I RECEIVED a telephone call, “would you like to give the after dinner speech at the Ampleforth College Beagles annual dinner?” came the question. Ampleforth joint-master Benoit Guerin, steeped in hunting, growing up in his native France where his father and grandfather had their own packs, posed the question. He also hunts an Irish Draught hunter (by Huntingfield Rebel) with the local Sinnington Hounds. He has hunted with all the well-known names in hunting including Ronnie Wallace who started hunting the Eton College Beagles, Monique de Rothschild in the Forest of Rambouillet, located west of Paris, and many other notable people. Guerin also has one of the best stocked libraries of hunting books.

Foundation years

I knew a little about the Ampleforth College Beagles, based in North Yorkshire, but having received Ian Kibble’s beautiful book, The Ampleforth Beagles 1915-2015, published on the centenary of the beagles, I began to discover the significant Irish connection, particularly that of the late Paddy Dunne Cullinane. One year into WWI in 1915, Paddy Dunne Cullinane set out from Carrolstown Estate in Co Meath as a boarder in the prestigious Ampleforth College, often referred to then as the ‘Catholic Eton’. Ampleforth and its sister Benedictine College, Downside, has seen a succession of students from Ireland over the years.

Complaining in a letter to his mother, the young Paddy wrote there was no sport in Ampleforth, particularly his type of sport which was hunting. She duly obliged and kindly sent four couple of beagles over to him and that was the foundation of the Ampleforth Beagles pack with Paddy acting as their first master and huntsman. Sometime later, his mother took him to South Africa for health reasons.

Land, cattle and horses

Paddy Dunne Cullinane went on to become one of the largest landowners in Ireland. He was known as a fearless rider, both hunting with the Meath Foxhounds and on the race track where he won the La Touche Cup, the prestigious cross-country race held at Punchestown. He ran one of the largest cattle dealing businesses in Ireland, was a member of the Turf Club, was a founder and chairman of Ballsbridge Bloodstock, as well as serving as president of the Royal Dublin Society from 1971 to 1974.

He was also in demand judging horses, both in Ireland and Britain. He also appeared in a film in 1925. The story goes that his then girlfriend was going for an audition but did not get a part. However, when the director and producer saw the stature of Paddy, they immediately offered him the lead role of an IRA gunman. It was the first film made after the War of Independence and was entitled Irish Destiny.

One of Paddy’s other interests was bob sleigh riding for which he needed a partner to balance his sleigh. Fortunately Judge WE Wylie introduced him to an English lady named Elise, so he offered her the job. The partnership developed, not alone from a sporting nature, but went on to result in their marriage. They had one daughter, Sally, who later married James Young.

During his life, Paddy went on to own a number of prominent estates in Ireland including Carrollstown Estate, Ardbrackan, Kilmessan and Scurloughstown, Knightsbrook in Co Meath, Knockdrin Castle in Co Westmeath and Bellair in Co Offaly. Jockey Willie Robinson rode many horses for him, including Frost Bound, his very good mare.

However, over the intervening years, there have been a number of Irish alumni at Ampleforth including Thady Ryan, master and huntsman of the beagles in 1940-‘41. He would later hunt the Scarteen Kerry Beagles in his native Co Limerick for over 40 seasons. Hugh Leonard, the great Co Meath horseman and farmer, hunted for 71 seasons with the Ward Union Staghounds. Major Eddie Boylan was master of the Ampleforth from 1941-43, winning a European eventing title with his thoroughbred horse Durlas Eile. Others include former Kildare Foxhounds chairman Frank O’Reilly and his son Charles, a Kildare master, and Rupert Macauley, master of the West Wicklow Foxhounds. Thady’s cousin Michael Ryan made a presentation of a green coat to the huntsman in 2011. Some of the best mounted huntsmen have hunted a foot pack in their early careers. Hugh Young was the last master before the college relinquished the management of the pack and it looked as if the pack could be disbanded. However, a new committee was set up of Ian Kibble, Mark Campbell, and others, to run the pack. They have gone from strength to strength, building a new well designed kennels, and have a large dedicated following including many Ampleforth College students.

