Hunt History

Founded by the late Tim Hyde, who had won the last peacetime Grand National in 1939 on Workman. Tim had hunted the family pack, The Shaun Peel’s, in his native Inishshannon before coming to Tipperary and hunting a country once hunted by the Thurles and Kilshane Harriers, extending from Devil’s Bit to Bansha. Allowed to lapse in the 1950s due to Tim Hyde’s riding injury, they were reformed in 1975 by Michael Purcell and Timmy Hyde.

Hunt details

Chairman: Michael Costigan

Huntsman: Dan Maloney

Joint Masters: Mattie Maher, Pat Cantwell, Brian Walsh and Sean Moore

Field Master: Phil Purcell

Honorary secretary: Sharon Crampton

Point-to-Point secretary: Martina Fogarty

Whippers-in: Cynthia Hanley and Ben Carter

THURLES racecourse was the appropriate venue for our post-Christmas outing with the Golden Vale Foxhounds, based nearby in Drombane. The racecourse, which is the only family-owned track in Ireland, has been revived from a threatened closure under the management of Jessica Cahalane, who is honorary secretary of the nearby Ormond Foxhounds. They staged a very successful meeting just before Christmas, the first under new management.

There was a great buzz as we arrived at one of their off-course car parks, where the meet was located. The whole event was made possible by Anne Marie Molony of the racecourse, whose husband John Cullen was hunting on the day. He is a former National Hunt jockey, who has now established a post-racing career as an electrician. He was out with his children, Jack, Pierce and Timmy, and not forgetting the young (and on-going) Kitty, all of eight years old.

The Molonys hold a unique role in Irish racing, being the sole family proprietors of an Irish racecourse. Pierce Molony took over the course in the early 1900s and it has remained in the family ever since. Because of its unique going, racing can take place all through the winter almost regardless of weather.

Three of the joint masters were on hand and hunting on the day - Pat Cantwell from nearby Moyneard Castle, Sean Moore from Templemore and Brian Walsh from Johnstown.

All three are long-time supporters of the Golden Vale, some of them going right back to Michael Purcell’s time. Missing was senior master Mattie Maher of Killough.

Pat Cantwell owned and raced the very useful mare, The Moyne Machine, when trained by Tim Doyle, who visited the winners’ enclosure no less than five times in a successful racing career.

Pat’s son, Tony, has inherited his father’s love of hunting and puts in a lot of work behind the scenes and was also out.

Dan Maloney has now carried the horn with distinction for the last five seasons, and he was beautifully turned out on a Ricardo Z horse he acquired from his brother-in-law, Craig Loughnane. This horse looks the part and is as good as he looks and makes little of the Tipperary banks and drains.

From Roscrea, Dan formerly hunted a private foot pack before hunting with Johnny Dean and the Radnor Hunt in Maryland. When not hunting (which isn’t very often), he practises as an equine dentist. Since we last hunted with him, he has married Sarah Loughnane, who sadly was not out on the day as she was preparing greyhounds for coursing.

Unique rapport

As a huntsman, he appears to have a unique rapport with his 12 and a half couple of Old English Foxhounds, so evenly matched they could all have been from the same litter. Not only that, but I have rarely seen a pack who seemed to enjoy hunting as much as the Old English Golden Vale hounds. People vote with their feet and Golden Vale are enjoying bumper fields, even at their less popular meets. On the day, there were almost 70 mounted and every one a competent cross-country rider.

Almost the first people we met were the Hanleys, dad Pat, mother Patsy and whipper-in Cynthia on one of her signature coloureds. Bailys records one P Hanley as being first whip back in 1993, when hounds were hunted by Capt Donald Swan. The second whip today is young Ben Carter, an apprentice farrier, whose dad Glen is a leading dairy Shorthorn breeder. His bloodlines are to be found in all leading SH herds both here and in the UK.

As we arrived, Iarfhlaith O’Brien, a Coolmore farrier and Golden Vale member, was busy putting on a missing shoe. Another farrier out on the day was Owen Ellis, who shoes for the all-conquering Jessie Harrington yard.

Saoirse Fogerty sails over the ditch on her lovely grey, while out with the Golden Vale Foxhounds \ Catherine Power

Hospitality

Vice-Chairman Phil Purcell was busy giving out punch and other good things as we arrived. He was out with his children, Ava, Micheál and Patrick, all well mounted and going well.

Hounds moved off to their first draw in John Carrigan’s farm just off the Newport road. Carrigan, a distinguished Thurles solicitor, was the long-time field master of the gallant Tipps in the days when Evan Williams carried the horn. Incidentally, Evan was also a Grand National-winning jockey, having entered the winners’ enclosure on Workman (100/8) in 1939. Workman was owned by Sir Alexander Maguire, then owner of Maguire and Patterson match manufacturers.

The draw was on stubble ground now owned by Brendan Bannon, whose daughter Emily was out, with some really decent trenches which caused just a few problems as they had recently been excavated.

A nice hunt ensued running towards the racecourse, but eventually our pilot found a welcoming shore and was given best.

Hounds then crossed the Limerick road and drew on. We were fortunate to have as our guides chairman Michael Costigan from Clonakenny and his wife Eileen looking very smart in a Golden Vale hunt jacket. Also out on foot was former hunt secretary Margaret Flanagan, who recalled her days as hunt secretary and also hunting with the gallant Tipps.

Hunting

They drew on through Michael Purcell’s, where they found and hunted on through Billy Dwyer’s in Kilrush and Ryan’s of Mullawnbrack and on through the Dovea farm, where they marked to ground.

The evening was already well advanced, so our huntsman sounded the Going Home. It was a happy group that turned up at PJ Ryan’s pub and restaurant in Thurles, where a splendid meal awaited all those who had hunted on the day.