It was just such a situation at the Galway Blazers’ meet at Aille Cross in Loughrea as for the majority of the day the Blazers hunted on Leahy family farms.

Willie Leahy is the field-master and his sons Declan and William all farm in the area, as does his daughter Dorothy and her husband Liam McAlinden, who is huntsman of the East Galway Foxhounds.

Rachel McAlinden was helping her four-year-old cousin Zara to get on her pony Princess. Her brother Daniel is making a name in show jumping and, at 14 years of age, is already jumping 1.10m on horses.

From a small farm at Aille Cross in the 1950s, Willie Leahy had diversified into agri-tourism before the term was even coined. It is now one of the largest equestrian businesses in Ireland, based on four factors that appeals to the international equestrian tourist – the traditional Irish horse, the Connemara pony, the beauty of the Galway landscape and genuine Irish hospitality.

With 35 seasons in office, Michael Dempsey is the longest serving master of the Galway Blazers, hunting the pack for 20 seasons, and still manages the hunt country. He previously hunted the East Galway and the Bermingham & North Galway Foxhounds. His son Tom is now in his 16th season hunting the pack after whipping-in to his father for 10 seasons.

Whipping-in is Jason O’Donnell. He grew up hunting with his father Don, who hunts the Tinnaculla Foot Foxhounds. Blazers joint-masters David McCarthy and Mike MacDonagh were out together with Gerry Nevin, one of the hunt’s longest serving and popular members.

From Aille Cross, looking out across Loughrea Lake, one can see Corry’s Fields, now a park in honour of Loughrea-born show jumper Lt Col Dan Corry, who jumped for the Army Equitation School in the 1920s and 30s. In his career, Corry won 55 international competitions and was on 14 Nations Cup-winning teams.

The film actress Angelica Huston, whose father John was joint-master of the Blazers when they lived in Galway, recalled in a book she published recently of attending the local Mercy Nuns Convent. The local Cathedral was financed by another Blazers’ supporter, James Smyth, together with Edward Martyn.

Tom Duggan, originally from Tipperary, runs Kildare Stables in Millbrook, New York and imports traditional Irish hunters for supplying his local packs. He had a party over from America, including Peter Blauner, Hannah Buchan and Steven Collins, whose father Farnan hunts a traditional Irish hunter sourced from Paul Kennedy in Co Limerick. Other visitors were Carolyn Scime from the Toronto & North in Canada, Jim Nicholson from the Scarteen, and India and Lydia Dawson from the Fingal Harriers.

Locals hunting were Douglas Taylor and his children Jodie and Kelan, together with Conor Hawkins, Kevin Dempsey, Aishling Noone, Rachel and Sarah Mullins, Gerard McNamara, Ella Coffey, Mary McInerney, Hallie Tilley, and Tilman and Donnacha Anhold. Damien Griffin was on a smashing cob. His grandfather Paddy produced the multiple Hickstead Derby winner Mattie Brown, who he sold to Harvey Smith.

Following by car were Geraldine Dowling, Mary O’Neill, Rosie O’Neill and her son Nicholas, as well as Maureen McCarthy, Brendan Hynes and Joe Lyons.

FLYING

The Blazers have been flying recently at meets in Cartymore and Coshla. The huntsman had 17½ couple of the bitch pack out. The first draw in Declan Leahy’s quarry was blank, so they drew a small clump of furze across the road where hounds worked up to a fox who headed for Knockash Hill in bright sunlight with Randal McNally on foot keeping a watchful eye.

The fox headed back through the find right at the feet of Damian Carthy and over the quarry through the Quinns’ and made a beeline for the forestry. About 15 wild deer got an early morning call and decided to head for the hills as the pack stayed true to the fox.

It looked as if they would be there for the day but when they checked, Dempsey and O’Donnell showed remarkable control of the pack calling them out after a glorious 45 minutes of hounds on song. A fox had crossed Knockash earlier, but scent was non-existent so the huntsman went on and drew Liam and Dorothy McAlinden’s which was also blank.

Jack Daly’s was next on the list and hounds found along a drain adjoining Michael Hardiman’s and ran on by the farm of Mairead and the late Christy Hynes, who was a lifelong follower of the Blazers.

The fox crossed by Willie Leahy’s stables, but hounds could not scale Dalystown Demense wall until one bitch, Lilly (by Duhallow Linesman ’05), found a breach that was still a good six feet high. With one enormous effort she jumped from the road to the top of the wall and was away in full voice. The rest of the pack immediately joined her, demonstrating their remarkable athleticism. They turned right-handed through Stapletons’ and Anna and Michael Geraghty’s and marked to ground in Conways’.

Willie Leahy and his family were again generous hosts with his wife Moira and daughter-in-law Marie serving welcome refreshments. It was whip Jason O’Donnell’s birthday, so a quickly prepared birthday cake was produced, followed by a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday!