A TRIP to the sunny south east is always to be looked forward to, but when it is to hunt with the Waterford Foxhounds, it becomes irresistible. To put the icing on the cake, the meet was going to be on the coast, at the small fishing village of Stradbally to be precise.

We had previously hunted that very same meet some six seasons ago and so had happy memories of the district and the hospitable Whelan’s Pub on the main street. Run by John and Caroline, it has been there since the 1800s. The premises started as a convent for the Mercy nuns before it changed to its present hospitable use. The family also farm nearby and their land was to be the second draw at Knockroor. Well, the village had changed little in the interim and Whelan’s was still as hospitable as ever.