Hunt details

Chairman: Terry Smith

Master: Teddy Matthews

Huntsman: Noel Garvey

Whippers-In: Ian and Todd Bryson and Conor McEneaney

Honorary Secretary: Jenny Copeland

Honorary Treasurer: Ian Bryson

History

Founded in 1820, the hunt country is part of Counties Down and Armagh and borders the East Down on the eastern side, the Iveagh on the northern side and the Tynan and Armagh on the western side.

HUNTING is all about community, a group of people sharing an interest in a sport that they are passionate about. Many of them are farmers, and they are the guardians of the countryside.

Never was this more evident than when the Newry Harriers met at Crankey Corner, between Newry and Armagh at Conor McEneaney’s farm. There was no formality, just genuine hospitality with refreshments out of the boot of a jeep and good lively chat and anticipation about the day. This is sheep country, where foxes are predators of in-lamb ewes at this time of the year, and the hunt plays a vital part in controlling them. Hounds take out foxes that maybe are injured or old, a more humane way of dealing with their problem at a time when they can no longer hunt for themselves. Some may not like it, but that is nature. As they say, where you have live stock you will have dead stock, and it is the same with wildlife.

The Newry followers are a great bunch of people, and they are also a vital cog in the preservation of the Traditional Irish Horse that is considered an endangered species by the Department of Agriculture. Breeding of sport horses and thoroughbreds is a vital supplementary income, and the hunt runs two point-to-points at Taylorstown, which host racing for National Hunt breeders, another vital industry. Through hunting and Children’s Meets, riders learn responsibility for ponies and hone their riding skills, which let them progress to become future stars of racing, show jumping and eventing. The main focus for many is producing a winner at Balmoral Show or the Dublin Horse Show. The economic value is immense, with downstream businesses benefiting - like farriers, feed merchants, vets, garages, insurance companies, saddlers, trailer suppliers, bars, hotels and guesthouses and many more. And the hunt is living up to their social responsibilities in regular fundraising for charities like the Air Ambulance and the neonatal facilities at Craigavon Area Hospital.

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Former National Hunt jockey Paul Kinane showing his riding style over a gate at the Newry Harriers meet at Crankey Corner \ Noel Mullins

It was great to meet up with former amateur huntsman Edwin Bryson, who must be the only person to represent Ireland at the World Championships in both eventing and driving in France, Hungary and Kentucky. But then, this area has seen so many Irish international and Olympic riders, like Edwin Bryson, Bill Buller, George Bryson, Trevor Smith and Clare Abbott, hone their riding skills and those of their horses in the hunting field. There were three generations of the Bryson family at the hunt, Edwin, Ian, Todd, who is also Edwin’s driving groom, Margaret Creighton and Alison Bryson. I was travelling with Paul Kinane, a noted horseman from a family of horsemen. His father Tommy won the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle on Monksfield, whom Dominic Coonan later stood at his Redthorn Stud. Paul’s brother Michael won so many big races around the world, including the Irish and English Derbies, the Breeders’ Cup and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sea the Stars. I was at Longchamp Racecourse with Tommy a couple of weeks afterwards and what a reception Tommy was given in the weigh room. I even took a photo of him on the weighing scales! Paul himself has ridden winners on racetracks in Ireland, England, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, but hunting is his passion. With his wife Amy, they are in demand as show judges, they breed racehorses, and they have consigned horses that have won Classics in Europe.

Master and Hunt Staff

Teddy Matthews is the current very popular master and was in all the right places to help out and chat with farmers throughout the day’s hunting. The huntsman Noel Garvey is in his first season hunting hounds, but he has hunted with the Newrys for many seasons, taking over when James Hammond retired. James was following on the day with his daughter Lucy. Whipping-in are honorary treasurer Ian Bryson and his son Todd, Conor McEneaney and Paul Kinane helping out also. Terry Smith, the chief racecourse veterinary surgeon, is the club chairman. Jenny Copeland, the honorary secretary, is sidelined at the moment, as she is expecting her first child, but is counting the days until she gets back following hounds.

I am grateful to Kenny Brown, who guided me, and Kenny Hempkins, who informed me that he had had a 99 ice cream for breakfast - what a way to start the day! They are very hi-tech, with pin drops and GPS positioning of the hunt all day.

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Ellie Rose and John Anthony and Jason Mackey and Harry Chatfield Roberts at the Newry Harriers meet at Crankey Corner \Noel Mullins

Followers

Following were Ellie Rose and John Anthony Livingstone, whose father Dr Ken Livingstone is a long-time follower of the Newrys, as well as being joint master of the Armagh & Richill Beagles. Colin Boggs was on his spotless grey hunter, and former Olympic event rider Margaret (Tolerton) Creighton, who sponsors the hunter classes in Balmoral, was out. Her recently-married daughter Charlotte was trying a horse of Gary Porter’s. Charlotte and her husband Harry Chatfield Roberts hunt with the Belvoir in Leicestershire. Also following were Jason Mackey and Jonny McCallion, who got married to another well-known hunt follower, Naomi Buchanan. Jonny has been on the podium of Eventing Ireland with Naomi’s San Sabastion. At the meet also were Ian Norris, Nathan McGann and Michael McGaffin.

Temporarily sidelined from a hunting injury was Liz McDonald, but her son Jason was on a smashing up to weight quality hunter. Janine Porter is a real hunt enthusiast, but also breeds Badger-Faced Texel and Dutch Spotted Sheep and follows many of the hunts in the area. Other familiar faces were Lynne Burns and her mother Kathleen, who I last met at the Iveagh Foxhounds, and also Harry Clements and Davey Lyons.

Hunting

The first draw was Luttons Bog and Master Teddy Matthews’ farm, and both were blank. They had better luck in Keith Agnew’s reed beds, where hounds managed to dislodge a brace and were away with whippers-in Ian and Todd Bryson riding wide, where they had an excellent view. But the real drama was an upright gate, well secured on both sides, leading into the draw, where you could hear horse shoes clipping off the top bar. While many sat back, one rider got unbalanced, but had a soft landing as the ground was so soft. Former jockey Paul Kinane gave a textbook display in a perfect show jumping position, as if he was jumping a round at the Dublin Horse Show. But having jumped in, as the pack were hunting back towards them, they had to jump the gate back. Meanwhile one fox went to ground at the side of a river and the other set his sights towards the Old Armagh Road, where the hunt staff stopped hounds.

The pack got away at Hazleys Bog, with hunt staff getting over a tricky narrow double bank that became very slippy, as the top started to crumble, which made it difficult for take-off over the drain on the other side. This caught out at least two followers, who went for an unplanned bath, but Gary Porter, Teddy Matthews and brothers Johnny and Joe Agnew came to the rescue. Meanwhile, hounds had crossed Malcolm Finch’s and William Irvine’s, and the followers were spoiled for choice for the variety of obstacles to cross before hounds checked.

From Irvine’s, they hacked to Lissnalee Cross Roads and drew Holliday’s Bog back towards Keith Agnew’s, when hounds were away again eventually marking to ground. The last draw at dusk was helped by car lights as hounds found a brace in McCormack’s Bog. One ran to the back of The Pig Houses, and the other headed back through the beet field towards the main road, where they were stopped as the huntsman blew for home after a very busy day.

It got so cold in the evening that one follower remarked, ‘You would not put a milk bottle out on a night like this’!