ATHENRY is traditionally known as the cream of the Galway Blazers hunting country, but a new motorway from Gort to Tuam has unfortunately slightly tarnished that reputation, and affecting other meets such as Cartymore and Ardrahan. However, Craughwell is still the spiritual home of the Blazers with the kennels, almost in the village since 1891, known to thousands of hunt followers all around the world. The Blazers have three meets from Craughwell which supports the three main pubs, Cheevers, Cawleys and the venue of a recent meet at Rafterys known as the Blazers Bar. Three generations of the sporting Raftery family have owned the pub, Tommy Raftery, his son Donal and now two grandchildren Gerry and Rachel. Tommy was a keen rough shooter and always had a supply of pheasant and wild duck on the table. His shooting pals were Martin Brown and Gill Morrissey who was also the terrier-man of the Galway Blazers.

This year marks the 90th birthday of the senior master Michael Dempsey, who was a legendary huntsman of the Blazers before breaking his neck in a hunting accident in 1998. Prior to taking on the Blazers in 1978, he hunted the Bermingham & North Galway and the East Galway Foxounds.