SPRINGFORT Hall near Mallow was our venue last Saturday for the “Dashing” Duhallow. Despite being reputedly the oldest foxhound pack in Ireland, it was a vibrant and on-going group that assembled and it would be hard to find a more appropriate venue for a meet.

Located in the heart of the Barony of Duhallow, Springfort Hall is just a stone’s throw from the county town of Mallow, right beside the small village of New Two Pot House. This is proper horse country, Vincent O’Brien first saw the light in nearby Churchtown while John Magnier was born in Grange Stud just down the road. As if all that wasn’t enough, the world’s first steeplechase passed through some of the land now attached to Springfort Hall.

As we arrived, a proper hunt breakfast was being served in the car park, supervised by Helen Walsh of Springfort Hall. There was a bumper turnout with almost 60 mounted, including two from the Tynan and Armagh. Also on hand were two Limerick juniors, Grace and JJ Power from Bruree.

In its 40-odd years in business, Springfort Hall and its owners have become ingrained into the DNA of north Cork and host the Duhallow hunt ball. Now owned and run by the Walsh family, it is a proper country house hotel and a very good one at that. The family took over what was then a private country house some 40 years ago and, in the intervening decades, they have built up the business to become Cork’s leading wedding venue. Having a top-class restaurant, it has become the in spot for dining in north Cork.

A change of personnel

Since last season, Duhallow have had a complete change of personnel up front. David Beecher now carries the horn, with James Dawkins turning hounds to him. Beecher is originally from west Waterford, and learned his trade with Fergal Stokes and the Co Limerick Foxhounds. A better academy it would be hard to find. From a real hunting family, his cousin Paul hunts the West Waterford and won the Hickstead Derby on the home-produced Loughnatousa WB.

Whipper-in James Dawkins came from the west country and has really made Duhallow his home this season, but sadly is leaving. His job has already been advertised in the pages of The Irish Field.

Of the Joint Masters, we had but absentees with Matt Nagle from nearby Buttevant and Joe DeCourcy both being marked down as “In Absentia”. However, we had two former masters out. Pat Hayes MFH, now of the Ormond Foxhounds, and Peter O’Meara, a major player in the property world, was out with his daughter Anna, all well mounted and going accordingly. We also had, but on foot, Elisabeth Ahern, who has remained a stalwart of all things Duhallow. It was Pat Hayes’ local meet and he is now MFH of Ireland’s second oldest pack, the Ormond Foxhounds in north Tipperary. Contemporaneously, Pat is the hard-working chairman of the IMFHA (Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association) and used his political skills to steer the recent anti-hunting bill into oblivion. Irish hunting and field sports in general owe him and his fellow activists a huge debt of gratitude.

https://foto.ifj.ie/fotoweb/archives/5006-Irish-Horse-World/Irish%20Horse%20World/Duhallow%205.jpg.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5006-Irish-Horse-World%2F%3Fq%3Dpeter%2520o%27meara

Peter O’ Meara with his daughter Anna out with the Duhallow Foxhounds \ Catherine Power

The saddling bell was sounded as the clock struck 11, and hunt staff were more than anxious to get going, but first we had a photo call outside the hall door of Springfort. It was replicating a scene, which I’m sure has happened many times before. We can only imagine Captain Becher around 1830 in an identical location. This was before he went on to become a racing bye word, as a result of his celebrated fall over that famous brook that bears his name. Even then, the Duhallow hunt was almost 100 years old!

Part of the line up was the gallant young jockey Jasmine Sweetnam, a grand daughter of Noel and Margaret O’Brien of Clashganiff. This young jockey has a very good page indeed, being the great-grandniece of MV O’Brien himself, who won three Grand Nationals with three different horses.

The first draw was nearby across the road near Morna McDowell’s breeze-up gallops. As hounds drew, we could see her horses working on the all-weather. She has enjoyed considerable success with breeze-ups, having produced the very useful The Grey Gatsby, who won the Irish Champion Stakes. She is ably assisted in producing these flat horses by Willie Cronin from Doneraile.

Hounds found and ran firstly for the main road, before swinging left-handed and running almost into Mallow, where he was marked to ground and given best.

Duhallow have a terrific and enthusiastic group of young people and family groups. First we had the Flemings, with dad James and children Diarmuid and Siun. Grandad Pat only recently retired as the very able chairman of Duhallow. A natural diplomat, he steadied the ship when the waters became stormy. Then, we had the Palmers with two related families, Aaron and Elaine and their son Aara, while their cousins were equally populous with Trevor, Caitrona, Emily and Jack, aged seven, also up there.

We also had the Goolds. Older readers will remember hearing of Dinny Goold, at one time Ireland’s leading cattle exporter. The apple falls near the tree, so they say, and Dinny Goold Junior, the former’s grandson, is a keen follower of all things Duhallow. Dinny regularly hunts with young Jack, Hannah and Harvey, all the while milking almost 1,000 cows at home near Charleville.

Then we had the Burke-Otts, Zara and Ella and young Luke, who had only recently won a point-to-point on the appropriately named Young Huntsman.

So it was a stellar field on the day, that would have comfortably got round a three-star event without fault, but the best of the day was still to come. Hounds drew on and it wasn’t too long before the Duhallow orchestra struck up again, and it would have silenced the Berlin Philharmonic. It started with a whimpering, uncertain cry, but as the pack rallied it became an outburst.

When Duhallow run, they really run. Soon, the field was spread over a couple of Cork parishes as hounds ran for Doneraile. Not found wanting were our two visitors from the Tynan and Armagh, farrier Samuel Philips and his fellow whipper-in Alastair Sands. They had an experience that will live with them for many a day. They had bought their day out at the Iveagh Hunt ball, and whatever they paid, it was value for money.

Even Duhallow eventually have to run out of steam, totally out of their draw and in unfamiliar country to most. Even Michael Buckley, who carried the Duhallow horn with distinction, didn’t know quite where we were, but our huntsman, who has built up an extraordinary rapport with his hounds, soon had the pack back with him.

It was a tired and happy group that made the hack back to Springfort, where further Cork hospitality awaited.

Duhallow run a class act.