RESEARCHING the history of one’s sport can be very rewarding as little did I know during my history classes in school that Daniel O’Connell, known as The Liberator, was a hunting man.

I explored it further when I was given an 80-year-old unfinished manuscript on the Kerry Beagle written by the great Irish writer, poet and The Irish Field hunting and horse show correspondent, Stanislaus Lynch. I since edited the manuscript and published a book in 2017 titled ‘In Search of the Kerry Beagle’. Another interesting fact is that the only native hounds of Ireland are the Kerry Beagle and the Irish Wolfhound.

Daniel O’Connell MP was a giant in Irish politics in the 19th century and he kept a pack of Kerry Beagles at his home in Kerry. He mobilised the Irish people rich and poor in mass in a democratic way in campaigns on Catholic Emancipation for both religious freedom and human rights, and a repeal of the Penal Laws. He was a Member of Parliament for Clare, and later Dublin City, Cork City and Dublin Lord Mayor. His four sons Maurice, Daniel, Morgan and John were also elected MPs.

A lawyer by profession, he was said to have been the finest orator of his day, and probably the most successful barrister in court, and was most articulate in his presentations of cases. He was also an active campaigner against slavery in the colonies addressing the Cork Anti-Slavery Society in 1829 and hosting a visit to Dublin by the African American anti-slavery author Frederick Douglas who spoke on ‘the Evils of Human Trafficking and Bondage’. O’Connell also gave a rousing address at the World Anti-Slavery Convention in the Freemans Hall in London in 1840.

Hunting references

It was not unusual for him to use hunting references in the course of his work.

He accused Sir Robert Peel of, ‘running with the pack.’ In 1843 when the Crown Solicitor Mr. Kemmis was instituting proceedings against O’Connell for ‘conspiracy and other misdemeanours’ having analysed speeches given by O’Connell at his ‘Monster Meetings’, it is said that he returned to Dublin with a good-tempered growl at the Attorney General for taking him away from his hounds and his hunting.

When he reluctantly declined the position of Chief Baron, he commented, “I should be idle in the early part of April, just when the jack-hares leave the most splendid trails upon the mountains. In fact, I should enjoy the office exceedingly on every account, if I could but except it consistently conflicts with the interests of Ireland; but I cannot.”

The London Examiner had compared O’Connell’s Repeal Movement to the cry of the Derrynane Beagles. “Yes,” observed O’Connell, “but he made a better hit than he intended, for my beagles never cease their cry until they catch their game.”

O’Connell family

The O’Connell’s were an old Irish family and were hereditary constables of Ballycarbery Castle. Daniel was born on August 6th 1775 to his parents Morgan and Catherine in Carhan House, Caherciveen, Co Kerry. He was the eldest son of 10 children. His grandfather and grandmother Donal Mor and Maire built up a successful sea trade between Kerry and France.

He later lived with his uncle Maurice ‘Hunting Cap’ O’Connell from whom he inherited the Derrynane Estate, and he also paid for his legal education at King’s Inns in Dublin and college in Paris.

The best known of the old Kerry Beagle packs sadly many no longer in existence were Mr Chute of Chute Hall, Mr Butler of Waterville, Mr Wallis’ of Drishane Castle in Millstreet and Mr Herbert of Muckross Abbey. But the best known packs were that of the O’Connells of Derrynane Abbey, Caherdaniel, Co Kerry, and the Ryan Family of Scarteen, Knocklong, Co Limerick.

The Ryans of Scarteen, and the O’Connells of Derrynane Abbey, two great hunting families were cousins. The historical records tell us that the Ryans have been masters of the Black and Tan Hounds certainly since 1735 when John Ryan who then lived in Ballyvistin kept a pack.

He hunted the pack for over 50 years, and his son Thaddeus assumed the position on his retirement. But the Ryans are now more associated with their present home Scarteen near Knocklong in Co Limerick which they moved to in 1789. Their famous pack of Kerry Beagles are known all over the hunting world as the Scarteen Hounds. The pack has been hunted primarily by a member of the Ryan family with a few short exceptions. In recent years Thady Ryan hunted the pack from 1946 for over 40 seasons, when his son Chris took over on his father’s retirement in 1987 to become master and huntsman maintaining the family tradition with distinction.

There is still a close association between the Ryans and a small number of mounted packs who hunt Kerry Beagles, as well as the Kerry and Cork/Kerry Beagle foot packs. These packs are the primary source of breeding outcrosses that has allowed the Scarteens to still maintain a pure bred Kerry Beagle pack.

Sourcing a hound

The following is an extract from a letter from Daniel O’Connell to his cousin Thaddeus Ryan in 1812.

(NOTE – Some words have been difficult to translate as the letter is over 200 years old, but some of the text is as follows.)

10th September 1812

My Dear Ryan,

I have found for you from my friend Mr. James Butler a sire dog of the old Irish breed his name is “Sharper” and is more than seven years old. I am personally acquainted with his stock for the last 10 years as a breeder of generations and pledge you my sacred word of honour that they were all the very best hounds. Breed from a light tanned bitch and you will have excellent hounds from him.”

“Mr Butler begs me to say that his dog should reach you in better condition but that he has been lately much hunted with young dogs on the mountains”.

The letter discusses other details but ends with;

“My mother desires me to present her most affectionate compliments to her cousins under your roof. Let me add mine”.

My Dear Ryan

Yours Affectionately in Hunting

Daniel O’Connell

He later advises Tha Ryan to take the owner to Limerick Assizes if the performance of the hound does not live up to its reputation!

Kerry beagles

There is little written about O’Connell’s Kerry Beagle pack hunting the hills of Kerry but I was fortunate to find some hunting passages in a publication dated 1872 some 25 years after Daniel O’Connell died which is a description by O’Neill Daunt:

“On the third or fourth morning after my arrival at Derrynane, I was summoned by Mr. O’Connell to accompany the hunting party. It was not quite six o’clock – the morning was clear and bright, and gave promise of a beautiful day. We followed a winding path called ‘The Meadow Walk’ which crosses and re-crosses a merry mountain brook; we ascended the hill of Coomakista, crossed the line of the new road, and ere half an hour had elapsed, a hare was started.

“It was a glorious run; the view for half a mile or more; and as the dogs ran the scent they kept so close together that a sheet might have covered the pack. O’Connell, who enjoyed the hunt with infinite glee, walked and ran from rock to rock to keep the dogs in view. The mountain air had sharpened my appetite, and I inquired rather anxiously when we should have breakfast.

“We must earn our breakfast,” replied O’Connell. He then engaged in busy speculation on the course of the hare – she had doubled, and thrown out the dogs – the pack were at fault; they had scattered, and were trying in different directions to recover the scent. Ah! Drummer hit the scent again, and now they were all once more in full pursuit.

“It was a glorious scene. Overhead was a cloudless sky; around us, on every side, was the most magnificent scenery, lighted up by brilliant sunshine.

“There was that finest of all music, the loud, full cry of the beagles returned by a thousand echoes; the shouts of men and boys ringing sharp and cheerily along the hills; and there was Daniel O’Connell himself, equalling in agility men not half his age, pouring forth an exhaustless stream of jest and anecdote, and entering with joyous zeal into the fullest spirit of the noble sport.”

Daniel O’Connell died during the famine in 1847 in Genoa, in Italy in his 72nd year when he was on what he termed as his pilgrimage to Rome. His last dispositions were, ‘My body to Ireland, my heart to Rome, my soul to Heaven’. His remains were interred in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin after a state funeral in August 1847.