  but  for  a  while, 
I  see  full  many  a  race  fought  out  in  our  beloved  Green  Isle  ; 
Such  being  the  case,  I  guess,  my  friends,  I  know  a  thing  or  two, 
So,  of  our  Irish  riders  bold,  "a  tip"  I'll  give  to  you. 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &:c. 

"Comparisons  are  odious,"  lads,  but  all  of  you,  I'm  sure, 
Will  say  the  best  of  amateurs  is  surely  "  Garry  Moore  ;  " 
The  many  glorious  victories  he's  gained  on  old  Scots  Grey 
Are  quite  enough  to  prove  him  still  the  best  man  of  the  day. 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

A  second  amateur  there  is,  and  second  but  to  him, 
An  honourable  gentleman,  some  people  style  "  the  Limb,""^-' 
Whom  all  of  us  soon  hope  to  see,  uninjured  by  his  fall, 
All  right  again  to  score  a  win  for  "  dear  old  Jockey  Hall." 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

And  I'm  sure,  my  friends,  you  all  will  say,  'tis  only  just  and  right 
To  fill  a  flowing-bumper  cup  in  honour  of  "Joe  Wliyte ; " 
So  here's  to  him  with  three-times-three,  and  may  he  soon  recover, 
And  never  be  "  sold  "  again,  as  on  that  "  Golden  Plover." 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

Another  true  and  tried  there  is,  who  knows  no  trick  or  dodge. 
Accomplished  Tommy  Beasley,  with  his  luck  of  Eyrefield  Lodge; 
Another  too,  "a  warrior  bold,"f  is  worthy  of  my  song. 
And  worthier,  since  he's  mated  to  the  "  lovely  Armstrong." 

So  push  around  tiie  wine,  &c. 

*  Captain  the  Hon.  Greville  Nugent. 

tMr.  Keville  Davies,  17th  Lancers,  who  nianiea  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Sergeant 
Armstrong. 


368  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

And  Murphy,  Russell,  "Oldham,"*  too,  I'll  give  them  all  their 

due, 
If  mounted  fair,  they  all  ride  straight,  and  pluckily,  and  true; 
And  '*  Appleton,"!  a  "  turfite"  staunch — may  the  blue  and  silver 

lace 
Be  often  seen,  as  oft  it  was,  the  foremost  in  the  race ! 

So  push  around  the  wine,  «S:c, 

And  now  about  professionals  a  few  words  I  shall  say — 
Of  all  of  them  I  cannot  sing,  for  "time  brooks  small  delay;" 
But,  first,  here's  to  the  amateurs,  to  one  and  all,  hurrah  ! 
And  first  amongst  the  "  leading  lot,"  Bob  Exshaw  of  Hybla. 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

If  ever  you've  a  good  'un,  sir,  and  want  a  tip-top  man. 
Young  Canavan  should  catch  your  eye,  secure  him  if  you  can  ; 
At  Baldoyle,  in  September,  a  grand  treat  there  was  seen, 
When  pluck  and  patience  gained  the  day  on  J^a//le{\ng)  Tambou- 
rine. 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

The  Ryans  are  perfection,  and  Bob  Murphy  seldom  fails, 

Indeed  it  truly  is  a  treat  their  finish  "  up  the  rails  ;" 

And  you  may  search  the  Green  Isle  through,  from  Galway  to  the 

Lee, 
And  Gavin's  like  for  pluck  and  skill  you  seldom,  boys,  shall  see. 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

Tom  Miller,  too,  we  can't  pass  by,  for  where's  the  better  boy  ? 
Or  Stephen  Fleming  of  Rossmore,  who  steers  for  Captain  Joy; 
Or  Wynne,  Tom  Kelly,  Broderick,  and  others  I  might  name. 
With  the  gallant   few  I've  sung  to  you,  who're  not  unknown  to 
fame. 

So  push  around  the  wine,  «&c. 

