IT was a day of firsts at the Ward Union Staghounds’ opening meet in Donore; it was Niall Dunne’s first day as the new huntsman and the hunt’s first time (that anybody can remember) meeting in Donore. And what an area, with spectacular views across the Boyne Valley and all the historic landmarks like The Hill of Tara and Newgrange Passage Grave, which is over 5,000 years old and predates the Pyramids of Egypt.

Not far from Newgrange, as the crow flies, lies Kells which has three Market Crosses that are National Monuments dating back over 1,000 years. On the base of one is a carved image of a stag hunt complete with deer and mounted followers. It is said that, during his Conquest of Ireland (1640-1649), Cromwell’s soldiers sharpened their bayonets and swords on the cross, and the marks can be clearly seen.

The detailed organisation of the Wards meet was really impressive, with constant communication by phone between the masters, road whips and the huntsman.

Contribution

The Ward Hunt Club make an enormous contribution in many ways to country life through employment, which is critical in a rural area, with hunt staff, kennel staff, grooms and knackery staff.

They contribute to heritage and conservation by managing a native Irish Deer herd, one of only two herds in the country, keeping the breed pure without any cross-breeding by non-native species.

They also protect the environment through their licensed knackery by the Department of Agriculture that collects fallen stock on farms that can run to thousands per annum, which keeps the countryside clear of pollution.

Like other hunt clubs, they are predominately hunting the Traditional Irish Horse, already an endangered breed, that would probably die out but for its popularity in the hunting field. It is supporting leisure riding by hunting from November to March, morning hacks, Ladies Hunt, Pony Club events, Antler Challenge, children’s meets, charity rides, point-to-point racing, hunter trials and a horse show with qualifiers for the Dublin Horse Show.

Horsemanship is often made on the hunting field. There is no substitute for cross-country riding that has produced Aintree Grand National-winning jockeys like Robbie Power, Barry Geraghty, Paul Carberry and Keith Donoghue, who recently won the Velka Pardubice Steeplechase - the first Irish jockey to do so. And his winning horse Stumptown was freshened up with a couple of outings with the Wards before heading to the Czech Republic.

The downstream of business to the likes of feed merchants, vets, transport, insurance, saddlers, hunt clothing suppliers, hospitality and horse dealers is also supported by hunting.

Jill Carberry with her hunter Danno at the Ward Staghounds meet at Donore \ Noel Mullins

Talented

The new huntsman Niall Dunne’s uncle, Larry Rowan, was master of the Wards from 1984-2002. Niall is a talented horseman and a noted hound breeder, who has honed his craft with the Westmeaths, the Louth and the Limerick Foxhounds, before hunting the Waterford Old English pack where he gave magnificent sport.

Following that, he hunted his home pack, the Westmeath Foxhounds, where he built a strong team and it was not unusual to see four quads of volunteers setting off from a meet. He also had the support of his family - wife Kitty, his father Bryan and brother Shane whipping-in. He is not forgotten in Westmeath, as a number of supporters arrived at the meet to wish him well on his first day hunting the Ward hounds.

Whipping-in to him was former champion jockey Paul Carberry, Colm and Ronan O’Dwyer of Lagore Stables, Sean Watson, John Bannon and Kit Reynolds, who do the morning exercise and share duties between them on Tuesdays and Fridays. Oisin Keogh and Jack Foley are a great help also.

The ground team is headed by Michael Lynch, Danny and Jamie Dwyer and Chloe Mahon, with horses superbly turned out by Sarah Bloise. His pack are a mix of Modern and Old English with drafts from Fergus Stokes of the Limericks, Kevin Donohoe of the Ballymacads and Kenny Henry of the Meaths.

