Dickie Power

IT would be hard to find a more historic meet to attend on St Stephen’s Day than the famed Blarney Castle near Cork and hunt with Ireland’s oldest pack, the Muskerry.

Blarney Castle is engrained in Irish history, the present structure being built by McCarthy Mór, Lord of Muskerry, around 1440. The Blarney Stone is reputed to be part of the magical Scottish Stone of Scone. To kiss the Blarney Stone is to be given a lifelong gift of eloquence and to find proof of this, one only has to hunt with the Muskerry. It would be hard to find anywhere a group of more friendly or eloquent people.

The meet was by invitation of the current owner of Blarney Castle, Sir Charles Colthurst, whose family has a strong connection with the hunt and whose grandfather was master of the Muskerry in the 1940s.

It made for a colourful scene at the castle as horses and hounds intermingled with tourists and steaming trays of hot whiskies were distributed to one and all by the masters.

Since my last visit, three new masters have joined long-time incumbent Robert Harkin who runs an auctioneering business in the historic town. He has been joined this year by the Muskerry’s amateur huntsman, Ken Grandon, who runs one of Cork’s biggest car dealerships. His 12-year-old daughter Faye was out on her good grey pony and going like smoke.

Killian Lynch, who has an auctioneering business in nearby Macroom, has also joined the mastership, as well as acting as whipper-in. The mastership is completed by John Crean from Kilumney, who runs one of Ireland’s biggest road-making companies. Mounted on a new grey he had just bought from David Lalor, master of the Laois, he looked particularly smart and dashing in his new pink coat with the traditional Muskerry sky blue collar fitted by hunting tailor Ronnie Johnston. Crean is a direct descendant of the famous explorer Tom Crean whose adventures in the frozen wastes of Antarctica with fellow Irishman Ernest Shackelton are the stuff of legend.

Dave Walsh from Aghabollogue is also a first season whipper-in, while his neighbour Pat Dennehy was mounted on a nice bay he is bringing on. On foot for the day was Muskerry stalwart Fran O’Callaghan, whose cob was resting after hunting four days the previous week.

The hunt is an all-amateur one with the exception of kennel huntsman Alan Garrigan who in a previous life was first whipper-in to the Beaufort when they were hunted by Brian Gupwell. He and master Ken Grandon take care of hound breeding and have produced a lovely even pack whose stallion hounds are much sought after.

Soon the master and his 12 and a half couple of Old English hounds moved towards the first draw at the round tower at Waterloo, just off the main Cork–Limerick road.

Hounds spoke almost immediately in a glen belonging Mitchell and Siobhan Hayes, secretary of Muskerry Pony Club. A fine dog fox was viewed away by Robert Harkin, who was also doing duty as field master.

With hounds flying my eye was caught by Chantal Kiely from Ovens. She and her quality grey floated over the old turf of Muskerry. From a show jumping background, I met her two seasons ago at Kilumney on her very first ever day’s hunting. Since then she has fallen in love, not just with hunting, but is engaged to in-coming master and whip Killian Lynch. In fact her smashing grey was an engagement present from Killian. She works as a bio-pharmacologist with Johnson & Johnson.

Also going well on the day was Fiona Coughlan on another confidence-giving grey. She runs a livery yard and keeps both Robert Harkin’s and John Crean’s hunters turned out to perfection.

Banks came and went but one that stuck in my mind was a razor-back stone-faced bank which I was informed by young Danny Lucey measured 1.20m. His pony unfortunately mis-judged it and managed to cut himself, while also in the wars was my travelling companion, Department of Agriculture vet Dr Maye Humphries. Her good hunter/eventer received a nasty cut from a sharp stone on the hind pastern and the resources of Muskerry were put at her disposal. A box was called up to bring her and young Danny Lucey back to the meet. Her horse has since made a good recovery in John Halley’s veterinary hospital in Fethard.

Eventually our fox was marked to ground and we pressed on to draw a field of kale in Coakleys’, where the Muskerry kennels are located. Third season bitch Luminous by Muskerry Shamrock out of Limerick Lavella showed interest and quickly had a fine dog fox afoot.

One of the great things about kale is that a fox, once found, can’t linger and away we went with hounds in full cry. Some real decent banks followed so I tucked in behind John Crean. If his grandfather could find his way to the South Pole and back, young Crean could surely lead me successfully at Waterloo and so it proved, bank followed bank as hounds flew.

As wire was being opened some of our more impatient jockeys took on a good stiff gate. Leading the fray was computer specialist Aidan O’Donovan and his 12-year-old bay by Rineen Clover, closely followed by Michael Kelleher on his good coloured horse by The Traveller, while father and son team Donie and Daniel O’Riordan followed. Hunt secretary Donie had been doing parental duty early in the day, looking after his 10-year-old daughter Aoife on her first day.

Hunting is very family-oriented and Michael Kelleher was out with his family, Lucy, a first year veterinary student in Dublin, Abigail and Luke. Galloping through a gap, 14-year-old Sophia Harkin and her grey pony collided with me. Her apologies were profuse but if blame were to be properly allocated, I fear was the more guilty party. Her older brother Alex was out on foot acting as terrier man.

Hounds hunted on and ran into a glen near the new Blarney golf course and after some woodland hunting our pilot was marked to ground. Nothing remained but a short hack back to the meet as we re-lived the day’s thrills and spills.