AT the Fingal Harriers opening meet at the quaint thatched Man O War Bar and Restaurant, which dates back to 1595, all eyes were on their new huntsman Ollie Finnegan, a native of County Meath, who has hunted a number of the top packs in Britain.

I don’t think I have ever seen so many mounted and on foot at a Fingal Harriers opening meet at The Man O War Bar, but then the hunt have steadily increased their membership in recent years, due in many ways to the popularity of the autumn hunt runs. As one visitor commented after the hunt, ‘I did not see a single strand of wire all day’, but his face told a different story, as he had yet to learn to keep his head down or protected with his arm as he jumped through overhanging branches!

The Fingal Hunt country is mainly old pasture, tillage and a vegetable growing area and, what is even as important, many of the landowners in the area are regulars in the hunting field.

The new huntsman has been impressing the followers since the start of the autumn hunting. He is a man of very high standards and particularly in hound breeding, and he meant business as he unboxed 19 ½ couple of hounds looking fit with strong backs and coats that shone in the bright sunshine of the day.

He likes to move off on time and, unlike previous years, the followers streamed out of the bar with a new found urgency and were on their horses ready for the off, knowing Finnegan had already unboxed his hounds allowing his pack to relax. He was sporting his new hunting livery of a green frock coat and was joined by his wife Rachel and children Paddy and Thady, who were all well-mounted on beautifully turned-out horses and ponies.

Their pals, Jake and Cameron Cromwell, the sons of horse trainer Gavin Cromwell, were out as well and Gavin was on parenting duty on the day. Ollie’s parents, Oliver and Olive Finnegan, were there to see their son lead the followers away from the meet. Also there to wish Ollie well was show horse producer Kieran Ryan, whose father and mother, Jimmy and Kit, were former joint masters of the Fingals and kept the pack going when Ireland was not as prosperous.

Showing producer Sive Ryan at The Fingal Harriers opening meet \ Noel Mullins

Kieran and his wife Mairead had a good win recently with their point-to-pointer Look Don’t Touch, ridden by their son Ivan at the Galway Blazers meeting in Loughrea, trained by Conor Maxwell, and their other son James has been crowned Champion Apprentice on the flat.

Showing producer Sive Ryan at The Fingal Harriers opening meet \ Noel Mullins

Steeped in hunting

The Fingal joint masters are all involved in farming or associated with horses in the hunt area. Brian Beggan is the senior master and has regular runners on the course and had a Velká pardubická runner in the Czech Republic named Mose Harpur, who never fell but unfortunately twice unshipped his jockey. Other joint masters are farming brothers, Michael and Seamus McGrath, stud owner Orla Gannon and farrier Stephen Comerford, so they are all steeped in the Fingal countryside.

Whipping-in were Darren Jordan, who has developed a reputation for producing talented hunters and show horses, many going to new owners in the USA, and Stephen Comerford MH, as well as newly appointed whipper-in, Pat Crean. On the day, Conor McGrath was helping out. Neil Cooney is the kennel huntsman and a more enthusiastic hound man you could not find, with a keen interest in bloodlines.

Rob Hoban and Elyse Heemskerk at The Fingal Harriers opening meet \ Noel Mullins

Well-mounted

Local farmer Paul Rice was out with his daughter Caoimhe and his sister Marie on her hunter Smokey. Marie’s daughter, veterinary student Natasha, was sorry to recently part with her champion cob Buddy, who won Balmoral, Flavours of Fingal and numerous events, but has now gone to new owners in Northern Ireland.

Caoimhe is a fine rider and, beside eventing, she also rides out occasionally for trainer Karl Thornton. Well-mounted were Joe McNally, Ralph Kelly, Shane Rogers and his daughter Ava, Pat Hagan, and brothers Graham and Pat Quinn, the latter conspicuous with a pink hat cover, as he had to borrow Natasha Byrnes’ eventing hat, having forgotten his own. Also show horse/pony producer Sive Ryan, Dave Kelly and his family Ryan, Dave and Ruby.