Joint master Joey Moore who fractured his arm early in the season giving direstions to huntsman Niall Dunne at The Ward Staghounds meet at Donore \ Noel Mullins

Masters

The masters are Peter Reynolds, Stephen O’Connor, David Baker and Joey Moore. Stephen has been a great supporter of the Irish show jumping team that have had such success over the last 10 years through his company The Underwriting Exchange. Joey, who hosted the Antler Challenge on his farm at Fieldstown Bridge, was unfortunate to fracture his arm in one of the Hunt Runs, but that did not curtail him in any way orchestrating the day having spent the previous week visiting farmers with his fellow master and farmer David Baker, whose family bred the mighty racehorse Arkle.

With David on horseback and Joey going ahead with his phone in hand and David Farrell driving, Joey made sure the hunt avoided livestock, new grass and crops and keeping to farms where they had permission. On the road, kennel staff kept in contact, making sure of the smooth running and collecting hounds. It was very impressive, run almost like clockwork allowing the huntsman and whippers-in to do their job.

Followers

The hard-working honorary secretary Jill Carberry was on her hunter Danno and Paul Carberry was hunting with his daughter Elle Jay. Also following were Eamonn Watters, John Bannon and his wife Sarah, Jennifer Byrne, Timmy and Emma Carberry, Oisin Keogh, Christy Reynolds and his son Davey, Gemma Donoghue, Shane Crabbe, Barry Tormey and daughter Suin, Jake and trainer Gavin Cromwell’s son Cameron, Paddy and Thady Finnegan, sons of Fingal huntsman Ollie, Fiona Collins, Linnea Larkin, Sean Reilly and James Monks.

Part of the road team were Davey Dwyer, who I recall as an amazing man riding cross-country before receiving a riding injury but is still involved, and James Harford who is a great man to turn out a horse. Also following were Ronan and Paddy Griffin who trained Refute, Cathom, Arctic Gossip, Con Hull and Feltrim Hill Lad, who won the Thyestes Chase for owner Stan Collon.

Paddy’s wife, Frankie, and Deirdre Jenkinson are representatives of the Riding for the Disabled, who had 40 groups of 700 riders on horseback each week teaching new skills and building confidence. I recall them taking the riders to the Dublin Horse Show, where they paraded and were introduced to their heroes, the Irish show jumping team. Paddy and Frankie’s son James Griffin has trained Roi Mage to win the Crystal Cup held in Croan in France for the second year. Also following were Ollie Finnegan, Judy Duffy and Cillian Dunne, who hosts a meet for the Louth Foxhounds on the family farm.

Oisin Keogh at the Ward Union Staghounds meet at Donore \ Noel Mullins

Fast paced

An amazing amount of work goes into organising a meet and masters Joey Moore and David Baker were very impressive in control, with constant contact with the road team.

The meet was at the yard of Michael Lawlor, a grain farmer and a keen racing man, who has travelled the world to race meetings and he was heading off to Down Royal Racecourse that afternoon.

We had a great view from the top of the hill behind the yard of the huntsman, hounds and followers. One could see across the Boyne Valley to the sea, with plenty of small woods and old overgrown quarries ideal, dry and sheltered for habitat.

The pack picked up a line almost immediately behind the quarry in Brendan Lawlor’s and the cream and yellow hound Painter led the pack out of Armstrong’s through Grogan’s and moved on quickly over Liam McDonnell’s where the huntsman stopped them out of respect to farmers, as they were about to go into country not in the plan for the day. But this was a nice run and a short break in allowing hounds to get together and the followers to get their breaths.

The pack found again when crossing over Kit Reynold’s farm, drawing the wood in Kiernan’s. The followers braced themselves for another nice run that took them from Kiernan’s with Limerick Tracer taking over as lead hound. This fellow circled back towards McDonnell’s and got headed on the road, but swung left, ran past show jumper John Floody’s yard and ran to the Brink and all the way down to the woods on the bank of the River Boyne, where hounds checked on the road. As only eight riders finished, it was decided to blow for home.

The verdict was that it is one of the best opening meets on record, with farmers and followers happy. That’s as good as it gets!