ST STEPHEN’S Day, with the excesses of Christmas behind us, we ventured south along the Shannon Estuary to the magnificent Glin Castle for a lawn meet of the North Kerry Harriers at this most historic venue. Our hosts for the day were Dominic West, the famed film actor, and his wife Catherine, the chatelaine of Glin Castle, and their family who were there to greet all.

The estate and demesne of the castle were open to all comers for the day. To add icing to the cake, it was going to be a side saddle day, which always adds style and glamour to any day’s hunting.

The village was bustling with horses and boxes, but the real action was at the “Captain’s”, aka O’Shaughnessy’s hostelry, at the top of the town and within easy walk of the castle gates. It is probably one of the most iconic pubs in Ireland, laden with genuine memorabilia of its maritime past. A previous owner was one of the biggest suppliers of salmon to the Billingsgate fish market back in the day. Founding master Michael O’Sullivan was there with his grandson, young Liam Vial. Michael’s son, Denis, is huntsman of the North Tipps this season, having formerly hunted the Ormond, based in Cloughjordan.

But on the day, it was riding breeches, waistcoats and well tied stocks that were the order of the day, as riders and their supporters had a little something to fortify themselves for what lay ahead. While all this was going on, the abstemious David Trant was unboxing his horses and hounds, not to mention his two daughters, Eabha and Molly Trant, back up at the castle. David kennels hounds on his extensive dairy farm just outside Listowel and a keener hunting man it would be hard to find. Both in the dairy and the kennels, he breeds his own replacements. “If you need something good, you must breed it yourself” was his reply to a question on hound breeding policy.

By the time he made the short hack back down into the village, it was literally bursting at the seams with apparently half of north Kerry from Douagh to Knocknagoshel there, either on foot or mounted. And there were plenty mounted. I had a quick count as riders passed me, but at 70, I gave up and, with certainly a multiple of that on foot, suffice it to say, hunting is alive and well in the Kingdom.

Molly Trant, whip, David Trant, huntsman with side saddle ladies Nicola Collins, Ciara Walsh, Elaine Kelly, Shannon O’Mahony and Emily Woods at the North Kerry Harriers meet at Glin Castle \ Catherine Power

Side saddle

The side saddle ladies led and were organised by hunt secretary, Shannon O’Mahony from Ballybunion, on a very smart coloured. When not hunting (which is not often), she is a mental health nurse and manager of Derra Farm Equestrian in Asdee. She had put a sterling bunch of side saddle ladies together for the day, including Emily Woods, a paramedic from Ballyhahill who is married to James Woods, a master farrier; Ciara Walsh from Athea, a work rider for racehorse trainer Eoin McCarthy. Making up the team were Nicola Collins from Listowel, who works at Streamside Stables in Moyvane and is studying to take her BHS exams this year; Noelle Kirby, a teacher from Duagh and Rachel Martin from Ballylongford, who is studying Veterinary Medicine in far flung Poland.

Completing the line-up was Elaine Kelly, who only recently moved home to Killarney, having previously hunted with the Staff College Hunt in the UK. She runs Wise Owl Equine, online lessons and equine education.

As the parish church bell tolled for the Angelus, David Trant and his nine and a half couple led the field down the stately avenue of the famed castle, which glistened white in the winter sunshine.

History

The castle has been the ancestral home of the Fitzgerald family for over 700 years. By royal charter over the millennia, they assumed the title of the Knights of Glin. The title can be traced back to Sir John FitzJohn, who lived there around 1260 and whose grandfather, Maurice FitzThomas, had been granted the barony of Shanid near Glin.

The Knights of Glin are a branch of the great Norman family, the FitzGeralds, Earls of Desmond, who were granted extensive lands in Co Limerick in the early 14th century.

The Glin branch of the family are known as the White Knights, while the Knights of Kerry are known as the Black Knights.

Sadly, the last Knight, Desmond Fitzgerald, died without a male heir and, under the rules of primogeniture, the title became dormant, but there was nothing dormant about the Fitzgerald and West family last Sunday, as Dominic West, the distinguished film actor, and wife, Catherine Fitzgerald, and their children were on the avenue to greet one and all. While the family were not mounted, they ensured that one and all (including the hounds) were well looked after. Catherine is a very distinguished landscape architect, having worked on many prestigious garden projects. Dominic, meanwhile, has had a stellar career as an actor and only recently finished playing Prince (now King) Charles in the highly acclaimed Netflix series The Crown.

Mounted

While a bevy of helpers were on hand to distribute all kinds of good things, it was obvious that our huntsman, David, was anxious to go to the first draw near the tea rooms overlooking the estuary, which must be four or five miles wide at that point. Two young riders, both on gorgeous grey ponies, were Molly Costello from Ardfert and Siabh Prenderville from Glin.

Field master Jeremiah O’Connor from Derra Farm Equestrian in Asdee had his work cut out for him to maintain order. Mike Mangan, joint-field master, was out with his relatives, Ryan and Chloe Mangan, the children of point-to-point jockey Gerry Mangan, who are all from Knocknagoshel. Keeping us in touch with the action was Jack Fitzgerald on his quad, a plumber by trade, but a man who can turn his hand to anything. He is always on hand to help anyone in the field and ready to lend a hand to any rider in trouble.

The estate is run as a commercial dairy farm, but with all cows safely yarded up, the riders had free rein over the rolling acres. While hounds were drawing, there was a feast of jumping and schooling and, not found wanting, were the side saddle girls, led, as ever, on her good coloured, by Shannon O’Mahony.

Simon Russell, one of the new field masters this season, who is from Abbeydorney and works as a wind turbine technical engineer, gave a great display over some good stiff logs running by a farm road. Hounds found and, as the music reverberated through the ancient woodland, they hunted on towards the Knight’s View, where on a clear day you can see the Atlantic. They then swung back downhill again, towards the main road and the estuary, all the while giving the field a feast of jumping suited to the different abilities of horses and riders.

But it was still Christmas and, with a very full evening’s entertainment planned in the Captain’s, our huntsman blew for home and, once he had boxed up his hounds, led the field across the main road to wash off in the estuary below the village. The Captain’s was brimming with revellers, including Dominic West and, with seanchaí Thom Moore and the Glin Wren Boys with the music, made it a memorable finish for the day and the year.