Madam,

A FEW lines in appreciation of the writers and photographers in the hunting section of the Irish Horse World.

The feature and lovely photograph of Stella Smith in last week’s paper brought back memories of a hunt with the Galway Blazers.

The meet was in the Loughrea country at Holyhill. The hounds found and hunted towards Ballydugan - approximately three miles. At the top of Ballydugan Hill, the field-master, Maureen Smyth, got off her horse to give it a breather. Others followed suit except for four people who did not dismount. They saw the pack, still flying, at the bottom of Ballydugan Hill on the other side heading for Loughrea.

These four were Lancelot Smith the Master (of course!), his brother-in-law Nick Morrough-Ryan of Dunboyne Castle, my sister Grichi (Mahony) and myself.

The hunt ended at the Hanging Covert overlooking Loughrea lake. My sister was riding Blarney, a present from our Cork cousins, the Mahonys of the Muskerry hounds. My horse was a present from my father, Edmond Mahony; he came from the Daly brothers, Chris and Eugene from Athenry. He was called Stardust for the star on his forehead and for the Hoagy Carmichael melody.

The run was written-up and published. The year was 1953.

Yours etc,

Bel Martin,

Greenmount,

Clonsilla,

Dublin