THE Angel family are always generous with their hospitality at their home meet in Lisrenny, with a marquee situated beside the Mistresses Garden. It is ideal for catching up on happenings since last season.

Jane Angel’s smashing hunter Storm that she purchased from Roger Kiely in the Duhallows is now retired. One of the many interesting members of the Filgate family was William Filgate, master (1860-1916), who hunted the pack for over 50 seasons. Remarkably, he was completely blind for the last seven seasons, but that did not deter him from hunting, which he still managed to do when escorted by one of his hunt staff.

One of the longest runs of the Louths’ was recorded in the late 1800s. Hounds found a fox in the woods in Lisrenny on the outskirts of Ardee, Co Louth that ran to Beaulieu House just outside Drogheda, Co Louth which is 37 kilometres by road!

Former honorary whipper-in Tony Cameron, a talented rider was placed fourth in the Aintree Grand National in 1962, fourth at the Tokyo Olympics eventing in 1964, still the best Irish eventing result at an Olympics, and fourth at Cheltenham which earned him the title Tony Cameron IV.

Reputation

The joint-masters are Edmond Mahony, Gerry Boylan, Eamonn McGinn, Joe Callan and Kieran Ryan. Joe Callan has announced his retirement after this season. He is in office for 23 seasons as master and will be sadly missed because, as a dairy farmer, he knows the hunt country well and has made an outstanding contribution over his tenure to the Louth Hunt.

Joe’s wife Marnie Crerer, whose grandfather David was a former master of the Louths (1967-73), is a well-known source of made hunters, eventers and show jumpers. She was on another smasher, a beautiful 16.3hh steel grey six-year-old Traditional Irish Sport Horse by Dunbeggan Grey Mist, a most sought after Irish Draught - Thoroughbred cross and he is for sale.

Huntsman Lloyd Parr’s reputation as one of the foremost breeders of Old English hounds is known throughout this country and in the UK, as he also picked up a rosette at the Hound Show in Peterborough. He has won many of the Old English classes at the Irish National Hound Show in Stradbally and the Hunting Association of Northern Ireland Show, but also has won in Open classes against Modern hounds.

His hounds have remarkable drive and voice and are magic to hear in full flight. Countryman Garry Kelly is a popular man in the area and one of the fittest. Former huntsman Michael McKeever’s grandchildren also walk puppies and are just as enthusiastic about hounds as their grandfather. Former honorary whipper-in Bru Bellew was also at the meet.

Followers

Linzi Sullivan, who was recently presented with her Showing Ireland Award, was riding her Dublin Horse Show-winning mare, who is equally at home crossing natural hunt country. Following also were Eamonn McGinn and his daughter Annie, Hannah Keogh and Ivan Ryan, a well-known show rider and also a professional jockey as is his brother James.

Fintan Sullivan was hunting with Laurence and Jane Goodman, who farm at Castlebellingham. Jane was riding a smashing grey Irish Draught now in his 21st season and still looking a picture. Fintan borrowed Stephen Gunne’s hunting jacket, as Stephen was celebrating an important birthday.

Hunting also was the hunt chairperson Sandra Cumisky, as were John and Amanda Larkin, South Tyrone huntsman Ryan Carvill and Freddie Bentley, including visitors from the Iveagh Hunt in Faith Cromie, Liz McDonnell, Oliver Ferris, whose brother Evan is a horse producer, and Fiona Wilson, who has horses in training with Natalia Lupini.

Hunting also were Leslie Delacaux and his wife Phillipa; Brian and Charlotte Cowley, Chloe Robinson, Hazel O’Sullivan, Isabel McKeever, Eva Williams, Amy Kiernan and her daughter Jessica, who was hunting for her first time, and Helena Williams, who was sharing her horse with Sophie Stewart.

Also at the meet were Terry Grant, Rowen Gallagher, Cillian Dunne, Sean Bird, who runs a pre-training yard, Ellie Gartland, Rowena Boyd and her children Sophie and Russell, who are nephews of international show jumpers Trevor and Shane Breen and show all the signs of being competent riders.

Russell Boyd, a nephew of show jumpers Shane and Trevor Breen, at The Louth Foxhounds opening meet at Lisrenny \ Noel Mullins

Young five-year-old Hugo Nevin, I was told, has to have a hunting story told to him at night before he will go to sleep, and honorary whipper-in Tommy Parr is his hero. Tommy’s son Jordan has a dealing yard near Newry and has a selection of made hunters that he makes over the challenging country of the South Tyrones and the Iveagh.

John Lyons, a former Louth member, accompanied his granddaughter Sadie, who was attending her fourth hunt that week. Also at the meet were Michael McKeever Jr, Elaine Lait and Johnny McCoy, who commentates at the point-to-point, and Declan Conaghan, who has taken a wonderful photographic record of the Louth Hunt over the years. Joining the followers were Jessica Nevin and farrier Ben McAteer, Phillip Richardson and his daughter Sarah and wife Jane, who is very active in riding club events.

Home-bred hounds

Lloyd Parr was hunting 22 ½ couple of beautiful Old English Hounds, all home-bred. Some breeds of hounds can be challenging to hunt. Modern hounds are more biddable, so they say you can tell a modern hound what to do, but you have to ask an Old English Hound, very much like the Penn-Mary-Del Hound in the USA, the Dumfriesshire Hound in Scotland or the Kerry Beagle in Ireland as they are, by nature, more independent.

The coverts in Lisrenny all have interesting names and it gives the followers an opportunity to enjoy riding through a magnificent, well-kept estate. Moving off from the front lawn to draw The Egg Covert, hounds opened in the Laurels at the back of Michael Babes’ house. Michael hunted the Louth Beagles for many years and now his son Colin is master and huntsman.

Hounds hunted around the wood making magnificent music, such is the quality of their voices, which allowed the followers to settle in, especially the younger children hunting for the first time. Followers know the sequence of draws so they took up all the best vantage positions. On this occasion, Halls Wood, The Wren and the Mistresses Covert by the Glyde River were blank as foxes had moved, as we were to discover shortly afterwards.

As the pack moved on to The Islands and The New Plantation, there was an explosion of sound as hounds raised the tempo in voice as they found a brace and a half, which hunted up the long and extensive wood with hounds Charcoal and Charger, who were winners in Stradbally, and second season Sally leading the pack. Fortunately, whipper-in Tommy Parr got to an opening nearer the yard and could monitor the activity for the huntsman. This fox turned and headed for Gerard Brennan’s where he was eventually left.

After a hack down the main road, they went through Tallenstown Village and on to John Filgate’s farm in Rathnesken, which many will remember as the old point-to-point course. Hounds quickly found another brace in The Blackthorns, marking one to ground with the second fox running on by the back of the house and up through the extensive woods. As the evening turned to dusk, hounds marked to ground and he was left for another day.

It was a smashing day out and the followers returned to the meet looking forward to another exciting season.