RUAN has form…for many years I had heard tales of this west Clare village.

In hunting terms, it was held in some awe. It is generally agreed among the handlers in Co Clare that to hunt in Ruan a horse needs to be able to jump a clear round on a 1.20m course. So naturally when the opportunity arose to make a pre-Christmas visit, I jumped at it like a claiming jockey been offered a ride in the Gold Cup.