FEAKLE must be one of the most picturesque villages in Ireland but equally it must be one of the hardest to find. Nestling in the hills somewhere between Bodkye and Spancil Hill, it is steeped in song and story, being the home of the legendary faith healer Biddy Early.

It would challenge even the most up to date Sat Nav but we were there in good time to find hounds and followers assembling outside Pepper’s Pub and Restaurant just outside the village. Since we last visited a couple of seasons ago, there has been a change of huntsman with Shane Jones stepping down and the mantle being passed to Mike O’Dwyer from Birr. A lifelong huntsman, he had previously been with the Ormond and the North Galway. When not hunting, he works in the meat industry.

There was an all too brief gathering in Pepper’s where we were able to meet the founding master Sean Jones who has bred several champion show horses including View Point, last year’s Supreme Horse of the Year Champion. His co-founder was the late John Blake who practised as a vet in Scariff and was father to Irish show jumping supremo Michael Blake whose team are currently conquering the world. A young Michael hunted the East Clares for a couple of seasons before concentrating on show jumping.

Sean Jones has made a marvellous recovery from a car accident and is fully back on his feet.

He has passed on his love of hunting to his nephews, with three of them present on the day. Shane, the former huntsman, was there with the very hard working secretary of the Irish Masters of Foxhounds, Sonia Purcell, whose smile would light up a climate change conference. They now mainly hunt with the Blazers and report a marvellous season.

East Clare joint-master is another brother, Pat, a big player in the cattle trade in that part of the country. He shares the mastership with Declan Durack, a dairy farmer from Whitegate on the shores of Lough Derg. Meanwhile, younger brother David was the sole whipper-in on the day as Mark Mulvihill was recovering from the rigours of a wedding the previous day.

David is fortunate in having a super hunting mare by Red Navajo, not overly big, but of the ‘point and press’ variety. She has bred two foals, so on retirement he has a ready replacement.

Move off was sharp at 12.30pm as our huntsman led his 14 couple through the village to the first line on land farmed by Mike Minogue. We could see drag man, young Cathal Durack from Mount Shannon, on his good grey hitting off across the country with a fox-derived scent which hounds seemed to hunt very well.

The role of drag man is a lonely one as the chosen jockey has to have a keen knowledge of the country and be a bold and reliable jumper. Unassisted, he has to jump everything that comes his way and present a sufficient challenge for those in the field.

Strong wall country

Hounds spoke to the line almost immediately and the very first fence of the day, with a large group of onlookers, was a really decent wall. Hunt staff were gone like a flash and who gave a particularly good display but the veteran Pam Jackman.

Young Alison Collins, wearing the arm band of field-master, wasn’t too far behind. Gillian Byrnes from Killaloe, who was bringing on a horse belonging to the huntsman, just popped over it.

As hounds disappeared, our guide Katie Harrington took us in hand. Katie is the partner of joint-master Pat Jones and had various Jones children in tow including young Shauna and Abigail, who is David’s daughter, with nephew Jack Punch, who has just started secondary school in Scariff, making up the team.

Mike O’Dwyer of the East Clare Harriers leads the field over a stiff wall on his lovely grey hunter \ Catherine Power

Fast pace

The first run extended to about three miles, so one and all took a breather before hacking on to Joe Hogan’s farm. The Hogan’s of Feakle are a byword for hunting and farming in mid-Clare and the next line was run entirely on their very extensive farm.

Hounds then made the short hack to McGuinness’s farm, noted for its good walls. It was at this stage area manager Jim Loughnane rode up with hounds to show the way through his own and neighbouring farms. A real decent stiff wall caused a few problems but not to Lorraine Flannery from East Galway on her very stylish appaloosa.

As hounds disappeared into the middle distance (and with drag that happens very quickly), we could see hunt secretary Daragh Collins on his chesnut acting as sweeper in case anyone at the back of the field got into difficulty. Hounds hunted on, finishing at Smith’s Quarry.

Overall horses and hounds would have covered 10 or 12 miles with loads of natural jumping and came home tired more than happy.

As a lifelong foxhunter, how would I sum drag hunting up? It lacks the spontaneity of live hunting but hounds seemed to work the line well with good voice and everyone was guaranteed a good gallop with loads of jumping.

Pepper’s Pub awaited with soup and sandwiches, and perhaps something a little stronger for those who required it after a day crossing the wild and challenging East Clare country.