I WAS back in my native Co Galway where I have great memories of hunting with the Galway Blazers since childhood, with occasional days out with the Bermingham and North Galway and the East Galway Foxhounds.

For me, it can often be as interesting to follow hounds when scent is poor as you see more hound-work, and it clearly exposes the real character in a huntsman and his pack in both concentration and work-rate. Hounds are only as fast as their noses, and the East Galway Foxhounds meet at Kilconnell had all the ingredients of a patient huntsman in Liam McAlinden and his pack that he has carefully bred for the East Galway country over the last 11 seasons. He has great support from the chairman and masters, whippers-in, and from his wife, Dorothy, a daughter of the legendary Galway Blazers’ field-master Willie Leahy.

The meet was at Broderick’s Pub, established in 1875, across from the 14th century Franciscan Abbey and St. Gabriel’s GAA Club, who are also neighbours of the 100-year-old traditional Irish music composer Paddy Fahy. His reels like The Blacksmith’s Anvil, Fahy’s Flight, Fahy’s Tractor and Toss The Feathers have been recorded by perhaps Ireland’s best exponent of traditional fiddle playing - Martin Hayes. The pub was a hive of activity where proprietor Tim Broderick and his son Lonan were busy serving the followers from different parts of the world, including 20 hunting out of Flowerhill Equestrian Centre. Among them were Guy and Katie Cooper from North Carolina, and her parents William and Beverly Kitchin from Florida, Joseph Hakansson, Anna Loenn, Annika Lindvall and Maria Tiptoe from Sweden, Pia Skogstrom from Finland, Cynthia McQueen from Holland and Solvi Kahlua from Norway.

Valentine’s Day saw area manager and dairy farmer Brendan Kenny displaying a romantic touch by dispensing chocolates before the meet! He was on his Irish Draught hunter by Star Kingdom. The horse had a lucky escape in his trial with the Garda Mounted Unit probably misbehaving intentionally so that he could continue hunting in East Galway rather than having to patrol the streets of Dublin!

East Galway farmer and hunt chairman Tom Fahy is a tireless worker for the hunt, and although he is recovering from a fall, was quietly directing the day’s hunting plan. He was well represented by his two sons, Thomas and Colm, but grandchildren Thomas and Ronan were absent.

Master Joe Cavanagh was reportedly absent with ‘man flu’, but according to his wife, Clare, he was watching the rugby internationals on television. Fellow master Pascal Conroy was away on business, but joint-master Olive Broderick was on hand. She is best known as the owner, with her husband Ivor, of Kylemore Stud standing stallions like the five-star Grand Prix stallion Tyson as well as Camillo VDL, Womanizer, KMS Romeo, and a supplier of semen for a selected number of Irish Draughts. Equine physiotherapist Melanie Horsman who treats horses for Paul Flynn, Seamus Neville, Tom Mullins and other clients, was hunting her smashing coloured hunter by Hillview Warpaint. Out also was Cynthia Blackstone, Carol Spain, Regina Power and Marie Gibbons-Dunne, who is a daughter of the Galway three-in-a-row winning All-Ireland footballer Cyril Dunne along with her son Godfrey.

Showjumper Daniel McAlinden, who is back from Alex Duffy’s yard in Germany, was busy schooling a yard full of jumpers, but other young riders out were Oisin Larkin, in his first season with his father Francis, mother Maggie and brother Mark following. Others out were Joe and Godfrey Gibbons, Katie Naughton, Alva Hardiman and Cyrilla Larkin. Marie Leahy was out but her husband Declan was hunting with the Blazers in nearby Gurtymadden.

Former Ormond and Waterford Foxhounds’ huntsman Richard Markham was on foot. He earned a reputation as a noted breeder of hounds whose progeny are still making an impact with hunting packs. Visiting was Laura Vormjen from Biarritz in France. Local follower Eamonn Costello’s father hunted with the Roscommon Harriers in the 1930s. Repairing fences were Johnnie O’Donnell and his son Shane.

The huntsman Liam McAlinden, and whipper-in Alan Briscoe, on his 18hh hunter known as the Giraffe, and Neville Horsman, all looked very well turned out. Field-master Cathal Gibbons, whose family own the Pillar House Bar and Guesthouse in Ballinasloe, had the option of an open gate into the first draw but decided to jump in off the Kilconnell to Ballinasloe road, opposite Arrabawn Creamery. All passed the test although a few wobbled especially those who only do dressage in Scandinavia!

Hounds wasted no time finding a fox but he was reluctant to leave, sticking his head out a few times to see if the coast was clear. Godfrey Gibbons (12) viewed him away left-handed through Pat Joe Carthy’s to Martin Gormely’s heading for North’s farm. But while Thomas Fahy was busy watching hounds, he unfortunately fell on the flat. Meanwhile, the fox circled back through Pat Joe Carthy’s where hounds marked him in Joseph Carthy’s. This fox bolted himself through Pat Joe Carthy’s again, crossing Tom Delaney’s for a nice slow hunt with hounds checking, casting themselves and owning the line periodically in a superb display of hound-work for well over an hour.

The next draw was in Shirley and John Ringling North’s extensive farm. His father, Henry, was inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame in the USA this year. Shirley was an honorary whipper-in of the East Galways and a past master of the Galway Blazers. Her brother Richard and his son Andrew are well known in showjumping circles have just opened a yard in Wellington, Florida, and her sister, Bill, is a serial producer of show cob champions. Shirley and John own the Kelly Millar Circus, USA.

Hounds found in the Long Wood and had a fox away running right-handed in a wide circle. The pack were in fine voice, marking one fox when another left. But the huntsman let them go on the bolted fox and again, it was the kind of scent that if hounds were even a minute behind their fox, they were in trouble, but they kept their heads down and hunted up the line checking occasionally.

The huntsman decided to help them out, first with a left-handed cast and then his speciality, a full figure of eight. Although we could not see the fox with the rushes, they screamed away again right-handed to the back of the main house crossing the river into dairy farmer Jackie Kelly’s, over the Aughrim road heading for Patsy Dillons’s and into Pat Joe Carthy’s again where they gave best after a smashing 30-minute display of classic hound-work. First season home-bred bitch Cora by Ormond Councillor out of home-bred Alice, walked as a pup by John Bane from Cartymore Cross in Blazers country, led the way.

Back at Tim Broderick’s Bar, refreshments were served up to the contented followers.

HISTORY

East Galway was originally hunted by Giles Eyre of Eyre Court between 1791-1829 before he retired and handed over his hunt country to the Galway Blazers. The East Galway Foxhounds was formed in 1891 when the Galway Blazers lent the country to them.

FACTFILE

Chairman: Tom Fahy

Masters: Joe Cavanagh, Pascal Conroy and Olive Broderick

Huntsman: Liam McAlinden

Whippers-in: Alan Briscoe and Neville Horsman

Field-master: Cathal Gibbons