THIS year is a very special one for the Ballymacad Hunt, as they celebrate their huntsman Kevin Donohue’s 25th season hunting this renowned pack, which is one of the oldest in the country and will be celebrating their tercentenary in 2030, having been formally formed in 1730.

Hunting is in the blood of the Donohue family and, for a third of the time this pack has been in existence, a member of the Donohue family has been at the forefront, with Kevin being the third generation. In 1924, 100 years ago, Paddy Donohue took up a position with the Ballymacad Hunt, which led to promotion to huntsman during his term. Some years later, his brother Peter (Kevin’s grandfather) took the horn and, in 1972, it was passed on to his son, Barry, who is Kevin’s father. An unfortunate injury, resulting in Barry unable to ride for a time, led to Kevin taking over in 1999 and he has not looked back since.