Now  if  you  go  to  any  meet  (well  managed)  there  you'll  see 
Tom  Waters — "  Rushing  Waters" — the  eminent  C.  E.  ; 
So  here's  to  him — with  glasses  filled — long  life  and  wealth  galore! 
And  grant  that  we,  with  him,  may  see  full  many  a  race-meet  more. 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

And  here's  to  Hunter — Robert  J. — 'tis  every  "  turfite's"  prayer, 
May  the  keeper  of  the  "  Match-Book,"  boys.,  long  fill  the  judge's 

chair ; 
A  handicapper  true  and  tried  he  proved  himself  to  be, 
Thanks  to  his  skill,  "  a  finish  rare"  full  often  may  we  see. 

So  push  around  the  wine,  &c. 

*  Mr.  Hubert  Davies. 
t  Mr,  J.  Hutchinson, 


MR.    JOSEPH    DELAMERE    WHYTE.  369 

A  handicapper  do  you  seek  ?  you  may  search  both  near  and  far, 
Nor  find  a  better  in  the  land  than  Willie  R.  Dunbar. 
But,  gentlemen,  your  temper's  tried,  yet  one  more  toast,  I  pray — 
The  Irish  Sportsman  and  ourselves,  here's  to  both,  hurrah  ! 

June  iqih,  1875. 


MR.  JOSEPH  DELAMERE  WHYTE. 

I'm  not  "the  Poet  Laureate,"  but  I  sometimes  make  a  "rhyme;" 
I  don't  often  try  to  do  so — 'tis  seldom  I  have  time ; 
Yet  j'usf  nozv  I  am  at  leisure,  and  a  few  lines  I'll  indite, 
And  try  to  sing  the  praises  of  my  hero,  /.  D.  Whyte  ! 

Of  course  you've  often  heard  of  him — if  not  'tis  very  plain 
You've  never  been  to  Newbridge,  to  Naas  town,  or  to  Clane ; 
For  round  about  that  country,  wherever  you  may  go, 
All  classes  "  hymn  the  praises  "  of  my  "  plucky  little  Joe  " 

Now,  if  e'er  you  have  "  good  'un  "  give  "  Mr.  Joe  "  the  mount, 
I'll  give  you  his  address — 'tis  Clane,  his  residence  Viewmount. 
Of  names  he  has  full  many — "  Walter,"  "Dominick,"  and  so 
You  easily  can  hail  hiin,  but  he  answers  best  to  "Joe." 

You've  heard  of  "  Irish  victories"  beyond  the  "  Irish  wave," 
Of  the  "  doings"  of  P.  Gavin  at  Croydon  on  Clonave; 
He's  a  first-rate  plucky  horseman,  doing  ever  "what  is  right," 
But  I  think  he  ne'er  could  "  give  an  ounce"  to  our  good  friend 
Joe  Whyte. 

For  his  one  of  our  best  riders,  deny  it  if  you  can. 

For,  search  the  island  through  and  through,  where  is  the  better 


man 


Why  speak  we  of  his  victories  at  Galway  or  Baldoyle, 
Or  laud  "  an  Irish  gentleman  "  so  "  racy  of  the  soil  ?" 

When  first  he  won  in  Punchestown — sure  I  was  there  to  see — 
He  rode  the  Farmers'  Race  upon  a  horse  called  N.M.D.  ; 
A  most  exciting  contest  with  Rosewood  and  Malone, 
But  Joseph  rode  in  brilliant  style,  and  landed  "  the  old  roan!" 

When  riding  then  at  Limerick  he  got  a  nasty  fall. 
Where  Alice,  in  the  Tradesman's,  was  knocked  o'er  at  the  wall ; 
Then  the  Garrycastle  Handicap  he  won  down  at  Athlone, 
Where  he  also  won  the  Challenge  Cup  on  Red-tape  for  Malone. 


37©  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

When  first  he  "  gained  celebrity"  and  "got  world-wide  renown," 

'Twas  when  he  won  the  Downshire  on  Tom  Thumb  at  Punches- 
town  ; 

Then  "the  sporting  scribes"  all  called  him  "the  lucky  Mr. 
Whyte," 

And  good  judges  praised  his  horsemanship,  as  was  both  just  and 
right. 

In  "  sixty-eight,"  I  think  it  was,  folks  came  from  near  and  far 
To  see  the  great  Cup  Race — 'twas  'twixt  Olympia  and  Polestar; 
He  donned  the  "  black  and  vertical,"  rode  pluckily  and  rare, 
Was  only  beaten  by  a  length  by  Harper's  little  mare. 

