THE quiet rural village of Dunderry woke to the sound of horseboxes and trailers as the Meath Foxhounds rolled into town. Commerce benefited as the local food store saw a stream of young followers arrive to purchase sustenance for the day. Hot breakfast rolls, crisps, soft drinks and bars of chocolate that come in so handy around the early afternoon when the stomach starts to rumble. Jumping juice (alcohol) for those of a nervous disposition was being dispatched at the local hostelries like the quaint old world Geraghty’s Pub. In all, a nice injection of unexpected cash for the local village, not counting all the other economic contributions that the sport of hunting provides to sustain rural communities around Ireland.

The Meath followers certainly get around. Recently joint-masters Richard Trimble and Pat Dillon, together with James Cogan, Dermot Ryan and Carol Sheridan were hunting in Montreal in Canada as guests of the huntsman Andrew Marrin and his wife Millie of the Montreal Hounds whose hunt country is the state of Quebec.