THE opening meet of the season is always special. After the long summer layoff, we were eagerly looking forward to hearing the cry of hounds, the sound of the horn, the dash and bluster of the field as hounds found their first fox of the season on Saturday, October 28th. But to add to all that, it was going to be Oliver Ryan-Purcell’s first day as master and huntsman of the historic Ormond Hunt. Hounds are kennelled nearby in Cloughjordan in North Tipperary. Surely a red-letter day even before they moved off!

Now Oliver is no stranger to the delights and the rigours of hunting hounds. As a lad, back in Churchtown in the heart of Duhallow country, he kept a private pack of foot beagles. From such modest beginnings, having qualified as a solicitor, he hunted the famed Scarteen Black and Tans for a season, where he showed great sport while his cousin Chris Ryan was taking a sabbatical. Subsequently, he hunted the North Tipperary Foxhounds for five seasons.

He has hunting in his DNA and his wife Dorothy is no less enthusiastic and acts as amateur kennel-huntsman and hounds looked a picture. Dorothy’s family (the Riggs-Millers) are steeped in hunting in North Tipperary and, for many years, hosted one of Ireland’s most successful hunter trials on their farm just outside Nenagh.

Ormond Foxhounds' hosts for their opening meet were the Kenny family: Linda and John Kenny; Graham, with his son Scott and daughters Brook and Abigail and his wife Sandy, pictured at Fairymount Farm \ Catherine Power

Fairymount Farm, just outside Ballingarry on the Tipperary-Offaly border, was en fete as we arrived with horse boxes, enthusiastic foot-followers and, of course, the famed Ormond foxhounds waiting anxiously to be enlarged and start their first day of hunting proper. However, hospitality had to be dispensed and Fairymount has a sporting pavilion from the days when they ran a downhill bicycle adventure centre. Our hosts, the John and Linda Kenny family, have been involved with the Ormond since the days of Assheton Biddulph and John Kenny is the third or fourth generation to be a mainstay of the hunt.

While sadly John was on foot, the family were well represented, with his son Graham and his family, Scott, Abigail and Brooke, all well mounted and beautifully turned out. Scott (16) is an all-round sportsman and captained the Irish Under 17 hockey team to victory recently. Like his sisters, they are all students in King’s Hospital School, which counts among its old boys our Taoiseach, Dr Leo Varadkar.

From Laois and returning to her roots was Mary Blundell, who grew up in Fairymount and her travelling companion, Billy Lanigan, as always at his sartorial best. Anne Ryan, the hard-working Hunt treasurer and her partner, Conor, were also out on foot.

Visiting Master Gina O'Brien from the Dungarvan Foxhounds, having a day with the Ormond Foxhounds at their opening meet \ Catherine Power

While all this was going on, hospitality was being dispensed by hunt secretary Jessica Cahalan, Linda Kenny and Graham’s wife Sandy, who is a very distinguished artist.

Like the Kennys, the Cahalans have been generational supporters of the hunt and host the very successful two-day point-to-point on their farm just outside the village.

The Cahalans owned the very successful Gordon Lord Byron, trained locally by Tom Hogan and who won all over the world.

Another veteran of the hunt enjoying the hospitality was Mabel Wallace, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday and still drives her own car. She remembers hunting first with George Webb, who hunted hounds back in the 1930s.

Nicholas Ryan-Purcell, who was there on the day, has made a feature-length film on her life, times and memories and it was premiered to great acclaim at the Birr Theatre and Arts Centre recently and will tour the nation’s cinemas over the next couple of months. Youngest rider of the day was young Mollie Walsh, a veteran at seven, who was out with her mother Lynda, and both going well.

However, hospitality no matter how enjoyable, cannot go on forever and, on the stroke of midday, the saddling bell was sounded and Oliver on his good grey was mounted with 11 couple of Old English. They hunt an all-bitch pack, mostly home-bred, which makes for easier kennel management. Whipper-in Mark Dunne from Roscrea, who works as a civil engineer in Limerick, has been in office for several seasons and brings a quiet efficiency to his role.

Obligatory photos taken, they made the short hack to Ballingarry House Stud, the home of Robert Kenny and a nephew of John’s. This is a very extensive property, with impeccable sporting antecedents and, with Robert in his jeep with his young family there to see hounds through, it was a great start to the day and hopefully to the season. They didn’t have too long to wait when Vital, a home-bred bitch, threw her tongue and, as the pack rallied to her, a fine dog fox was spotted by visiting MFH Gina O’Brien on her good coloured, who had made the trip from the Dungarvan Foxhounds.

With hounds flying and music to die for, the field had a series of Ballingarry walls to be taken at speed. Field master, Graham, on a nice bay, jumped at speed that would have left Istabraq standing. J.P. Rogan, who was out with his daughter Ellie, gave a polished performance, as you would expect of someone from the Army equitation school in McKee Barracks.

Hounds hunted on towards Knockshigowna Hill, where after a good 40 minutes, scent petered out and our huntsman gathered up his hounds before proceeding to his next draw on John Kenny’s farm at Ballinahinch which has its own lake, Lough Na Hinch, which has the remains of a crannóg but more importantly has loads of covert. Hounds were not delayed too long before finding and, as Reynard was in no rush leaving the lakeside hospitality, the field were given the opportunity to school over some really fine hedges, some with a real decent drop. A copy-book performance was put in by young Ellie Rogan on her nice Connemara.

Valerie Phelan, who hosted the last Ormond meet we were at, soared over them as did horse feed supplier, Tadgh O’Leary of Dungar Oats.

After circumnavigating the lake a couple of times, our pilot set his mask for the old oak wood across the road and ran into Hugh Blehan’s farm on the hill. More woodland hunting ensued, with the field popping over the numerous hunt jumps in Kenny’s. Michael Larkin, a mechanic, who keeps most of the horse lorries on the road and Alfie Mooney, a dairy farmer from Cloughjordan, were obviously enjoying themselves as their horses took to the fly fences like a duck to water. Our huntsman, Oliver, had a second horse in the field ridden by Brendan Carroll, but he wasn’t called on as he finished the day on his good grey.

We were kept in touch with action all day, as we were being chauffeured by our hosts, John and Linda Kenny, in their jeep, so as well as keeping hounds in view, we were given a running commentary on local history and landmarks of which that part of Ireland abounds.

Eventually, with light fading, our huntsman blew for home and the field made the short hack back to Fairymount, where hospitality and good cheer were available in equal measure.

Officers

Chairman – Mr John Kenny (1999)

Fairymount Farm, Ballingarry, Co Tipperary

Hon Sec – Jessica Cahalan

Treasurer – Anne Ryan

Kennels – Modreeny Cloughjordan

Master and Huntsman – Oliver Ryan-Purcell (2023)

Field master – Graham Kenny

Whippers-in – Mr Mark Dunne, Mr Keith Broderick, Mr Paul McGlone

Brief History

Founded by Lord Lismore in 1778, they are one of the oldest packs in Ireland. They are still kennelled on the land of Capt Donald Swan, who hunted hounds from 1973 to 1989.

Some former masters: Mr Assheton Biddulph 1884-96, Earl of Huntingdon 1919-23, George Webb 1923-40, Capt L Preston 1952-60, Ml Higgins 1972-73, Capt Donald Swan 1973-89, Geo Younghusband 1983-93.

They meet on Saturdays.