Name of huntsman and where from: David Burke, Grallagh, Aille Cross, Loughrea, Co Galway

Name of Pack: Grallagh Harriers

Kennels based at: Grallagh, Aille Cross, Loughrea, Co Galway

As a private hunt, what are the differences and perhaps positive aspects in comparison to a public hunt? Well the main difference, and in my opinion the real positive, is that one person is completely in charge and is the owner of the hounds, the kennels and the hunt.

There is no hunt committee nor does there need to be a mastership if one decides against it. So the organisation of the hunt is very straight forward, for example one can decide how many members they will have, the number of hounds to be kept, the number of days to hunt etc.

What type of hounds and how many: I have predominantly Old English Foxhounds, but I also have some Hill Hounds. I keep about 20 couple.

Where did your interest in hunting stem from? My father used to take me out hunting with him when I was a kid and I just became fascinated with it, so much so, that I hunted a pack of terriers from when I was just 12-years-old!

Where did you originally gain your hunting experience? I started as amateur whipper-in to the Galway Blazers when I was 15-years-old. After a few years I was made first whip and kennel huntsman. I then got offered the first whips job at the Percy Foxhounds in Northumberland. Along the way I had the privilege of meeting two very knowledgeable foxhunters.

Martin Letts of the College Valley who taught me about handling a pack of hounds and about the breeding of hounds. He taught me to pay particular attention to the female lines and to be able to pick out the vital physical attributes that dictate their pace, stamina and longevity. Trevor Adams of the Duke of Buccleuch taught me so much about the politics of hunting and highlighted some key points about what makes a successful mastership.

Daily role of a huntsman and pre-hunt day prep: On non-hunting days, I feed the five hunt horses and muck them out. I wash the kennels, freshen up the hounds’ beds, walk the hounds out. Then I exercise the horses. In the afternoon, depending on what day it is, I either go out organising the country and speaking to the farmers and landowners or I go to collect the hound food or I go out wall building. I then feed the hounds, put down the horses’ beds and feed them and sweep up the yard.

On a pre-hunt day, I feed the hunt horses and muck them out, wash the kennels and give the hounds a fresh bed of straw, walk the hounds out. Clean all the tack. Exercise all the horses and give the ones that are hunting the next day a bath. Clean my hunting kit, put the horses’ beds down and feed them, sweep up the yard. Check that there is enough fuel in the lorry.

How important is the kennels’ relationship with the local community: It is, in my opinion, of huge importance, I am lucky enough to be chairman of my local parish council committee for over 10 years, it gives me a great opportunity to explain clearly how the kennels and hunting in general operates. I invite all the local community to attend our annual St Stephen’s Day meet at the kennels every year.

How do you choose the various meets? As we share country with another pack, great care must be taken to avoid any overlapping of meets and country.

I usually get a copy of their meet card and then draw up mine. Also, as this country is a large sheep country, one must also liaise with the sheep farmers and get all the lambing dates.

How do you decide which of your hounds will go hunting: As we only hunt two days a week and keep about 20 couple of hounds I usually take whatever is fit and able to go. On some days that is the entire pack!

Importance of good relations with landowners: People should never under estimate the value of our landowners. They are truly amazing people, time after time allowing us on to their land to allow us do the sport that we love. At no point should this ever be taken for granted, we rely on their continued goodwill, generosity and support.

What in your view is the best thing about hunting and being a huntsman? Hunting is a sport that everyone and anyone of any age and gender can take part in. Hunting has bridged divides between nationalities and has brought people together of diverse views. Hunting has allowed us to form friendships and has brought us new acquaintances. It offers a huge social scene and is part of the fabric of the countryside.

The best thing about being a huntsman to me is that it gives me so much enjoyment on so many levels. From watching hounds that I have bred hunt in a very natural way, the absolute adrenaline rush I get when I cross the country and the sense of achievement I get after providing a good day’s sport for everybody.