Chairman: Mr John Kenny (1999)

Fairymount Farm, Ballingarry, Co Tipperary

Hon Sec: Jessica Cahalane

Kennels: Mondreeney Cloughjordan

Huntsman: Mr Oliver Ryan-Purcell

Field master: Alfie Mooney

Whippers-in: Natasha Hayes, Keith Breen

Treasurer: Ann Ryan

Brief history:

Founded by Lord Lismore in 1778, they are one of the oldest packs in Ireland. They are still kennelled on the land of Capt. Donal Swan, who hunted hounds from 1973 to ’89.

Some former masters:

Mr Assheton Biddulph 1884-96, Earl of Huntingdon 1919-23, Capt L Preston 1952-60, AW Dalgety 1965-73, Ml Higgins 1972-73, Capt. Donal Swan 1973-89, The Lady Rathcavan 1982-84, Geo Younghusband 1983-93, Mrs George Younghusband 1970-73; Mr Joe Cavanagh 1994-2004

They meet on Saturdays.

WE seem to have been doing well on lawn meets so far this season and last Saturday only continued the trend.

We were invited to another special occasion, a lawn meet for the Ormond at their amateur huntsman’s house in Cloughjordan - Eyremount, the home of Oliver and Dorothy Ryan-Purcell.

Oliver is from Duhallow country, Churchtown to be precise, and a relative blow-in to Ormond country, but it is more than made up for by the fact that he is married to Dorothy Riggs-Miller from Nenagh, a family steeped in the sporting life of North Tipperary Foxhounds and Ormond.

Oliver is no debutante to hunting hounds. He started by hunting his own private pack from his home at Burton Park near Churchtown before hunting the famed Scarteens for a season or two and hunting North Tipps for a couple of seasons. It’s very much a family affair, while he hunts hounds and runs a busy law practice contemporaneously, the day to day running of the kennels falls to Dorothy, a role she has taken to like a duck to water.

Hounds had been boxed down earlier from their kennels at Moondreeney, just at the other side of Cloughjordan and the home of Donal Swan, who hunted the hounds with such style and class. He is the standard by which all previous and future huntsmen tend to be judged. Not only that, of course, he is father to the history-making jockey Charlie Swan, who won three Champion Hurdles on the great Istabraq. The blacktype runs to the next generation… Young Harry Swan (Charlie’s son) is now a very useful amateur, with almost 60 winners to his credit.

The great and the good of the sporting midlands were already on hand as we arrived. Almost the first couple on hand were Mary Blundell and the ever-immaculate Bill (WJ) Lanigan, who trains near Portlaoise. The stable had a very useful winner in Tramore recently, with the Seosamh Murphy-bred Danesfort Mayfly (10/1) by the great sire, Yeats. Like a good Claret, Bill and Mary just appear to improve with age.

Hospitality and conversation were flowing in equal measure, as old friends and hunting compatriots met to catch up on hunting news. Definitely the senior member was Mabel Wallace, a sprightly 101 years young and up to speed in all things that matter in the Ormond country. Her uncle, George Webb, hunted the hounds back in the day. Hunt chairman John Kenny, in office for 25 seasons, was on hand as was former and very well-known event rider, Franny Younghusband, whose family are ingrained in Ormond DNA.

Saddling bell

Dorothy’s brother, Tommy Riggs-Miller, a distinguished Nenagh veterinarian, was there with his wife the now retired consultant anaesthetist, Dr Ann Elisabeth.

Hospitality, no matter how good, cannot compare with a day’s hunting and, as hounds were at the ready, the saddling bell was sounded.

Horses were quickly unboxed, jockeys legged up and, after a brief photocall, hounds went to their very first draw on Oliver’s farm, where the field were able to have a few preparatory pops as a confidence-builder for horses and jockeys. Turning hounds to Oliver were his two whippers-in, Natasha Hayes and Keith Breen. Natashas’s dad, Richard Hayes on a cob, on a previous visit, when your correspondent had broken tack, Richard came to my aid, which allowed me to see out the day. Keith Breen also had young Ruben out on his good pony, who seemed to cross the country like a veteran. Riding a particularly eye-catching grey and white was Aileen Dwyer of Gloster, Roscrea. The grey performed like a veteran, despite the fact it was his first day out.

There to see hounds off were David Meridith and Jane Coman from two families steeped in sporting tradition.

Hounds spoke briefly, but moved on and the next draw was at the other side of the village on the Barna road, where they drew Ger Cleary’s. With loads of covert nearby, the all-bitch pack took their time, but it was time well-spent, as hounds opened and a good fox was holloed away over some nice bit of country including a really decent dyke, which resulted in more than one jockey being forced to take up beagling (at least for a while!).

No such problems for young Scarteen visitor, Sarah Ryan from Lattin and her friend, Katelyn Doughan, who made nothing of it.

Michael Larkin taken a flyer over a big trench out with the Ormond Foxhounds \ Catherine Power

Top-class

Putting in a top-class performance was Tadgh O’Leary of Dungar Oats and dairy farmer and field master, Alfie Mooney. Hounds ran on for Denis Hogan’s spectacular gallops before swinging right-handed across the road to Joe Smith’s super dairy farm. His daughter, young Lucy, was out on her good pony. Another pair of good Ormond performers were Michael Larkin, who keeps most of the horse transport in Ormond moving, and Shane Dynan, who was bringing on a quality cob.

All the while, we were kept in touch and up close with the action by Glen Austin and his two sons, Ross and Andrew, who appear to have a Google-like knowledge of every field in Cloughjordan.

Eventually, scent petered out and hounds hacked on to Templeharry church, with strong Barak Obama connections. It was in Templeharry that the president’s ancestor, Fulmoth Kearney, was first baptised around 1830. Hounds drew on through Lawson Burriss’ extensive farm and on towards the Moneygall road. While hounds spoke, it was only brief and, with shadows lengthening, our huntsman blew for home.