But  of  all  the  races  that  our  friend  Joe  Delamere  has  ridden 
The  best  was  for  the  Conyngham,  on  the  game-like  little  Kitten  ; 
For  four  miles  he  made  the  running,  escaping  falls  and  knocks, 
But,  alas  I  "  got  done"  just  on  the  post  by  Harford  on  Wild  Fox. 

You've  often  heard  of  Fairyland,  Gamekeeper's  greatest  son  ; 
You've  heard,  too,  that  at  Cork  Park  the  Grand  Stand  Plate  he 

won ; 
Within  the  bounds  of  "  fair  Kildare,"  though  he  search  each  hill 

and  plain, 
Joe  Whyte  can  never  hope  to  find  so  good  a  horse  again. 

Old  Polestar — you  remember — the  lovely  little  black — 

He  won  at  least  twelve  races  with  Joe  upon  his  back  ; 

He  was  indeed  a  rare  bred  one  (Alma  Legatee) — 

Three  cheers  for  Moffat's  little  horse  I  his  like  we  ne'er  may  see. 

I  landed  a  "  cool  hundred  "  last  May,  my  friends,  and  more. 
When  Joe  won  the  Kilmoylan  Stakes  down  south  at  Curraghmore ; 
Like  a  kind   friend   he   gave   "the   tip"    to   "plunge  on   Lady 

Spencer" — 
"  I  know  the  course  is  ugly,  but  the  mare's  a  perfect  fencer." 

When  he  won  the  Dublin  Plate,  in  August,  at  Baldoyle, 

He  charmed  each  sportsman  true  and  tried   who  stood  on  Irish 

soil ; 
For  J.  D.  White's  known  everywhere — north,  south,  and  east,  and 

west — 
Respected  by  the  rich  is  he,  and  by  the  poor  he's  bless'd. 

The  Viewmount  stalls  held  many  a  crack — Ah !  who  could  name 

them  all ! 
Agile  and  Comet,  Fairyland,  and  Nicholas  IMuIhall ; 
The  Kitten,  too,  and  N.  ]\L  D.,  and  others  I  could  tell, 
With  Heller,  of  the  Juggler  blood  (please  note  the  recent  sell). 


PUNCHESTOWN,    1 877.  37 1 

So  here's  to  Ireland's  second  jock  (for  Garret  Moore  is  there, 
And  /le  is  most  undoubtedly  our  greatest  amateur)  ; 
But  Joe  is  a  "  good  second" — no  "jealousy  can  brew" 
Dissension  'twixt  Perfection  One — Perfection  Number  Two. 

So  here's  to  Joseph  Delamere !  more  luck  and  length  of  life  ! 
And  luck  and  life  e'en  brighter  to  his  fair  and  dauntless  wife ! 
So  fill  your  glasses  all  again.     Success  to  both  !  Hurrah  ! 
The  "  pluckiness  "  of  Viewmount  and  the  "  sweetness  of  Hybla  !  * 

g/k  January,  1875. 


PUNCHESTOWN,  1877. 

FIRST    DAY. 

Come,  rouse  from  your  slumbers 

And  join  in  the  numbers 
That  are  bowling  along  to  the  plains  of  Kildare  ; 

Youth,  beauty,  and  fashion, 

In  carriages  dash  on. 
While  fun  and  good  humour  are  seen  everywhere. 

Safe  in  through  the  gap. 

Without  a  mishap, 
The  ladies  smiles  rival  the  beams  of  the  sun  ; 

Who  would  care  for  the  prize, 

Unless  their  bright  eyes 
Were  twinkling  with  joy  to  enliven  the  fun. 

Great  Marlb'rough  of  old, 

As  in  hist'ry  we're  told, 
Above  all  his  peers  shone  supreme  and  resplendent, 

While  in  peacefuUer  ways, 

They  deserve  equal  praise, 
His  fame  is  upheld  by  his  worthy  descendant. 

