SUNDAY mass goers were just dispersing as hounds and the East Clare Hunt assembled for their Sunday meet in the church car park in Scariff. Post-Covid numbers declined, but they have more than bounced back and, on the day, the mounted field exceeded 40.

Michael Dwyer from Birr has carried the horn for the last four seasons and brings a quiet efficiency to the hunting field. He obviously has a good rapport with his hounds, uses the horn sparingly and never raises his voice. His two whippers-in, the veteran David Jones and the young debutant Patrick Nugent, are there as his wing-men.

The Nugent family are seriously committed to the hunt, with dad Tom, hunt Chairman, and two more Nugent’s mounted in the field, Ciara (15) and young Roisin (13). Mum Carol is there in a supporting role and it must be a very busy household on a hunting morning, kitting out four young jockeys for the day.

Likewise, the Jones family go right back to the foundation of the pack, where their uncle Sean Jones is the last surviving member of the triumvirate of founders. Their brother Pat, who farms extensively nearby, is Joint Master, a role he shares with Declan Durack, who farms on the shores of Lough Derg near Whitegate.

Unlike natural hunting, the two key people in the field are the drag pullers, who not only have to give a lead over everything, but also have to know exactly where they are going. The two young draggers are Sadhbh McCrea from Ogonnolloe and the whipper-in’s brother, young Eoin Nugent (17).

Sadhbh McCraith leading the drag ahead of the hounds at Scariff \ Catherine Power

Wanderer

These pre-Christmas meets are always special in East Clare, as the wanderer returns to his native heath to relive his glory days, when he was both master and huntsman of the pack founded by his late father.

I refer, of course, to show jumping supremo Michael Blake, who this time of the year gets an occasional break from his busy job as High Performance manager for the senior show jumping team. Michael’s father John came to Scariff as a young veterinary surgeon and, ever since, the Blakes have been ingrained in the sporting DNA of East Clare. Whether it was Scariff Show - still prospering and run in mid-September - or the East Clare Harriers, the Blakes were the main movers.

I caught up with him (by phone) from his hotel in Geneva and recalled those heady days when he was show jumping at Grade A, hunting hounds at weekends and establishing a career with the local chipboard industry. When the harriers were formed in 1984 and they looked for their first huntsman, it was a 21-year-old Michael Blake who stepped up to the plate and became master and huntsman of the fledgling pack, a role he held for five seasons.

However, Michael said it was with some reservation he agreed to sit up for the day in Scariff, as he has not sat on a horse since his last day out in Bodyke last year.

For all that, he and the grey (supplied by Pat Jones MH) gelled and, as the day progressed, it became poetry in motion, as they sailed over the good stiff East Clare walls. Of course, all eyes were on Michael Blake, still wearing the coat he hunted hounds in 40 seasons ago. This coat has its own provenance, having been donated to him back in the day by the late Maxie Scully on his retirement as master.

This was the coat that saw Michael establish the bare back puissance record of 2.17m (7ft 2in old money) on Scully’s horse, which remarkably stands to this day.

A horse that particularly caught my eye was a smashing coloured, ridden by student nurse Alison Collins, who is studying in Sligo. She was out with her brother Aaron and neither were found wanting over the walls. Another family in the field was Claire Woods from Ogonnolloe with her son young Logan. Two more, the Hanan sisters Ellie and Eibhlin were beautifully turned out and went accordingly.

Logan Woods clears the walls on his lovely coloured cob out with the East Clare Harriers at Scariff \ Catherine Power

60 walls

The tolling of the Angelus marked move off, as our huntsman took his hounds to the first line in Joe Brett’s farm. All the while, the young draggers were forging ahead with neither map nor compass. They ran into land farmed by Pat Jones and into Donal Molony’s, where Michael Blake changed his saddle.

This run set the pattern for the day, which had six runs before our huntsman finally blew for home around 4.30 with upwards of 60 walls jumped - much of it at speed.

Next line was in Andrew McNamara’s extensive farm, with hounds giving marvellous tongue and hunting the line with all the enthusiasm and endeavour of the best foxhounds. The line finished in Ger Crotty’s and they pressed on to Pat Minogue’s, where hounds flew over some of the best walls of the day.

Jumping out of former huntsman’s Shane Jones farm over a right rasper topped off with a recycled electric pole reminding this observer of the little verse:

Hard and tall stands the rasping wall

That lies below us yonder

It must be taken at speed or not at all

It is better to fall than to ponder

The verse summed it up better than any words of mine and the mounted field really rattled into it. Surprisingly, almost everyone jumped it and some jumped it very well. Hunt treasurer Siobhan Garret Cooney gave it a puissance display, as did her daughter Tara. Another family going well was assistant treasurer Siobhan O’Gorman and her daughter Aine.

While all this was going on, the draggers had shot off in another direction into Declan Minogue’s, eventually finishing conveniently in Willie Corbett’s farm back near the meet.

It was a most enjoyable day for both riders and foot followers alike over a bit of old country. There seemed to be a great welcome for the hunt everywhere we went, with numerous locals following on for the day.

History

The East Clare Harriers were officially formed in 1984, when Co Clare was divided between the county pack and the newly formed East Clare Harriers. They are pre-dominantly a drag pack.

Previous masters: Sean Jones, John Blake, Joe Brogan 1984-99, Tony Marsh 1984-2013

Meets: Sundays 12.30 (Sharp) Visitors: Welcome by arrangement. Sub: Apply to secretary. Cap: Apply to secretary. Affiliated to: IMHA.

The team

Kennels: Scariff, Co. Clare. Couples: 20.

Chairman: Mr Tom Nugent

Joint Masters: Mr Declan Durack and Mr Pat Jones

Secretary: Ms Kiki Novack

Huntsman: Mr Mike O’Dwyer

Whipper-in: Mr David Jones, Patrick Nugent

Field Master: Siobhan Garret-Cooney

Treasurer: Siobhan Garret-Cooney

East Clare - varied, stone walls, banks and hedges