Joint master Seamus McGrath and his son Conor at The Fingal Harriers opening meet \ Noel Mullins

Others following were David Kelly, and two friends, Megan Cudden and Sinjiha Nestere, who lost contact with each other for many years only to meet again autumn hunting. Land owners, Michael and Susan Kennedy, who are great supporters of the hunt were also hunting. Also, John Flood, who hunts with the Meaths, Westmeaths and usually has a few days in the UK as well, and Ben Cauldwell, Sean Watson and Una Mullarkey.

There is a great group of young riders coming along, such as Jake and Cameron Cromwell, Paddy and Thady Finnegan and Tyler and Jamie Murphy and many others.

Rob Hoban and his friend Elyse Heemskerk followed by jeep. Rob’s late father Sean flew trans-Atlantic for Aer Lingus and was a regular follower and committee member of the Fingals. He was also an expert on Fingal farming, as he would bank his Jumbo jet around the hunt country before landing and could inform the masters of the progress on the harvest in the area!

Following also were Thomas Flynn, Millie Magnier, Anita Clinton, Mary Beggan, Alex Lyons, Aoife Delaney, John Lyons - who had already been to the Louth Foxhounds hunt breakfast that morning at Seamus McKenna’s in Mooretown; Susan Oakes, Tommy Parr, Dymphna Kiernan, Grace Sherry and Kevin Scally, who was planning a hunting trip to the South of England. Also in support was Robert Thornhill and Oliver Esteve, who is whipping-in to the Kildare Foxhounds

Brace

Joint master Orla Gannon, who owns Gerrardstown Stud where she offers foaling and sales preparation services, had planned the meet with some assistance from the huntsman, and chairperson Helena Dawson, who owns Kilronan Equestrian Centre; they had walked it during the week.

It was a great sight as a strong field streamed away from the meet over the stubble in John and Bernice Morgan’s, with some clean diches that gave the followers a pipe opener, but as usual one ditch caught a number of followers out and there were half dozen loose horses.

Drawing the ditches in Shane Slevin’s near the Quarry, hounds put up their first brace of foxes running right-handed across country to Joe Rooney’s plantation, with stallion hound Bison in full voice leading the pack and swinging left over the Hedgestown Road all the way down to the main road, where the huntsman stopped them.

They found again in Rooney’s near Hedgestown Lane and, this time, litter sisters Waffle, Wayword and Wanderer were leading the orchestra, as this fox ran back in the direction of the Man O War to Slevin’s, where they marked him to ground.

The next draw was over horse trainer Peter Cluskey’s gallops. Peter was delighted to see the hunt come through and hounds found again and they got a short spin over McNeill’s stubble, which took them to the top road.

Hounds found again in a ditch in Hugh McGuire’s near Ardgillan and this customer was reluctant to leave the ditches, so they left him for another day.

The air temperature stayed high and, as they had done enough for the opening day, they crossed back by the top of Murtagh’s and into Martin Clinton’s and Michael Hoey’s, which took them over Paul Rice’s and back to the meet.

The Man O War meet has traditionally not been the best meet on the card, but Finnegan changed that having already marked 2 ½ brace to ground. It is a good omen and members and subscribers are looking forward to a great season.

Back at the meet, the hospitality in the Man O War Bar was up to the usual high standard, as it is known for its extensive and popular menu and especially busy on the weekends.

History

The hunt dates back to 1881 as the Fingal Harriers, but prior to that, the hunt was known under the founder’s name as Mr Woods’ Hounds.

Richard Woods lived at nearby Milverton Hall and Whitestown near The Naul, where the hounds were kennelled. The kennels now are in Co Meath and the country is mostly grassland and tillage with little wire.

The team

Chairperson: Helena Dawson

Masters: Brian Beggan MH, Orla Gannon MH, Michael McGrath MH, Seamus McGrath MH and Stephen Comerford MH

Whippers-in: Darren Jordan, Pat Crean and Stephen Comerford MH

Honorary secretary: Melisssa O’Grady

Honorary Treasurer: Catherine Mullarkey

Visitors are welcome by prior arrangement with Marie Byrne, and horses are available for hiring in the area.