THE North Galway Foxhounds are the complete package, great hunting country on old pasture, natural coverts so wildlife thrive with some of the best limestone walls anywhere in the country that range from 30 to the mile, unparalleled hospitality, and show-standard plaited hunter hirelings that know their job. Their huntsman is quiet and composed with his smashing pack of hounds, many with Quorn and Meath foxhound bloodlines, some courtesy of Kenny and John Henry. The masters, hunt staff and hunt officers could not be more helpful, especially to visitors from the UK and the Fingal Harriers.

Field master Jackie Lee is one of the best horsemen in the country, who sends everybody away with a smile on their faces. And, as one would expect in this challenging country, there is a constant production line of talented riders and an industry of Sport Horse breeding and production that goes under the radar. So, if you want non-stop action, make your way to the North Galway Foxhounds, who on my visit were meeting at The Anglers Rest in the village of Headford, where the followers shared their custom also with Cillian and Tom Varley’s Bar across the road on the eastern shores of Lough Corrib and the day certainly lived up to expectations.

The hunt lost their great friend Stella Rochford to pancreatic cancer last year, so they had a Charity Hack to raise funds for this worthy cause.

Guides

My guide was hunting photographer and artist Maura Morrin, whose images regularly appear in The Irish Field and, as a talented artist, her work is on display for guests in Ashford Castle. Brian Sweeney and Joe McNamara made up the social media team that film and photograph the hunt each week that followers and overseas visitors enjoy. Within 24 hours of posting, there were nearly 10,000 views. Brian’s daughters Laoise and Eadaoin were hunting. They have sheep and pigs at home, but when they developed personalities, they became confirmed pets. Also keeping up with the action was Jessica Tigue on her trusty bicycle.

Breeders and Producers

Field master Jackie Lee is the owner of Grand Prix show jumper Kashino. ridden by his nephew Raphael Lee, whose father Ray also produces sport horses. Jackie, a winner twice of The Dublin Horse Show’s Three-Year-Old Loose Jumping final and pipped for a hat-trick by half a point, has 17 two- and three-year-olds to choose from to campaign this year.

Mary Murphy is also no stranger to winning ways in Dublin and joint master Tom McNamara and his daughter Maria have a string of successes in Dublin, Balmoral and The Horse of the Year Show. One of the UK visitors proudly told me that she purchased a hunter from Tom that morning!

The huntsman David Masterson and his partner Paula own Skehana Stables and stand the 13.2hh pony stallion Newhaven Theodore that remarkably has Carnival Night in his back breeding, that was by the Epsom Derby winner Crepello. They produce and compete show jumping ponies, some of which are now in the UK and Sweden.

Other producers on the day were Brian Flaherty and Rachel Lydon, Colie Delap, James Rabbette, Eddie Burke and Pat Mellette.

https://foto.ifj.ie/fotoweb/archives/5006-Irish-Horse-World/Irish%20Horse%20World/2020/-%20Hunt_2673_rd.jpg.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5006-Irish-Horse-World%2F%3Fq%3Dnorth%2520galway

Huntsman David Masterson sporting the Galway Footballers maroon and white colours on his jacket at The North Galway Foxhounds at The Anglers Rest in Headford \ Noel Mullins

Masters and hunt staff

The masters are Tom McNamara, who supplies the hirelings, Michael Lennon, Gearoid Tully, David Myers, Lar Sheeran and William Donnellan. The hunt, although a foxhound pack, don’t wear red jackets - choosing instead to wear maroon jackets with a white collar - the colours of the local Galway GAA Football Team.

Huntsman David Masterson is in his seventh season hunting hounds and rides a cob named Eamonn, who thinks he is a Grand Prix show jumper and performs accordingly. Whipping-in are Pat Mellett, Carl Reynolds and John Glynn - top riders over the big double walls. Completing the team are Tom McDonagh and Bob Ward, who is fleet of foot across country, and kennelman Joe McEvoy - another popular man in the hunt country.

Jackie Lee and his grey hunter Simpson by All the Diamonds has been described as ‘a machine’ that he purchased from Declan Brooks as a five-year-old and their combined ages now are just short of 100 and still leading the followers across country with consummate ease.

Followers

The youngest following were two-year-old Sky Gibbons and two-year-old Leo Melia on his pony, 25-year-old Lucy. Also along were joint honorary treasurer Scotty Morrin, Mark Mellett, Mary Murphy, Finn Reynolds, Tadgh Dillon, John Glynn, Carl Reynolds, Aideen and Leara Connaughton, Ed Burke, Noel and Ben Keane, Ben Johnson on his Appaloosa, Willie and Colie Delappe.

Visiting from the Fingal Harriers were Paul Rice and his daughter Aisling, former master of the Fingals Kevin McGuinness, Dave Bennett and his daughter Joy. Also visiting were Deni Harpur Adams, Charis Rooney, and Annie Robertson from the Croom and West Warwickshire and the Radnor and West Hertfordshire, who hunted with the Blazers the previous day.

Following also were Tanya Mellett and Sadie, Paddy and Grace Burke, whose father Ed was hunting. I met Martin Connaughton from my home town of Loughrea, who is married to Caroline, a daughter of the late Paddy Lynch who looked after film director John Huston’s hunters and Connemara ponies when he was master of the Galway Blazers in the 1960s. I also met Norah Reynolds, who extolled the virtues of her slow cooker the last time we met.

Hunting

David Masterson with 12 ½ couple of hounds went to the first draw off the main Galway Road, where hounds found quickly in James Kibble’s, but as he was heading in the wrong direction the huntsman stopped the pack.

They came back and in by the Demesne Orchard in Ballyfruit off The Neale Road, one of the locations of the film The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, and drew the ditches before crossing the Black River into Anthony McDonnell’s. Hounds found again in Jim Joyce’s, where the visitors got their first taste of the North Galway walls with Jackie Lee on Simpson setting a fair challenge with singles, doubles and a few hedges over walls including a big drop in Ray Lee’s thrown in, as this fellow doubled back to the find.

Wasting no time, the huntsman headed down towards the Mart and into more ground of Ray Lee’s, where the pack found again in Fintan O’Malley’s, as Pat Mellett and Finn Reynolds jumped a huge wall only to have to turn and jump it again, where they marked this fox at the back of a shed beside a derelict house. Followers caught up before negotiating a few hedges jumping out into space over huge drops, where visitors Aisling and Paul Rice impressed, as well as Dave Bennett on a four-year-old along with his daughter Joy. Former master of the Fingals, Kevin McGuinness, has not lost his touch either and father and son, Noel and Ben Kane, jumped it upsides each other.

The hunt stopped for a few minutes at Damian Carr’s home, as the family were recovering from his son Jason’s 16th birthday. The huntsman drew field master Jackie Lee’s farm beside the 13th century Kinlough Castle, where his 17 two- and three-year-olds were curious. Hounds spoke in Mary Mogan’s and were away. Jackie Lee led the followers over every type of wall imaginable.

The huntsman drew the coverts in an out-farm of Jackie’s and Norah Carroll’s, Tony O’Connor’s and Brendan Corbett’s, but they did not hold, so Jackie took the followers a short cut over the final line of walls across country back to the meet. Jackie told me that they were expecting Paul Carberry down, but he cancelled, so he has kept a line of really big doubles for when Paul next visits.

The North Galways exceeded all expectations for hospitality, top hirelings and challenging countryside that will stay long in all the visitors’ memories.