Dickie Power

WHAT was scheduled to be a joint meet with the West Waterford at Mount Uniacke near Tallow had, at short notice, to be re-scheduled as a solo meet of the United near Cloyne in East Cork. I am indebted to hunt chairman Dom Daly for letting me know of the change as soon as a new venue had been decided. Dom has held office with the United since the 1960s, surely a record for any hunt office holder. He runs one of Cork’s leading estate agencies but is perhaps best known as father-in-law to rugby all time great, Ronan O’Gara.

The change of meet was due to a local funeral which, of course, has to take precedence over meet schedules. Ballyduff Cross boasts neither pub nor shop but is very close to the famed hotel and restaurant, Ballymaloe House, which is owned and run by the Allen family who are closely connected to young show jumping star and upcoming Olympian, Bertram Allen.

As a visitor, it is never easy to find meets such as this but my friend and mentor Philip Desmond and his wife Angela had kindly agreed to act as guide from Midleton onwards. So we found ourselves at the appointed spot in good time for an 11.30am move-off. I had made the trip with two Scarteen companions, Joe Kearns and Steven Dineen, neither of whom had ever hunted so far south before.

The United have been hunting this part of East Cork since 1871 and were originally kennelled at Castlemartyr, now a very posh hotel. Their present young huntsman, Sonny O’Donnell, has carried the horn now for three seasons and has really found his feet. He comes from an area in West Limerick which is steeped in hunting and the O’Donnell family are closely linked to two local packs of foot harriers, the Tiernaculla and the Pallaskenry Beagles, so it was natural for him to have chosen a hunting career.

His uncle Tony Gammell is highly regarded as a huntsman and hunts the very smart Keswick hounds in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. His near neighbour whom he went to school with, Gavin Shorten, is hunting the Tipperary Foxhounds and, by all accounts, is having a stormer of a season. Field-master for the day was Niall Foley whom I had met a couple of weeks ago when he filled the same role with the Limerick from a meet at Croom. His dad, James, had been amateur whip to the Co Limerick in the glory days when Hugh Robards hunted hounds

Young Sonny certainly looks the part and both man and horse were beautifully turned out. His veteran whip Ned Moran was missing due to business commitments but hunt treasurer Steven Lucy, on a nice batty, was very much on hand and acting whip. Steven, whose dad was CEO of Dairygold, practises as an accountant and is based in nearby Midleton.

Our first draw was in Andrew Lee’s farm and gallops just nearby. Andrew was out on a racehorse with his young daughter Robyn. Andrew, originally from Bandon, has been training at Ballyduff for quite a few years and has turned out his share of winners both on the flat and National Hunt.

As we drew along, his all-weather hounds spoke in a covert no bigger than a tennis court but it proved to be home to no less than a brace and half. With a brace away, hounds were still hunting like mad with music to match when our pilot popped his mask out through a blackthorn and set sail with Cherry, a second season home-bred bitch by Challenger, leading the pack in hot pursuit across some smashing country. Pretty well all stubble which was a real novelty for Scarteen horses but it seemed to carry good scent.

I tucked in behind my mentor, Philip Desmond on his new horse, a big rangy bay who has still not achieved his fifth birthday. Philip, now helping out with the United, had previously hunted the Cloyne Harriers who share country with the United. In fact his travelling companion on a nice cob was young Sheila Scanlon from Ballycotton whose mother Marie is secretary of the Cloyne. We met some really decent banks with dykes attached and Philip’s new horse didn’t put a foot wrong. Also going well were my fellow visitors and veterans Eddy Freyne and John McCarthy who were visiting from the Muskerry. John, landing awkwardly over a bank, managed to fracture his wrist later in the day. I would know both as fathers to real hunting enthusiasts. Cora McCarthy hunts a lot with the Scarteen, usually riding one of Michael and Trish Ryan’s upcoming eventers. Michael and Trish, whose event yard is based near Bandon, have the distinction of both having represented Ireland in the Olympics. Cora is one of the great girls to cross the country and is totally undaunted by falls.

Meanwhile Eddy Freyne is father to Comdt Tom Freyne of the Army Equitation School at McKee Barracks and himself a former international show jumper. He is currently joint-master of the Tipperary Foxhounds who are staging a side saddle weekend and hunting to coincide with their hunt ball this weekend. Eddy, who comes from Mullinavat, started his hunting career with the Kilkenny over 60 seasons ago when Victor McCalmont hunted hounds.

Hounds ran for Ballymaloe but our pilot was headed by traffic on the road and swung back again towards the coast and Ballycotton. Just as it looked as if we might need our water wings, hounds marked our fox to ground and was given best.

GRAND DASH

As we hacked on, I had the opportunity to chat to Colm Falvey who runs the very popular Mill Wheel Restaurant in Midleton. His brother Eanna is team doctor to the IRFU and has officiated on several Lions Tours. Another United stalwart is hunt secretary John Morrissey, out on a nice grey. He farms nearby and rarely misses a day.

Hounds then drew a covert belonging to former master of the Cloyne, Michael Dineen. For all its hunting connections, the covert was blank and hounds pressed on towards Shanagarry where they drew Balinamona Covert. This is a well-foxed country and it held a brace but the first to vacate became the hunted fox and a grand dash ensued. Experience, or the lack of it, tells as Philip Desmond on his novice found out. A blind dyke became his Waterloo as he attempted to jump into it rather than across it. Happily, with little more than his pride hurt, he remounted and continued. Our pilot was marked to ground shortly after that and, with shadows lengthening, our huntsman blew for home.

All the while our photographer was being well looked after and kept up with the action by Angela Desmond, a keen hunting enthusiast who, of course, is the better half of Philip.

As this completes The Irish Field hunting coverage for this season, I would like to thank all those who made me so welcome and gave me the privilege of hunting with their pack. God willing, my horse, my photographer and I will be back in action next season and I am already looking forward to autumn hunting in September.

HISTORY

Founded around 1871, the hunt resulted from the union of several packs brought together by Lord Shannon of Castlemartyr to form what is now known as the United Hunt Club. Kennels were built at Castlemartyr, which is now a luxury hotel, and subsequently in Midleton. Former masters have included Major Watt, Robert Fell, John Hyde and Van DeVater. Hounds are now accommodated in brand new state of the art kennels near Clonmult.

FACTFILE

Kennels: Garrylaurance, Clonmult, Co Cork.

Chairman: Dominic Daly

Secretary: John Morrissey

Point-to-point secretary: Tony Mullins

Huntsman: Sonny O’Donnell

Whipper-in: Ned Moran, John Morrissey, Steven Lucy