IT was our first time in Lisdowney, a small village just off the Durrow-Ballyragget road. Sadly, the local pub never reopened after Covid but the hunt made good the loss by having all kinds of refreshments on hand at the meet. It was going to be their final meet of the season which perhaps added a more festive air to proceedings.

There to greet us and all newcomers was senior master Billy Healy who has been in office since 2002. The Healys are a great hunting family and Billy was out with his two children - Robert, who works in nearby Glanbia, and Jennifer in the Irish Equine Centre in Kildare. The North Kilkenny are a proper red coat hunt and Billy’s turn-out was, as always, impeccable down to proper garter straps!

We always look on North Kilkenny as one of the most friendly and inviting hunts that we visit and certainly, Sunday was no exception. Among the first people we met was Tanya Heffernan who looks after the hunt horses and the huntsman with equal diligence and has them both in show yard condition. Noel Rafter also fills the role of master. I still recall a day when I attempted to follow Tanya over a particularly blind and challenging bank. She burst through bushes and briars that would have stopped a Sherman tank leaving the rest of the field to follow as best they could.

Her son Jamie, who farms near Cashel, was also out. Jamie was formerly a work jockey with his dad Seamie Heffernan in Ballydoyle for Aidan O’Brien. Now in his 50s, Seamie is riding better than ever and has won everything worth winning including the Epsom Derby on Anthony Van Dyck for Ballydoyle.

Hunt secretary Michael Maher, who has been in office for longer than he can remember, could only make a brief pitstop at the meet as he had to rush home on farming duties. The huntsman’s sister, Deirdre Rafter, was on a particularly attractive grey she is bringing on, and in her capable hands he jumped like a stag all day. A star of the future.

Visitors aplenty

Being the end of the season with many hunts having already finished, there were more than a few visitors from neighbouring packs, like Alan Murphy from the Tipp’s who was trying a horse, JJ and Margaret Bowe from the Kilkenny, and Sarah Boule who had hunted with the neighbouring Kilmoganny up to last season. She was on a coloured cob to die for. Sadly the Kilmoganny is now defunct with the country being hunted by the neighbouring Kilkenny and the Waterford. After many years absence from the saddle, James Norton, who now lives nearby, has made a welcome return to hunting and was out on a nice bay. All the while, huntsman Noel and his whippers-in, the O’Neill brothers, with 14 and a half couple of Old English, were raring to go.

As the village church bell peeled for the Angelus, it was time to move off and hounds made the short hack to Michael Maher’s at Lisdowney wood. Michael was a former master back in the ‘50s and as hounds drew, they found in a small thicket at the back of an unoccupied bungalow and ran for Paul Phelan’s before running on to Eamonn Walsh’s and then into PJ Murphy’s farm. PJ, who was out on foot, is a former huntsman of the pack.

Thrills and spills

Here they marked him to ground but the hunt had not been without adventure. Billy Healy, on his good chesnut, got dragged off backwards by an ash limb as he was coming up a steep incline. He was only to be followed in the same manner by Tommie O’Neill, father of the two whippers-in. Despite Tommie getting a good cut across his face, both jockeys were back on their horses in jig time. The O’Neill family were further represented as James, another brother of the two whipper-ins, was also out.

Hounds ran as far as Knockmanion Wood where our huntsman was fortunate to be able to stop hounds before they hunted into the almost unlimited acreage. Hounds then drew Bowden’s where they again found and gave the field a nice dash over some smashing country. All the while we were kept in touch under the expert guidance of our huntsman’s father Michael Rafter, now retired from the provender milling industry, with hunt chairman Mal Tynan, who was resting his horse after a hard season. Also in the observer party was Gary Kelly, huntsman designate of the neighbouring Kilkenny, and Richie Dowling, whose daughter Maura was riding on the day. Maura, one of the caring profession, is a nurse in Kilkenny.

Full song

But with shadows lengthening, our huntsman was determined to draw on and he took hounds to Murphy’s in Seskin. Without a whimper, all looked in vain until the first season hound Pocket (by Waterford Brawner) threw his tongue. As the pack rallied to him, a fine dog fox was spotted slipping away by one of the eagle-eyed O’Neill brothers. This was going to be the finale for the day and the season and hounds did not let them down. The orchestra was in full song as they took the field over a smashing bit of country finishing in Tim Sheerman’s.

With almost no light left and scent foiled by stock, our huntsman wisely gathered hounds and blew for home. A perfect end to a perfect season. Catherine and I would like to thank all the hunts around the country who made us so welcome and we feel privileged to have represented The Irish Field on so many special days.

North Kilkenny Foxhounds Lisdowney

North Kilkenny Foxhounds

Chairman - Mal Tynan

Master and Huntsman - Noel Rafter

Joint-Masters - Billy Healy, Sean Doheny, Brian Murphy

Secretary - Michael P. Maher

Point-to-point secretary - Billy Healy MHF

Whipper-in - Michael O’Neill and Thomas O’Neill

History

The country was first hunted by the Kilkenny Foxhounds before being given on loan to Richard Wandesforde of Castlecomer. It was then known as the Freshford Country. At that time, the Wandsforde family owned and ran Castlecomer coal mine which was by far the largest enterprise in North Kilkenny.

With the onset of war, the hunt’s future looked uncertain until the curate of Freshford, Fr Kearns, as sporting as he was pious, persuaded three local farming families - the Murphys, Dillons and Phelans - to take over the hunt. The rest, as they say, is history with Billy Healy now senior joint-master, a role he shares with his cousin Brian Murphy. The mastership is completed by Sean Doheny of Ballinakill. It has remained primarily a farmer’s pack to this day.

Some former masters were Richard Wandesford (1937-41), J. Campion (1941-47), M. Maher (1947-50), Loughlin Bowe (1970-75), M. Dillon (1975-98).