History

The Grallagh Harriers was founded originally as a foot pack in 2007, becoming a mounted pack in 2009.

Team

Masters: David Burke, John Cantillon, Kevin Hough, Lorraine Burke, Gary Higgins and Nancy Choy

Huntsman: David Burke MH

Whipper In: Frankie Burke

Road Whippers In: Sinead Burke, Mark Cunniffe (Kennel Huntsman) and Olive Dempsey

Field Master: John Cantillon

Honorary Secretary: Lorraine Burke

Countryman: John Lohan

Visitors are welcome by arrangement with the Secretary and experienced hunt horses are available for hire.

VISITING the Grallagh Harriers in Woodford, I remembered hunting in nearby Marble Hill with Paddy Pickersgill, master of the Galway Blazers (1956-66), who no longer hunt there, in my youth. It was always a bye day especially catering for young horses and ponies.

Woodford is a picturesque village in the shadow of the Slieve Aughty Mountains, little traffic, and amazing sights. It was thriving in the past as iron ore was mined there. But this is hurling country and Galway hurler and dual All-Ireland winner and All-Star Jason Flynn and former Galway hurling manager Cyril Farrell are from Woodford. My travelling companion, Pat O’Neill, recalled dancing in the Waldorf Ballroom at the height of the showband scene in the 1950s and 60s, and it was cycle power in those days, all uphill to Woodford, but fortunately home all downhill. On dance nights, the local hackney man recalled a customer who used to wheel his wife out the muddy lane from his farm to the main road in a wheelbarrow, and the same when returning from the dance that night, so her dancing shoes were kept clean!

But Woodford’s greatest equestrian son was Clover Hill by Golden Beaker, bred locally by Mattie Page, who went on to sire international horses like Kevin Babington’s Carling King and left such a legacy in the quality of his progeny and his contribution to the gene pool.

Hearty welcome

The meet was at Declan Walsh’s old-world pub, adorned with sporting and farming memorabilia, and a must visit where you are assured a hearty welcome, good banter and a well-poured pint. Declan hunted with Gerry Daniels, the father of international event rider Cathal Daniels, and he is the sixth generation family member to own the pub, having been opened in 1830. When it comes to food, it is well-known that the Grallagh Harriers are a very welcoming hunt and nobody goes without food on the hoof, courtesy of the master’s mother Bernie Burke, who is one of the most charming ladies in hunting.

Despite the fact that she had to be at another engagement on the day, she sent a plate of smoked salmon on traditional brown bread and some Christmas cake especially for this humble journalist! Her husband Frank, who passed away a few years ago, is still sadly missed as he was so passionate about the family pack. He was also noted producer of show jumpers, including some that represented Italy in the Olympic Games and one of John Whitaker’s speed horses.

Masters and Hunt Staff

Joint master Gary Higgins, a noted producer of show jumping horses, sadly passed away during the season and leaves a large void, but sons Mikey and David have maintained the association, keeping up on a quad. David Burke is senior master and huntsman, with fellow masters Lorraine Burke, Kevin Hough, John Cantillon (who previously hunted the South Union) is field master and Nancy Choy from the USA. Frankie Burke is whipper in with road whips Sinead Burke and Olive Dempsey, countrymen John Lohan and kennel huntsman Mark Cunniffe.

Hounds

The Grallagh hounds are a special type of hound, bred on Old English lines but smaller, level in height and similar markings and they are a picture to observe and they have excellent drive and remarkable voices and clear the Galway stone walls with ease. The master and huntsman David Burke whipped in to the Percy in Northumberland and the Galway Blazers under Michael Dempsey, but always planned to have his own pack. His mentor was Martin Letts, the master and huntsman of the College Valley Hunt for 50 years and renowned for developing hound bloodlines. David is a former show jumping and show horse rider.

Followers

Two horses that stood out for me were Lorraine Burke’s four-year-old Connemara and Grainne Davoran’s small hunter that had a great jump. The Grallagh Harriers are welcoming an increasing number of overseas visitors, as they provide great sport and, on the day, hirelings were provided by Tom McNamara, who is the perfect host as he is also joint master of the North Galway Hunt. He had visitors Lauren Chalmers and James Eglington from the USA, and Shannon Walker and Sophie Winspbal from the Middleton Hunt in the UK, and Jan Duffy and Kathleen Wismer from Canada, who hunt with the Mission Valley in Kansas. Jan, whose ancestors come from County Cork, is associated with Capaill Equestrian Centre and teaches Pony Club members in the Mid-West Region of the USA. As Tom has a full cross-country course on his farm, as well as an indoor arena, visitors can get some practice in the day before a hunt and go trekking the following day.

Others hunting were Gabriel and Shauna Freeney and their children Rowan and Sybil, while brother Ruben was out of action having injured his finger. Ruben showed hounds with style at the Puppy Show in the Summer. Also at the meet were David Higgins, Dean Calanan and Fiona Monne.

Eileen Ward announced that she is making a comeback hunting, just looking for the right horse, so it’s now official! Joe O’Rourke stopped at the hunt on his way home from Gort Mart.

Hunting

David had 14 couple of hounds all home-bred. He has pups coming on for next season by Duhallow Albany and Paddler by Belvoir Lakeland. The road whippers in Sinead Burke, Mark Cunniffe and the lads on the quad, Mikie and David Higgins, do a great job in constant contact on walkie talkies, making sure gates are closed and there are no hold ups in traffic and, if hounds split, they can pick them up and put them in the hunt jeep.

David took the pack across the Woodford River successfully, which was in flood, and drew The Mountain but it was blank. But the real action was just about to start as he collected his hounds and crossed the Woodford/Loughrea Road and put them into the dense furze in Gerry Dowd’s. Two deer left and headed for the mountain, but the pack were rock steady staying on a fox towards Naoise Conroy’s where he circled left-handed crossing over Rockhill Road through Shane O’Kelly’s and headed back towards the Loughrea/Woodford Road where he cleverly ran the road and it takes a good hound to hold a line on the road with the fumes from cars, but this pack is steady and shortly our pilot had to change plan and went left-handed in a line for Slieve Aughty Mountains.

The pack split shortly afterwards, with two and a half couple running left-handed and the rest of the pack settled towards the large tract of forestry and bog on the eastern part of the mountain. But the huntsman got ahead and managed to stop them, despite hunting hard, and were biddable enough to lift their heads. Meanwhile, the road whips had collected the two and a half couple and put them in the jeep, but they were not happy listening to their pack in fine voice in the distance, but they were allowed to join their pals before the next draw.

Part of the land they crossed was John Lyons’ farm and John loves to see the hunt crossing his land. Although he does not ride, he still attended the hunt ball and I understand that he never left the dancefloor all night. They hacked back towards the village and drew at the back of the school, where they had some nice walls to jump into pub owner Declan Walsh’s farm, with a great display by siblings Sybil and Rowan Freeney. Hackett’s off the Woodford Scariff Road, where they got a great hunt last season, was blank as was Lough Luaghill, so the huntsman blew for home after a smashing day.

Declan Walsh had soup and sandwiches ready for the followers and a well-stoked open fire. Maybe the Grallaghs might consider having the hunt ball in the Waldorf Ballroom next year, just for old time’s sake...