BORN in Duhallow country, Pat Hayes has now been master of the “dashing” Duhallow Foxhounds for over 10 seasons and, in between, he found time to take on the mastership of the Iveagh Foxhounds in far flung Down. At the beginning of this season, Hayes took over the chairmanship of fox hunting’s representative body, the IMFHA, from the previous chair Lord Waterford MFH.

An all-round sportsman, Hayes has represented Ireland at four World Fly Fishing Championships in New Zealand, Canada, Italy and Wales. For many years he has run his own business in Mallow as a purveyor of animal feeds, firearms, saddlery and really anything for the fieldsports enthusiast from hunting to fishing and shooting.