History

The Kildare Hunt was founded initially in 1751 with Squire Thomas Conolly of Castletown House in office as the first master. Sir John Kennedy is credited with developing the number of coverts in the hunt country that allowed up to 90 varied draws. They hunt on Tuesdays and Saturdays and the country consists of mostly ditches, stud rails, banks and hunt jumps. Visitors welcome by appointment and hirelings are available.

Officers

Chairman: Charles O’Reilly

Masters: The committee

Huntsman: Padhraic Moynihan

Whippers-in: Joe Grattan and Eve King

Honorary secretary: John Dillon

Point-to-point secretary: Richard Wixted

THE opening meet of the Kildare Foxhounds is always popular at Punchestown Racecourse, and the first person that you meet is usually their honorary secretary John Dillon, who does trojan work for the hunt.

A large contingent was on hand enjoying the refreshments and catching up on the news over the summer. Members such as Rose Rouse made sure everybody was double-handed with a wide variety of refreshments and something stronger as well, more often referred to as ‘jumping juice’, as if the Kildare followers needed it.

The meet in Punchestown Racecourse, the home of the Kildares, sits on more than 600 acres - which means that hunt staff, horses and hounds enjoy true luxury with an on-site exercise area. Foxes know where their dinner comes from in a wood at the back of the kennels.

The former Chairman of The Agricultural Trust and editor of the Irish Farmers Journal, Matt Dempsey and his wife Mary were on foot. It was a first for Matt in 63 seasons. While Matt is hale and hearty, sadly his trusty hunter Charles did not get past the vet, so he had to call it a day despite having him clipped and ready to go. Matt recalled his first hunt meet in Goatstown, which is now totally built up and part of the Dublin City. It is hard to believe that this could happen in just our lifetime.

Joan Mooney, originally from Kerry, was not far behind as it is her 53rd season and she was on her trusty cob Blueboy. She did all the feeding on her farm before she made her way to the hunt. Her father ran horses in flapper meetings in well-known venues in Kerry, such as Ballybunion and Lixnaw.

Fionnula Lennon, master of the Kilkenny Foxhounds, was riding probably the most striking hunter at the meet, Tallyho Maguire, and the horse certainly knows it. A prolific prize winner during the summer in the showring, he is the most noble of horses and Fionnula told me that now he has found his proper job.

Rose Rouse was riding an exceptional heavyweight cob Seanie B that she rescued some years ago and has been an exceptional servant to her since. She had two-and-a-half-year-old Danny Kelly-Behan looking quite content sitting on the pommel of the saddle before moving off.

Thoroughbred country

Being in Kildare, one is surrounded by bloodstock breeders and owners, including the hunt chairman Charles O’Reilly. His winning National Hunt horse Man of Work gave him some great days out, and now he has a good replacement in Shirzan, by Saxon Warrior, who won a hurdle race recently in Limerick trained by Peter Fahy.

Another racehorse breeder is Gerry O’Gorman, former commanding officer of the Army Equitation School and chairman of Para Equestrian Ireland. He has a nice horse by Poets World going to Goffs shortly.

One of the bravest riders hunting was Paddy McKeon, who only started riding last April with the intention of being ready for his first hunt at the opening meet of the Kildares. He purchased Billy Flood’s experienced hunter Murphy and he stayed in the plate all day and now there is no stopping him. His partner Chloe Kirwan is a brand ambassador for a number of equestrian brands and she put on a great display at the Dublin Horse Show in the Working Hunter class on her smashing grey Irish Sport Horse mare Carrigfadda Silver Lady (Willow), by Rockrimmon Silver Diamond. And she is no stranger to turning on the style either, especially at Royal Ascot Races.

Hazel Valentine was field master. An exceptional rider in many disciplines, equally at home riding aside or astride on the hunting field, hunter performance shows, showing classes at the Dublin Horse Show, playing polo, and side-saddle racing winning the Crystal Cup at the International Ladies’ Side Saddle Race in Croan Hippodrome in France this year.

Joan Mooney on Blueboy celebrating her 53rd season hunting with The Kildare Foxhounds at Punchestown \ Noel Mullins

Hunt staff

The huntsman Padhraic Moynihan furthered his hunting education with packs in the UK, returning to hunt the Carlow Farmers and the South Union before taking on the Kildares a few years ago. An experienced breeder of hounds, he has had considerable success showing hounds, especially at The National Hound Show in Stradbally.

His brother Gearoid whipped-in to him last season, but he is about to travel to the USA to take up a position whipping-in to The Hillsboro Hounds in Tennessee that hunt grey and red fox, coyote and bobcat. Gearoid will be popular with his country and western friends, as the kennels is only a short drive from the country and western capital of the world, Nashville!

This season, Kildare native Joe Grattan and Eve King are whipping-in, and Eve is also the hunt groom. The countryman is Wesley Cole.

Followers

Local Kildare native George Barrett was at the meet. He originally hunted the Carlow Farmers Foxhounds and is doing a great job for the last four seasons as huntsman of the Iveagh Foxhounds. He is very professional and I had a cracking day with him from the Kennels outside Banbridge last season, and his popularity was evident with so many farmers and locals at the meet.

His hounds have been consistent winners on the flags especially at HANI and The National Hound Show in Stradbally. At the meet also were Tracey McDermott, former master Andrew Perrin, Oliver Ryan, former Kildare huntsman Chris Francis, Colin Barrett who is farm manager of The National Stud, Camilla Grey, Richard Wixted, David Mongey of Mongey Communications and Chairman of Punchestown Racecourse, Alan McParland, a son of former Kildare master Ronan, Sarah O’Connell, former master of the Carlow Farmers Mehran Mirahmidi, Clodagh Brophy and Paige Conway.

Paul Kerr, who hunted the Kildares in the 1990s was at the meet, and I recall Paul putting on a great display during that time at the Dublin Horse Show in the Main Arena, with Mick Byrne whipping-in together with joint master Charlie O’Neill.

At the meet also were Desmond Bell, Tadgh Dooley, Niall Clancy, Pat Murphy who is usually on horseback, committee member Peter Deane who is also area manager of North Kildare area, former County Laois Foxhounds master Verity O’Mahony, Joan Mooney, Louise Doyle and two-year-old Billy, Catherine and Emma Lyons, local farmer Tom Cox, Al Tompkins, George Barrett Snr and Billy Flood.

Great voice

It was very grey and windy as the huntsman moved off by the back avenue across the road into De Robeck’s, a family who were both masters of the Kildare Hunt and also instrumental in the development of Punchestown Racecourse. From there, they crossed into David Valentine’s farm and hounds immediately found in the covert. This customer had no intention of heading into open country, not helped by followers who headed him on a few occasions. He went to ground and bolted, and to ground yet again, when he decided to let the hunt move on, but will be there for another day.

Drawing the top of Valentine’s Lane, hounds found again and the pack were in great voice on down the lane into The Long Wood, before crossing Barrons Bog and to ground on the side of the old railway line.

Moving on by the Ballymore Road, the huntsman put the pack into the covert on Morganstown Hill and hunted around the furze and into the sand pits and to ground. The Kennell Wood as usual held, showing that foxes are comfortable living beside hounds, as they have a ready-made food supply that they avail of at night.

Some good woodland hunting was followed by a quick exit running on over the Gliding Club Airfield before crossing Ballymore Road and into De Robeck and to ground. The huntsman blew for home, which was nearby as only the whippers-in Joe and Eve, the field master Hazel Valentine, Tom Berney and countryman Wesley Cole were left, as the followers felt that they had done enough for the first day of the season.

This was a nice handy day for the start of the season and all the followers went home happy.