AS I passed Kilbeggan Racecourse on my way to the Streamstown Harriers meet at Castletown, where we were treated to some really exceptional hound work and hunting, I could not help to notice just some of what this part of Co Westmeath has to offer.
Glamping in Mount Druid, the Tain Trail which stretches to 100km and the Old Railway Trail that takes in the Royal Canal and the River Shannon are some of the attractions. Noticeable also were some of the many stud farms with handlers leading yearlings on head collars getting them ready for sales.
It is particularly special hunting country with plenty of vantage points to view hounds, great old turf and understanding farmers.
Then the trucks and horseboxes rolled into the village with mounted and foot hunt followers.
Talented McMahon
Huntsman Derek McMahon, who previously hunted the Brosna Foxhounds, unloaded his fine pack of Old English hounds at the meet accompanied by his son Kyle. Derek is a quietly spoken man and one of the most talented breeders of Old English hounds in Ireland and I would say much further afield.
He is such a successful hound breeder that his hounds’ bloodlines appear in the pedigrees of many prominent Old English hunt kennels.
The Streamstown are superbly organised with hunt chairman Damian Farrell, who had organised the meet, leading up front all day with whippers-in Enda Buckley, Kean Fitzpatrick and Derek’s son Kyle who knows how to cross country.
The team is complimented by a road whipper-in Kevin Fox who does a superb job and was always in the right place all day.
Field Master Padraic Durken was riding a hunter belong to Paddy Dunning who owns Bishopstown House and Grouse Lodge Residential Recording Studio where Michael Jackson spent four months recording an album. In fact Paddy got to accompany Jackson who was on the drums, Paddy on guitar and keyboard player Nephew rattling out a rendition of Billie Jean!
It was also a privilege to meet show horse producer Jocelyn Jennings, a connection with the origins of the hunt club as she hunted with the founder Joe Scally.
Skiing challenges
I met Amory McMahon from the Galway Blazers, still in high spirits having just arrived back from a really enjoyable skiing trip with her boyfriend Peter Hamill to Courcheval in France. I enjoyed the stories of their trip especially when Peter went abseiling and just before he jumped off the cliff the instructor informed him that this was the same slope that Formula I driver Michael Schumacher had his bad fall, but Peter fortunately landed safely.
Peter was hunting an athletic type hunter and Robbie Healy was riding a young cob belonging to Amory. Local farmer Diarmuid Conway travelled to the Galway Blazers a few weeks ago to hunt but found himself in Portiuncula Hospital the day of the hunt having an appendix operation.
He is nearly fit to go back to Galway to finally get to hunt with the Blazers.
Ashling Fay, who bought her first pony with her First Communion money some years ago, and also frequents the Blazers, was hunting a horse of Athlone horse dealer Jim Derwin,
Kildare Foxhounds followers Frank Maher and Emma Carroll were late as they initially went to another Castletown in Ballymacad country but there was plenty of action left for them to enjoy.
Smashing Connemara
Michael John Dignan was on a smashing 16.1hh dun Connemara Irish Draught cross by a Connemara stallion in nearby Tim and Susan Carey’s Tullaghansleek Stud. Westmeath Foxhounds Field Master James Lowry, who hunted the Streamstown Harriers for four seasons, was hunting with Niall Whelan on James’ daughter Sinead’s dun hunter.
Also out were Coyle Geraghty, Niamh Collins, Ross Collen, Mary Loughney, Sean Hyland, Brendan McEvoy, Tara Tyrill, Dolores Lennon from Brennan’s Bar at the meet and Fintan Farrell, Paul and Vincent Larkin.
Former point-to-point jockey Shane McManus was always in the right place, while Martin Smith his brother Ger, who hunted the Kilmoganney and Gavin Shortin huntsman of the Tipperary Foxhounds, were there to witness great hound work.
Derek McMahon moved off with 17 couple of hounds, nearly all home-bred. It was to become an action-packed day as from the very start, with hounds finding in the first covert, getting the fox away but he quickly found an earth and to safety.
Moving on, hounds drew the Christmas trees in Leavy’s Covert which is surrounded by point-to-point schooling jumps in the adjoining farm of Tom Geoghegan.
He had put a post on Facebook wishing the followers well as he was away riding at the Tipperary Hunt point-to-point, where he rode a winner, Cappajune Lady owned by Ita Kiernan and trained by Heather Kiernan.
Incredible music
Hounds found again at J.J. Hussey’s Garthy Bog and we were treated to incredible music as they hunted around the plantation but this customer eventually had no option but to slip quietly away. He was spotted by Blazers follower Amory MacMahon who quietly pointed in the direction without making a sound to avoid heading the fox.
He took a line through Tom Geoghegan’s over a number of his schooling fences in a circle crossing Adamstown Road and up the lane into former Westmeath whipper-in Andrea Boulibasse’s house. There the huntsman stopped the pack as there were too many sheep around.
On song
McMahon then drew another plantation where they were on song again eventually forcing him to leave right-handed and then swinging left through the gorse into the open and right again by Dromore Hill for the Ballyhart Road where the pack split near the point-to-point course.
The huntsman brought on two and a half couple to join the main pack through William Lynam’s and the Thompson’s, then right over Jim Glennan’s, hunting back though Lynam’s and Hussey’s but stopped them again as there was a flock of sheep ahead.
Small covert
They then found a fox on the way back and marked him on Dromore Hill. Another customer was found in a furry gorse in Finnian O’Brien’s and this fellow ran in a circle and back and to ground again near the find.
Hacking towards Castletown, hounds found yet again in a very small covert but this customer did an amazing avoidance routine.
The pack stuck to the task and eventually got him to leave as he ran to the back of the village where the huntsman decided reluctantly, as it was near darkness, to call them up as they heading out into open country again.
What an action-packed day, one of my most enjoyable this season. The Streamstown Harriers have gone from strength-to-strength, and they joined Tom Geoghegan later to celebrate his point-to-point success.
History
The Streamstown Harriers were founded by Joe Scally, local horse producers and farmers in 1969, and Joe hunted the pack until 1999. They hunt within a 12 mile radius of Streamstown, Westmeath over mostly walls, banks and drains.
Chairman - Damian Farrell
Masters - The committee
Huntsman - Derek McMahon
Whippers-in - Enda Buckley, Francis Dignan, Kean Fitzpatrick, Kyle McMahon
Field Master - Padraic Durken
Honorary Secretary - Louise Robbins
Honorary Treasurer - Ronan Daly
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