His  Duchess,  God  bless  her, 

]\Iay  fortune  caress  her, 
Keeps  bowing  to  all  with  a  matronly  smile  ; 

Her  fair  blooming  daughters, 

Like  Nymphs  of  the  waters, 
Are  winning  all  hearts  in  the  Emerald  Isle. 

Who  is  that  in  the  "  Ulster," 

Did  he  come  up  from  Munster, 
To  gaze  upon  Leinster  and  make  "  puns  "  upon  it  ? 

But  no,  that's  no  Dandy, 

That  small  man  so  handy, 
Owns  a  soldier's  brave  heart,'tis  the  Young  Duke  of  Connaught. 

*  The  above  eulogy  appeared  originally  in  the  Irish  Sportsman,  as  did  our 
'Irish  Jockeys,"  but  under  my  "  noin  de plumi  alone. 


Zy^-  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

Dear  old  Punchestown 

We  give  you  the  crown, 
And  place  the  "  bays"  freely  on  Drogheda's  brov  ; 

May  the  black  silver  lace 

Ever  hold  foremost  place, 
It  was  he  made  it  famous,  we  all  must  allow. 

The  first  bell  is  ringing. 

The  stable-boys  bringing 
Each  horse  to  the  paddock  to  strip  for  the  race. 

They  have  finished  the  "canter,'' 

Come  stop  all  this  banter, 
The  business  commences  when  Long  takes  his  place. 

With  the  red  flag  advancing, 
While  horses  are  prancing, 

His  fame  as  a  starter  let  others  relate  ; 
At  the  word  "  go,"  eleven, 
Like  meteors  from  heaven, 

Are  sent  on  their  way  for  the  Bishops  Court  Plate, 

Then  the  Bee  and  Lightfoot 
Lead  the  way  through  the  dirt, 

While  others  are  getting  quite  thick  in  the  "chanter ;" 
Tom  Beasley  on  Ned 
Gives  the  five-year-old  head, 

When  he  lands  on  the  flat,  so  he  wins  in  a  canter. 

For  the  Drogheda  Stake 

A  dozen  now  take 
Their  places ;  they're  oflf,  now  the  contests  begin  ; 

See,  there  goes  Lord  Tara, 

Like  famed  "  Pat  O'Hara;" 
'Tis  Beasley  himself  that  again  scored  a  win. 

The  Irish  grand  military 

Never  were  dilatory 
In  producing  good  horses  and  men  too  to  ride 

With  Thunderbolt's  son 

The  battle  is  won 
By  Mr.  Lee  Barber,  who  hails  it  with  pride. 

The  ''piece  de  resistance  !  " 

Come  give  me  assistance, 
Fair  muse  of  my  p^n  till  I  give  each  his  due  ; 

For  never  together, 

In  pig-skin  or  leather, 
Were  nineteen  men  braver  e'er  brouq-ht  into  view. 


PUNCHESTOWN.  373 

There's  Foreman,  Provider, 

Lady  Fanny  beside  her — 
That  sweet  little  mare  that  they  call  Cutty  Sark — 

Bushranger,  and  Badger, 

His  owner's  no  dodger — 
Long  life  to  his  Lordship,  I  here  may  remark.  ' 

There's  Island  Harp,  Parvenu, 

Fairy  Queen,  Birdie  too. 
With  the  Inny,  whose  jock  has  a  smile  on  his  face, 

Of  sweet  satisfaction, 

As  if  from  distraction. 
He'd  kicked  the  Attorney  clean  out  of  the  place. 

There's  Tempest  and  Martinet, 

Island  Harp  we  can't  forget, 
Lord  Waterford,  likewise  Young  Nick  of  the  Woods. 

Agitator,  Breechloader, 

My  Muse,  I  shan't  goad  her, 
We'll  finish  with  Vengence,  a  rare  bit  of  goods. 

They  are  quickly  despatched, 

Seeming  equally  matched. 
Some  are  down  at  the  double,  and  some  at  the  wall. 

Foreman,  Parvenu, 

Island  Harp,  Vengeance,  too, 
Are  leading  the  van  here,  but  waiting  the  call. 

Island  Harp  soon  gives  way, 

The  others  make  play. 
Vengeance  most  dangerous  looking  withal ; 

Mr.  J.  Beasley 

Wins  on  him  easily. 
Fulfilling  the  hopes  entertained  by  the  "  hall." 

