KILDARE FOXHOUNDS

Chairman: Charles O’Reilly

Masters: Mary Healy, Paul Doyle, Richard Sutton, Gavin Nangle, Basil Valentine

Honorary Secretary: John Dillon

Point-to-point Secretary: David Valentine

Hunter Trials Secretary: Pamela Braithwaite

Huntsman: Peter Cahill

Whipper-in: Eoghan McCabe

Meets: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

HISTORY

THE pack was founded in1810 by Speaker Connolly of Castletown as the county pack replacing a private pack known as the Bishopscourt Hunt. Speaker Connolly was believed to be Ireland’s largest landowner at that time. The Kildare Hunt uniquely own and run Punchestown, Ireland’s leading National Hunt track where their kennels are located. Lord Drogheda and Percy LaTouche, a Kildare landowner and banker, bought the land and established the racecourse and vested it on the hunt. It started as little more than the Kildare point-to-point course but quickly established itself as Ireland’s premier National Hunt course hosting the festival in late April.

THERE can be few more impressive venues for a meet of hounds than the new Hunt Stand opened only last year in the reserved enclosure at Punchestown Racecourse. It made a glamorous sight as riders and foot followers gathered for refreshments in the new building.

On hand to meet and greet was course chairman and keen hunting enthusiast David Mongey, sadly still on foot after a pre-season injury, but more than anxious to get back in action. David, who runs Mongey Communications, has been a real force for good in Punchestown and he and former manager Dick O’Sullivan made a formidable team.

Punchestown and the Kildare Hunt Club, like Siamese twins, are joined at the hip. The course emerged around 1825 as the venue for the Kildare point-to-point which quickly developed into a proper National Hunt meeting. At that time, all races were run over banks with the occasional stone wall thrown in for good measure. The course had previously moved around the county with meetings being held at Kilcock, Straffan and Kill.

It was due to the foresight of Percy LaTouche who bought the land that now makes up Punchestown, all 620 acres in bits and pieces at that time. The LaTouche’s were a Huguenot family who were among the founders of the Bank of Ireland. They lived in Harristown which went to be owned by Major Beaumont, master of the hunt for many years. The course and all that goes with it, is the property of the Kildare Hunt Club, but rather than owning it in the legal sense, it could be said that they hold it in trust for the nation.

When the course was in real financial trouble a couple of years ago and in imminent danger of closure, it was two sporting hunt members, Matt Dempsey and current course chairman David Mongey who came to the rescue, steadied the ship, pulled out their cheque books and the course was saved. Happily those dark days have passed and the course is now flying having a new general manager, Conor O’Neill recently appointed to replace Dick O’Sullivan who had steered Punchestown through choppy waters.

Conor has only recently been appointed chairman of the Association of Irish Racecourses. Next to Galway, Punchestown is the most successful Irish racecourse, returning a substantial annual profit which allows them carry out developments on a regular basis. The new Hunt Stand was opened last year at a cost of €4 million.

Refreshments were aplenty as members arrived with steaming plates of all sorts of good things to add to the drinks of all descriptions liberally available. This is the time to meet old friends, like hunt secretary John Dillon, looking very debonair. He was for many years chief course builder for the many three-day events held at the venue. Another familiar face was previous hunt treasurer Pat Murphy, though on foot as he had to leave almost immediately on family business.

Four out of five joint-masters were on hand. They are all in their first season and bursting with enthusiasm. Missing was joint-master Mary Healy who, up to last season, was hunt secretary. On holidays we were told, but the resort would have to be very attractive indeed to surpass the pleasure of ‘Peerless Punchestown’. Gavin Nangle was sadly side-lined having broken his shoulder in a fall during autumn hunting. However the Nangle family were ably represented by his wife Fiona, looking very smart wearing her Lily white collar worn by lady members.

The other three new masters were very much present and looking very dashing in their first season red masters’ coats. Paul Doyle is a sheep farmer from Ballymount, while Richard Sutton runs a building company and is based in Wicklow. Finally the roll is completed by Basil Valentine, who farms nearby in Sworlestown.

Punchestown Racecourse chairman David Mongey, with huntsman Peter Cahill and Pat Murphy at the Kildare Foxhounds meet from the new €4m Hunt Stand (Photo: Catherine Power)

FR BREEN STATUE

All too soon, hounds arrived having made the very short hack from their kennels, located just by the final bend as horses turn into the straight. Now in his second season, huntsman Peter Cahill really looked the part with 12 and a half couple, bred very much on modern lines with more than a hint of welsh blood. Hunt president Nick McDermott takes a keen interest in hound breeding and his advice ensures continuity in breeding policy. Incidentally his daughter Emma, who is a distinguished sculptress, has just completed a statue of the famous Fr. Sean Breen, posed sitting near the Punchestown jockeys’ room.

Regular whipper-in Eoghan McCabe was missing as he is recovering from a non-hunting related injury. Ably deputising for him was young William Flood whose brother Paddy is now an instructor in RACE. William has only recently started a livery and prep yard just off the Curragh. Described by Tom Berney as one of the most talented horsemen he had seen, I’m sure the venture will be a great success. Tom Berney was out but turned out in ratcatcher, appropriate for his role as gate-shutter.

A real keen hunting man, Tom is amateur whip to Ado Moran in the Carlow Farmers. The Berney’s have been saddlers since 1880 and Tom and his cousin Jamie are the fifth generation in the business. He had borrowed a grey cob for the day from Hazel Valentine, a sister of joint-master Basil. This animal was chosen on the basis of size, being barely 16hh, thus making getting up and down somewhat easier. The Valentines are a real keen hunting family, their brother David is point-to-point secretary. A very useful jockey in his day, it was he who first rode Charlie Haughey’s very good chaser and Irish Grand National winner Flashing Steel to his early success.

It made a smashing sight to see hounds move off to their first draw nearby in Tim McCarthy’s farm which was blank. They then moved on to draw John DeRoebeck’s sporting farm at Gowran Grange. Their farm didn’t disappoint and our pilot took hounds on a VIP tour, running by Kilashee through lands once owned by the late Marguerite Weld where she bred the 2004 Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow, trained by Dermot and ridden by Pat Smullen.

Going well and looking very smart was criminal barrister Richard Wixsted, well known in the eastern circuit. The mother and daughter partnership of Maria Keatley and Helen were well up on the action as was Sara Cosgrave, a daughter of the legendary veterinary surgeon Stan, steeped in racing and breeding. As hounds ran towards Swordlestown Stud, our pilot found a welcoming shore and was left. They then crossed the road to Valentine’s farm which was always looked on as the best draw of the day. And so it proved.

As they were drawing down by the disused railway embankment, the fourth season dog hound Danger threw his tongue, shot into a thicket and like the penny in the proverbial slot machine, a dashing dog fox popped out the other side and was hollowed away by the eagle-eyed Elaine Cahill, wife of our huntsman Peter. Peter and Elaine met when he was hunting the Kilkenny Foxhounds.

Hounds were on like a flash and a really decent hunt ensued over the best of Kildare country towards Barron’s Bog. There were fallers aplenty over a three-mile point. Hounds went on to their final draw in Punchestown, by what was once known as Priests Hill. At a time when priests were not allowed go racing, they would watch racing from the hill with a team of runners placing bets and returning not only with winnings but also with refreshments. While hounds found, it didn’t amount to much and with light fading, runners returned to the paddock.

The Kildare hunt must be looked on with envy as not only being owners of Ireland’s leading National Hunt track but having a smashing pack of hounds and a huntsman, who is not only a natural diplomat, but an outstanding houndsman and rider to boot. The future looks bright!