HISTORY

The Tara Harriers were founded by Lord Tara and were then known as the Bellinter Harriers about 1760. When John Preston, the last of the male Tara family bloodline, died about 1870, he left the pack to GV Briscoe, great grandfather of one of the present masters Lorraine McDowell. He requested that the name be changed and so the Tara Harriers were formed.

THE TARA HARRIERS

Chairman: Henry Smith

Masters: Henry Smith, Lorraine McDowell, Oinri Jackson, Lar Sheeran, Bryan Maher and Neville Jessop

Huntsman: Henry Smith

Whipper-in: Sabine Dowdall (Kennel Huntsman and professional whipper-in) and Peter King (honorary whipper-in)

The meet of the Tara Harriers at the Balreask Arms, also known as Teach na Teamhrach, has a historic meaning to the name. When I was researching my horse fairs book, The Origins of Irish Horse Fairs & Horse Sales back in 2008, I was able to trace horse fairs back at least to 1500 BC to a fair on the Hill of Tara known as the Feis Teamhrach, meaning The Great Fair, or The Fair on the Hill. This meet of the harriers was in the heart of Co Meath, near the Hill of Tara which was the Royal seat of the High Kings of Ireland.

The Taras hunt a very wide area, most of Co Meath, and as far north as Tierworker and Bailieborough in Co Cavan, where the late Wilkie Lyttle was such a huge help organising country, west to Ballivor and Longwood, where Billy Kavanagh does great work arranging meets. Their joint point-to-point with the Meath Foxhounds in Dowth Hall, sponsored by Dr Owen Brennan’s company Devenish Animal Nutrition is one of the most talked about meetings in the country, with marquees for local artisan foods and lots of entertainment and facilities for families.

On the day, kennel huntsman Sabine Dowdall’s brother Christopher and nephew Ross Hegarty, and sister Katie helped with the land, making sure the hunt jeep was in the right place at the right time. They had Sabine’s niece Mia for company. Sabine is one of Ireland’s best known kennel huntsman and professional whipper-in.

She comes from a true hunting bloodline. Her grandfather Peter was kennel huntsman of the Tara Harriers for 35 seasons, and her father Terry whipped-in and hunted the pack for 36 seasons taking over from legendary master of over 70 seasons, George Briscoe.

Sabine herself is in her 18th season. She has also hunted the pack, most notably when joint-master and huntsman Henry Smith was out of action temporarily a few seasons ago. She is an indispensible member of the Tara team, and manages hounds on her own in kennels, takes them through their fitness programme, plans the breeding policy, while also looking after her own horses. And as if that is not enough, she also arranges land to be hunted before hunting days! She has an amazing repository of hunting knowledge, much of it inherited and more acquired.

Master and huntsman Henry Smith also has an impeccable hunting pedigree. He is a nephew of George Briscoe and his father, Lancelot, hunted a number of packs, including the Galway Blazers, Island, East Galway, and Westmeath. It was an ideal life, planting crops on his farm in the spring, harvesting in summer and away hunting for the winter, with Henry’s mother Stella whipping-in and riding point-to-points.

Lar Sheeran, joint-master with the Tara Harriers, pictured at their Teach na Teamhrach meet (Photo: Noel Mullins)

I remember inviting Lance to the Horn Blowing Competition at a Fingal Harriers function. He arrived on the night, dressed very dapper in a white tuxedo. I asked him what he would like to drink and he said white wine. I found a bottle in the spot prizes but had to open it with a screw driver as I could not find a proper bottle opener, but Lance turned a blind eye and did not complain!

There was a great line-up of traditional Irish hunters at the meet with joint-masters Oinri Jackson who owns the magnificent Brittas Estate in Nobber with his fellow joint -master Neville Jessop, the former home of Captain Blyth featured in the Hollywood movie Mutiny on the Bounty. Oinri was field-master on the day riding a fabulous grey hunter by Jack and Ann Lambert’s Grange Bouncer. Bryan Maher was on a Clew Bay Bouncer, bred by his sister Madeleine. I asked her what her hunter was by and she replied that he could be best described as a ‘Ned Cash Model’.

Joint-master Lar Sheeran, well known in polo, and a former joint-master of the North Galways, was on a well-made coloured cob. Lorraine McDowell is now in her 25th season as master and is a daughter of George Briscoe.

Lorraine’s daughter Lisa was as ever on her trusty fourth season chesnut hunter Rocky. Lorraine is married to John McDowell and many would be familiar with the family business McDowell’s Happy Ring House on O’Connell Street.

Phyllis McDowell was a master with the Fingal Harriers and a talented show jumper in her day, even sharing first prize at the Dublin Horse Show with Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in an international competition. Her husband Herbert trained the 1947 Aintree Grand National winner Caughoo.

Lisa McDowell and Oinri Jackson at the Tara Harriers meet from Teach na Teamhrach (Photo: Noel Mullins)

Farmer and hunter producer Willie Smith, now in his 61st season hunting, was out with his son Michael and daughter Kay. Willie was the person who found George Briscoe’s famous hunter Robinstown, who Peter Curling painted for George’s retirement.

Master farrier Michael McAteer had six hunters out, ridden by Sam, Tara, and Donie McAteer, as well as Paul McDonagh, Michael Carr and Michael himself. Former Tara whipper-in Liam Keogh was hunting and Martin McNamara was on a smashing grey.

Others following were Dean McEvoy and his son Daniel, John Matthews, Susan Oakes, Barry and Brian Lynch, Colm Kennedy, Andrew Treacy, David Patton, William Treacy, Brian Murphy and farrier Gerry Tully from Bective. Fionn Geraghty was celebrating the birth of his son Tommy Finn.

Naul farmer Joe McNally and his daughter Sarah from the Fingal Harriers and Ward Union were doing a little reconnaissance as they are planning their hunting trips further afield. Tara hunt follower Donal Lynch is an Irish and history teacher at the local Gaelscoil. and he doing a thesis on boxer Sean Madden from Rosmuc in Connemara who is also known in his now adopted Boston as Rocky Ros Muc.

He fought Mike ’The Body Snatcher’ McCallum for the vacant World Light Middleweight title and unfortunately lost. He was offered $25,000 by the sponsor if he would allow the sponsor’s name on the waistband of his boxing trunks but he would not agree as he wanted Rosmuc on the waistband. The offer increased to a six-figure sum but there was no budging Madden!

GOOD HUNTING

One thing about the Tara Harriers is that they don’t hang about and it was very much the case on the day. The first draw in Molloy’s Furze was blank but there was plenty of jumping of strong ditches in the stubble and grassland. The pack found a fox in Jim Reilly’s Old Balreask Stud and got a nice crisp run around the large farm before he went to ground in Stapleston’s Lane.

Peadar Newman’s Swamp was unusually blank so without delay they hacked on to Willie Smith’s farm that he farms with his son John. Mulligan’s Bottoms proved successful again as the pack found another fox heading for Shambo Stud in a wide circle into Loughran’s, through Noel Farrell’s and to ground in a bank in Sean McKenna’s. The last draw in McGill’s in near darkness was fortunately blank as they would be have needed lights to get back to the meet otherwise!

It was tempting to stay on for a meal at Teach na Teamhrach as pride of place on the blackboard menu was half a crispy duck, but the new year resolution kicked in, for the moment anyway!