AN invitation to The County Clare Hunt meet at The Honk Bar on the Shannon Estuary by Amy and Paul Kinane was too good to pass up. I had reported and hunted with the Clares with three of their past huntsmen, James Costello, Sean Kilkenny and Pat Lynch. Amy and Paul had hunted with current Clare huntsman Paddy Considine, when he was whipping-in to Ryan Carvill, huntsman of the South Tyrone Foxhounds, when Paul was honorary whipper-in for 16 seasons. Courtesy of local farmer, Shane McNamara, I had a grandstand view on the hill overlooking the Estuary, and enjoyed the wonderful voices of Paddy Considine’s hounds.

The trip also allowed me to have an uninterrupted interview with Amy and Paul, who have had a fascinating broad-based journey in equestrianism involving hunting, producing, dealing, racing, bloodstock breeding, showing and show judging. Their lives have been all about horses. Even when they married in Barbados they were not far from horses, taking in racing at Garrison Savannah Racecourse. On their farm in County Laois, they keep hunters, thoroughbred broodmares, young stock, Amy’s ‘Racing to Riding’ horse and have some in training with Andy Slattery.