Eleven  are  up 

For  the  Kildare  Hunt  Cup, 
Mr.  Crosby's  INIacmahon  some  few  lucky  men  back  ; 

The  favourite,  Grey  Plover, 

Like  many  a  lover. 
Won't  come  to  the  point,  so  he  is  beat  like  a  hack. 

SECOND   DAY. 

After  happily  napping, 

To  hear  the  rain  tapping 
'Gainst  the  window,  is  dismal  to  those  who'd  sport  silk. 

Though  the  sun  be  not  shining 

It  is  useless  repining. 
Or  grumbling  ;  you  know  there's  no  help  for  spilt  milk. 


374  IRISH    SPORT    AND    SPORTSMEN. 

The  ball  is  set  going, 

The  farmers  look  knowing, 
See  young  Paddy  Gavin  among  them  is  up  ; 

But  Pat  gets  a  "  spiller," 

Heath  Hen  and  T.  Miller 
In  the  commonest  canter  walk  off  with  the  Cup. 

The  Grand  Military  Hunters 

Will  find  out  the  grunters  ; 
The  imposts  are  heavy,  the  pace  is  a  "  clipper  ;" 

But  Mister  Hartigan 

Has  the  heart  of  a  man. 
May  he  long  wear  the  laurels  he  won  with  the  "  Skipper." 

There  is  one  more  than  eight 

For  the  Prince  of  Wales'  Plate, 
What  is  wanting  in  numbers  they  have  it  in  form. 

Nine  to  two  against  Thirsk ; 

Four  to  one  will  we  risk 
'  Gainst  the  Admiral— see  how  the  bookmakers  swarm. 

La  Fornarina  is  out, 

And  the  favourite.     That  shout 
Comes  from  layers  of  odds — the  race  lies  with  four. 

Rock  Savage,  Sweet  Meadow, 

Are  passed  like  a  shadow. 
By  Toole,  as  he  cleverly  lands  Rassanmore. 

For  the  Downshire  Plate 

The  excitement  is  great, 
Russell's  Appleton  starts  with  the  best  of  the  "call :" 

Sagacity's  buif 

Shows  he  had  quite  enough, 
So  sagacious  enough,  faith,  he  falls  at  the  wall. 

We  spoke  of  Grey  Plover 

As  a  too  bashful  lover, 
But  Blacker  now  owns  him  and  T.  Beasley  rides. 

What  a  beautiful  tussle 

Between  him  and  Russell. 
Here's  a  health  to  his  owner,  and  likewise  the  bride's. 

With  the  number  thirteen, 

For  the  Railway  Plate,  seen, 
Country  Lass  was  picked  out  with  R.  Murphy  to  ride  her; 

But  the  mare  failed  to  stay, 

So  here  let  me  say 
May  Punchestown  always  of  mirth  be  Provider. 


L'ENVOI. 

I  PART  from  these  pages  with  a  regret  not  unlike  that 
engendered  by  the  separation  of  old  friends. 

To  say  farewell  is  always  a  pain,  but  especially  when 
we  say  the  sweet,  sad  word  to  those  of  our  own  kin  ; 
and  surely  one's  writings  must  be  numbered  amongst 
it.  Some  things  there  are,  however,  connected  with 
the  publication  of  these  sketches,  which  make  the 
completion  of  my  task  not  quite  unpleasant.  When, 
months  ago,  I  took  it  in  hand,  I  had  calculated  on 
little  outer  aid ;  but  a  thousand  marks  of  undeserved 
sympathy  and  support  from  not  only  old  acquaintances, 
but  from  many  with  whom  I  had  had  hitherto  no  con- 
nection, opened  up  to  me  a  quite  undreamed-of  vista 
of  generous  and  sportsmanlike  co-operation.  I  take 
this  genial  Christmas-time  to  thank  them  with  all 
sincerity,  and  in  the  sure  belief  that  the  kindness 
which  animated  them  in  the  past,  will  make  them 
indulgent  to  the  many  shortcomings  which,  I  have  no 
doubt,  will  be  found  in  this,  my  first  book.     Vale. 

B.  M.  F.