Wonderful music

With my after dinner speech over to a packed audience, on the following day of my visit, I joined the knowledgeable followers at their meet on Spaunton Moor Estate. It sits on the North Yorkshire Moors at Lastingham Village which has a population of just 96 people. It is owned by George Winn Darley, a keen hunt follower himself. His gamekeeper, George Thompson, has a huge responsibility, managing the 7,000 acre Mooreland estate with its rich biodiversity, water research, providing a healthy environment for wildlife with its unique flora and fauna, and sheep farming, with rainfall of some 40 inches per annum. Another challenge is having to accommodate thousands of walkers, many that don’t have any experience of the countryside, who have the right to roam, but hopefully roam responsibly with due concern for the heather and the wildlife.

Joint-master Mark Campbell has hunted the pack for 17 seasons and been responsible for hound breeding for 20 seasons. He is clear of what he looks for in a hound, remarking, ‘If we get a good-looking one, it is a bonus, but a good nose for scenting, accuracy on a check, stamina and drive in the field are essential’. And one could immediately see those characteristics in the 17½ couple that were unboxed away from the meet, they were so settled when they arrived.

The huntsman James Smith, despite his youth, is a talented huntsman with his father Mike as kennel huntsman whipping-in. Mike is a lifetime in hunt service and Ampleforth have dominated many of the Beagle classes at the Peterborough Hound Show with 22 champions over the years. Recently Farrier ’17 was Restricted Class Champion and his kennel mate Farrier ’18 was Restricted Class Champion while Admiral ’14 and his son Farrier ’17 won the Beat Couples with Admiral winning the Doghound and Overall Championship. Mike won the points class with daughters Hannah and Jess on the leash, and Hannah succeeded her father as kennel huntsman with the Old Berkeley Beagles.

Campbell informed the followers that they would be hunting within the 2004 Hunting Act which came into effect in 2005. The trail layers had been busy creating drag trails which simulate live hunting – and what a job they did – with checks running back on the line and long wide circles that provided terrific viewing for the followers. For over three hours, starting off on the main track, which is known as The High Street, they ran through Janet Beck’s before running in circles over Redman’s Plain, crossing down into the valley known as Plonker’s Pass and headed for High Askew, nearly out of sight before circling back.

Usual checks

After the usual checks, they ran over the fields at Tattie’s Garth, all the time we were being treated, despite the driving wind and rain, to the most magnificent hound work and music. Even though hounds had the added challenge of the wild heather, at head height, testing their stamina, despite often being miles away, their voices carried so we knew exactly where to follow. The lemon and white coloured hounds reminded me of meeting that great hunting enthusiast, Elsie Morgan of the West Waterford Foxhounds, who had so many white College Valley hounds in her pack. I recall her aptly saying that they resembled a flock of seagulls in the distance crossing the hills.

Spirit lives on

After a smashing day’s hunting, we relaxed at the Blacksmith’s Elbow Pub, a beautiful old English style hostelry. The local fayre included field mushroom, black pudding stack, Yorkshire pudding and gravy, hotpot, steak and ale pie, topside Yorkshire roast beef and a seafood medley while a roaring fire was on in the background.

The spirit of Irishman Paddy Dunne Cullinane lives on in Yorkshire. Who would have believed that, over 100 years later, we would be celebrating his mother’s thoughtful act of providing the Ampleforth foundation hounds.

History of the Hunt

The Ampleforth Beagles in Yorkshire were formed in 1915 from a draft of four couple of beagles sent to an Irish student Paddy Dunne Cullinan by his mother from County Meath.

Ampleforth College Beagles

Masters: Mark Campbell, Benoit Guerin, Michael Holt and Muriel Tinsley

Huntsman: James Smith

Huntsman/whipper-in: Mike Smith