WE often hear of people ticking items off their ‘bucket list’, and there are many interpretations of the origins on ‘bucket list’.

There are extreme versions going back to the Middle Ages, such as ‘kicking the bucket’ under a condemned man. But I prefer the theme of the epic 2007 film ‘The Bucket List’ starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. At times it is a hilariously funny film, where they set up a list of things, even extreme sports they would like to experience before they ‘fall off their perch’!

I think we all have a type of ‘bucket list’ and a trip to Ireland was made possible for a group of visitors from the Palm Beach Hounds in Florida to tick a few items off their list, as a result of hunt clubs supporting each other in offering visitors cap and horses to raise funds at their Hunt Ball auctions.

Joint master of the Fingal Harriers, Michael McGrath, and the Fingal Harriers Hunt arranged to donate visitor’s cap for two riders and horses to the Palm Beach Hounds and, in return, the Palm Beach Hounds reciprocated with visitor’s cap for two people with horses to be auctioned at the Fingal Harriers Hunt Ball.

Desmond Keogh, who owns Oakley Park House in Kells, also offered his house for a week as another auction item. The result was the arrival of nine members of the Palm Beach Hounds, including joint-master Jennifer Brown, who shares the mastership with her husband Adam, whipper-in Deena McCombs, field secretary Victoria Robinson, Amanda Bustin, Amanda Henn, Yara Hughes, Michelle Hood, show jumper Suzanne Burns and Rachel Minetree, who I met out Autumn hunting with the Fingals a few years ago.

The Fingal Harriers meet was beside Bellewstown Racecourse, the mythical Summer Residence of the High Kings of Ireland, and famous for its racecourse and the Yellow Sam betting coup by punter and trainer Barney Curley. It is also the one of the oldest racecourses in Ireland, with racing dating back to 1726, some 50 years before American Independence. In 1780, King George III sponsored a race known as His Majesty’s Plate.

Palm Beach hunt visitors applying some hair spray for grip to counter slippery saddles \ Noel Mullins

Irish and US hunting connections

There are 170 packs of foxhounds in North America and some packs even have an Irish huntsman. Looking back, there are a number of Irish connections with the Palm Beach Hunt. I recall meeting former joint master Reve Walsh when I was hunting with the Genesee Valley Hunt in Upstate New York.

Aidan ‘Suntan’ O’Connell from Co Limerick was a frequent visitor to the Palm Beach Hounds. On one occasion, I recall him telling me that he hunted every day of the week in Ireland, before catching a flight from Shannon Airport without changing from his customary hunting attire, landing in Miami and mounting a hunter at a meet of the Palm Beach Hounds. That evening, he attended their Hunt Ball before catching an early morning return flight back to Shannon and was on his hunter at a meet of the Co Limerick Hounds by 11am that Monday morning!

Noel Ryan, also from Co Limerick and now living in Virginia, hunted the Radnor Hounds in Pennsylvania before hunting the Palm Beach Hounds for a number of seasons. He also got a taste for polo, as the hunt host an annual polo match on Vero Beach.

Tony Leahy from Oldcastle in Co Meath, who is master and huntsman of the Fox River Valley Hounds in Ohio, is a former President of the American Masters of Foxhounds.

Fingal masters Orla Gannon, Seamus and Michael McGrath with US visitors Deena McCombs, Victoria Robinson, Amanda Bustin, Amanda Henn, Jennifer Brown MFH, Yara Hughes, Michelle Hood and Suzanne Burns at Bellewstown \ Noel Mullins

Itinerary

The visitors’ chauffeur was Des Hassett from Tuamgreany in Co Clare, a neighbour of Irish show jumping team manager Michael Blake. The first port of call was to Oliver Walsh in Flowerhill Equestrian Centre in Tynagh, Co Galway, for some pre-hunt tuition in riding Irish hunters over a variety of obstacles, many they were likely to come across over the Irish hunting countryside.

On the Saturday morning, they had a date with the Fingal Harriers Hounds in Bellewstown, but surprisingly, The Hill Bar was closed. However, joint master Orla Gannon improvised, with a selection of select Irish brands of alcohol!

The visitors informed me that they really enjoyed the challenge of riding Irish hunters, but they found the saddles shiny and very slippy. They had a novel way of solving the problem by spraying hair spray on the seats of their riding breeches. Rob Hoban, not hunting on the day, drove Des Hassett and Rachel Minetree around. Rachel has visited the Fingals before and made many friends here.

They crossed a nice piece of country from The Quarry, where hounds found before running across Bells and McAuleys and spent the rest of the day on the Ardcath side. The pack battled with the strong winds when scent was all over the place, but they yet managed to provide sport and the visitors viewed a number of running foxes and a sample of what it is like to cross the Irish countryside.

Halfway through the afternoon, a few of the Palm Beach ladies decided that, as they had survived the deep Fingal ditches so far and they did not want to tempt fate as they had a long week ahead of them, so they headed back to the meet. It was understandable as their hunt country is all uprights. But they were all good brave riders and acquitted themselves well, especially riding horses unfamiliar to them.

A good evening was had by all at Niall Gormley’s Bar in Garristown, a favourite watering hole of the local packs. Niall, who hunts with the Ward Union Staghounds, also had finger food ready, which he kindly does after meets in the area.

Exploring

The visitors were on horseback again next morning for a beach ride on Gormanstown Beach, arranged by Michael McGrath and lunch in Gibney’s Huntsman Bar.

Next on the programme was exploring ancient Dublin, with a visit to the oldest pub in Dublin, The Brazen Head, which first opened its doors in 1198AD. It is located in a historic part of Dublin, which was invaded by the Vikings in 795AD, only to be driven out of Ireland by King Brian Boru in The Battle of Clontarf in 1014AD.

The following day, they visited the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens, where Invincible Spirit stands; a sire of 22 Group 1 winners. Fingal joint master Michael McGrath arranged that they visit Berney’s Saddlery in Kilcullen, founded in 1880. Tom Berney, a keen hunt follower with the Kildare Hounds and he also is honorary whipper in to the Carlow Farmers Hunt, looked after the visitors.

Berney’s supply everything for the rider, horse and stable including manufacturing over 1,000 saddles a year. They are very popular in the US, so it was an opportunity for the ladies to see the craft up close with a tour of the workshop.

Beagling

They were on the road again next day to a meet of the Sligo Harriers and some viewing of a selection of hunters at the stables of James Nee, who hunts both the Sligo and the Leitrim Hounds.

Palm Beach joint master Jennifer Brown remarked that she always wanted to go beagling, as she has a beagle at home. So, the group were invited to a meet of the Lakeland Beagles, hunted by joint master Richard Bonham, who has a smashing pack of hounds. During the summer, he competed for the second year at the well-known Rydal Hound Show in the Lake District in England.

The meet was at Lisnavin, the home of the Wentges family and interestingly, Captain John Wentges was a former master of the Fingal Harriers Hunt and his daughter Fiona represented Ireland in eventing at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

It was a very successful trip by the ladies of the Palm Beach Hounds, new friendships were forged, with a view of a different part of the Irish countryside, particularly Ireland’s Ancient East in contrast to the tourist trail.

A good time was had by all, jumping natural country over ditches and drains in contrast to jumping uprights and they got to hunt on foot, a sport which dates back at least 3,500 years in Ireland.

I haven’t checked, but an Irish hunter or hunters may be going Stateside in future, so a few more items have been ticked off the ladies’ ‘bucket list’ and, in addition, it is a good example of enjoyable international hunting tourism.