MICHAEL Dempsey MFH, a household name in hunting circles all over the world, sadly passed away in the loving care of his son Tom and his wife Mairead last week aged 98.

He hunted the Galway Blazers for 20 seasons and was joint-master for 40 seasons, and his son Tom followed as huntsman for another 20 seasons. Michael also hunted Lady Molly Cusack-Smith’s Bermingham and North Galway Hounds, and the East Galway Hounds, which possibly made him the only huntsman to hunt all of the County Galway foxhound packs.

My own association with Michael Dempsey goes back nearly 70 years from my first day hunting with the Blazers at Dartfield. It was long before he started hunting hounds and he was surprised to see me hunting a pony bareback. He told me to call up that evening and he found an old saddle for me in the attic of a neighbours thatched cottage. We cleaned it up and I never looked back. He was very generous allowing me to hunt his smashing grey cob and to follow him when he used to ride wide of the pack. We had fantastic hunting in the era with Lancelot Smith (1952-55) Paddy Pickersgill (1956-66) and later Michael himself, who like Pickersgill never knew when to blow for home!

Michael’s hunting philosophy was very simple, look after farmers and make sure the followers respect the country and he was not slow to handle any situation that jeopardised those principles.

Michael Dempsey \ Noel Mullins

Early Days

Michael was born beside Dunsandle Estate, owned by Blazers master and huntsman Major Bowes Daly. He decided as a child that he would one day hunt the pack. He started hunting aged 10 on a pony borrowed from a neighbour, Mike Hynes, who he described as a ‘dinger’, and if a wall was too high for him he would bank it. When he married Mary Kate he moved to Masonbrook outside Loughrea, where they raised their family with Michael playing for the Loughrea hurling team. At the time, he was balancing working at Tynagh Mines, farming and hunting hounds.

Galway Blazers

Michael Dempsey took on hunting of the Galway Blazers in 1978 and put his stamp on the pack breeding Old English bloodlines particularly. He wanted a lighter hound that could bank the Galway walls and leave them intact. His puppy shows were always popular, a great social occasion, well attended and looked forward to.

Dempsey was the complete huntsman, a difficult man to stay with when ‘Gone Away’ was sounded, professional in every way, clear on the hunting horn, very quiet and consistent with his pack, and as a horseman he won members’ races, and as a huntsman he rode a couple of stone lighter, which meant that horses would be fit and sound enough to last often a couple of decades. He also trained point-to-pointers.

The stories of Dempsey’s skill as a rider are numerous. Hunting at the back of Craughwell one day, hounds were running hard on a fox for Greenhouse.

When he got to the big old fashioned wooden level crossing railway gates they were closed across the road, as the Dublin train was coming. Dempsey disliked being separated from his hounds, so to the followers astonishment and the waiting cars, he turned his horse and jumped the double of gates foot perfect with just two strides over the railway track in the middle to take on the second gate.

Needless to say nobody followed. He was known for long days hunting and reluctant to pack up early, so on another occasion when hunting the East Galways, the only way to get home in the dark was to follow the sparks of honorary whipper-in Shirley Ringling North’s hunter’s shoes as they struck each wall!

Judging Hunters

Michael was one of the driving forces behind Loughrea Show Society serving also as chairman for most of his life and was in demand at shows all over the country judging hunter classes. He produced show jumpers and point-to-pointers, which Sean Egan and Bill Bourns campaigned. Bill and Michael formed a great partnership in producing a succession of cobs that took their share of ribbons at the Dublin Horse Show. Bill was an integral part of the team in Craughwell judging at shows, he also turned out Michael’s hunters and later Tom’s hunters always to show standard.

Michael paraded the Blazers hounds at the Dublin Horse Show in 1983 and again in 1989, and 24 years later his son Tom paraded the Blazer hounds again, probably the first time a father and son paraded hounds on separate occasions at the Dublin Horse Show.

Retiring as Master

As a result of falls, Michael wore a white neck brace, but one follower remarked that he looked like a hunting priest in the distance! A serious fall hunting hounds outside Loughrea in 1998 ended his career and he handed the hunting horn to his son Tom. But a year later, when Tom damaged his ribs, against doctor’s orders Michael got back in the saddle and had a cracking hunt from Cartymore. Michael continued as joint-master organising hunt country, managing the kennels and retired close to Craughwell with his son Tom and his wife Mairead. He certainly achieved his childhood ambition of one day hunting the Galway Blazers, and many followers at home and abroad will have their own special memories of following Michael Dempsey across the limestone walls. I know I have mine.

Michael will be sadly missed by family and his wide circle of friends. A Requiem Mass was held for Michael in Loughrea Cathedral last week with music by Michael’s niece Carmel Dempsey, where Tom thanked particularly his wife Mairead and Bill Bourns for their care of Michael in his retirement. He was laid to rest in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

-Noel Mullins