THE last time I planned a visit to the Wicklow Foxhounds, Castletown Liam Mellows, the hurling team coached by huntsman Brendan Kavanagh and local veterinary surgeon Austin Fanning, were in the intermediate county final and won it for the first time in 60 years.

The club have very competitive football and camogie teams and boasts a modern indoor training facility. Wexford is a great hurling county, with the hunt chairman Doran O’Toole’s son, Doran Jr, and Austin’s son, Conor – who both hunt - both playing on the Wexford under 21 team. The local Golden Anchor Bar, where the Wicklows meet, sponsor the teams.

This time, there was snow on the hills, as I made my way to Coolgreany in County Wexford, where there was a huge turnout of both mounted and car followers. The collection point was the Top Shop Bar, which was described on Trip Advisor by one regular as, ‘my sofa away from my home sofa, it’s cosy and caring, full of character - especially the barman’!

On the morning, the barman Stephen Rowan was looking the worse for wear, as he was up until all hours with Christmas revellers and yet kindly opened on time to facilitate the Wicklow Hunt followers, what a service. I met Mervyn Sunderland, a sheep farmer whom I first met over 20 years ago at a meet, and he drove me to all the best spots. Mervyn said the Wicklow Hunt have gone from strength to strength, and they have what he considers is the best team, who all pull together for the good of the hunt.

Top-class sport

The master is Frank Redmond, who also hunted the pack for a number of years and knows the hunt country well. The front line were all mounted on the best of hunters, many of them sourced from Killinick producer Larry Myers, who is developing a great reputation for well-schooled hunters.

The huntsman, Brendan Kavanagh, is providing top-class sport and is a fine horseman, who can cross this challenging country with style. He was riding his seasoned hunter, that was produced by John Roche from Assagart, and Patrick Goland was on his experienced grey hunter. Larry Kavanagh was hunting a new horse, a sturdy hunter by Western Blue that are difficult to find these days.

The huntsman, who also has a day job running his own business, was quick to acknowledge the tremendous support that he has in the kennels all year around and on hunting days from Larry, Marie and Abby Kavanagh, Les and Brian Cushe and his brother, John Kavanagh.

The hunt chairman, Doran O’Toole, has had a succession of quality Irish Draughts and was riding a horse by his own Irish Draught stallion by Huntingfield Rebel. His son Ravi, a talented horseman, who won the Junior Antler Challenge on the last two occasions, was hunting a nice warmblood by Calandro Z, who was on his toes. But they made a great team crossing natural country and he is aiming at making it three in a row in the Antler Challenge this year. He also rides out racehorses for Peter Crokes Stables.

Honorary secretary, Siun Stafford, was busy with paperwork that is required nowadays to run a hunt professionally.

Wicklow Foxhounds' huntsman Brendan Kavanagh, master Frank Redmond and whipper-in Patrick Goland and followers at the Wicklow Foxhounds meet at Coolgreany \ Noel Mullins

Followers

The youngest follower was five-month-old Fiadh Redmond and her mother Laura, a daughter of the master Frank Redmond. Cooley Sport Horses, a major success story in the production of made hunters, show jumpers and especially eventers that have gone to new owners around the world, were also represented. Cooley owners, Richard and Georgina Sheene were away supporting their daughter Ellie, who was competing at the London International Horse Show, however, Cooley stable riders Jessie Law and Cian McHugh were hunting two quality Irish Draughts bound for Lindsay Kelly in Marshall, Virginia and they have 10 more that will shortly be making the trip to the American hunting fields.

Visiting from the Bray Harriers were Shauna Watters and her mother Mairead. Also out was Alicia Devlin Byrne, a side-saddle race winner in Craon in France, and Niamh Drea, who is another a side-saddle rider. Stephen McDonnell, who breeds Connemara crosses and his daughter Kerrie McDonnell, riding a Connemara that won the Kildare Hunt Senior Hunter Class, were hunting.

Also following were Katie Ryan, Emer Whitty and Emma Carton on a smashing five-year-old, bred by Nicholas Byrne in Oughterard, a dun Connemara by West Star Sunny. Cousins Julia, Katie and Elsa Byrne, and Jessica Murphy on an Irish Draught stallion Bawnvalley Diamond. Sammy Woolmington was following his son Nicholas, who I last met hunting with the Galway Blazers.

Also enjoying the day were Elaine and Mary Coade, Julia Byrne, 11-year-old Kayla Coade on her 17-year-old pony Dandy and Jason Freeney, who was riding a smashing chesnut three-year-old Irish Draught he bred by Dunsandle Diamond. In contact also were Mick Golden, Liam O’Leary, Seadhna O’Lionan, Parish Flynn, Mick Byrne, Pat Kinsella and Diarmuid Lucey, who was recovering from attending a lively wedding the previous day. Emer Whitty was sporting an Ado McGuinness Racing jacket, which stood out. Nice piece of advertising Ado!

On song

It was very windy and scent was high, which was a challenge to the 12 ½ couple of hounds, but they were up for it. The first draw was in Declan Merrigan’s on the high ground and on into Michael Kavanagh’s and over Albert Evan’s, where they jumped back over a stiff double bank into Clyde Newsom’s. Jessica O’Leary almost held on, but gravity was not on her side.

The river in Declan Merrigan’s caused problems for Edwina O’Connor and field master Peter Somers, who someone said got unbalanced, as he had his wallet in his coat pocket! I got a good drenching myself - after just getting over the ‘flu! – by misjudging the depth of water in the river. The things we do for hunting and for a good jumping shot for The Irish Field!

The huntsman crossed the road into Michael Kavanagh’s and hounds found in The Grove and screamed away on a fox over Kavanagh’s, Jimmy Hill’s, on through Declan Merrigan’s, where he went to ground.

Crossing the road again, the huntsman Brendan Kavanagh drew the long stretch of Furze in Jimmy Hill’s, which was blank. Brendan crossed the road into his own farm and the field master Peter Somers took the followers on a spin over the cross-country fences, but hounds had other things on their mind, as they quickly found in Hudson’s Shirsheen Wood near The Quarry.

This fellow was game for a run, as he crossed over Michael Byrne’s and then on through the long valley, which has wonderful coverts that foxes tend to run through, but this fellow decided to dwell in a clump of furze, but not for long as the pack pressed him on by Larry Lyons’, who keeps greyhounds, for a good fast spin. Afterwards, he decided to go underground and was left for another day.

Hounds were on song again, finding in John Joe McCarthy’s Ballafad Wood, with the wind blowing scent around, they pressed on with their heads down stopping and starting again and again, but for many followers, they did not notice as many were being challenged by big double banks, with a good quota of fallers.

With enough done, the huntsman blew for home after a challenging day, where the huntsman and the pack met the challenge and sent the followers home smiling.

Stephen Rowan at the Top Shop Bar looked a little more rested after his late closing the night before and an early morning opening for the Wicklow hunt followers, and Thomas Rafferty at the local supermarket made all the sandwiches and very kindly took them over to the pub for the appreciative followers.

History

The Wicklow Foxhounds were formed in the 1930s, as a farmer’s pack, as it is to this day. They hunt South Wicklow and North Wexford with good challenging country of double banks, ditches and stone walls.

The team

Chairman: Doran O’Toole

Master: Frank Redmond and Tom Kelly

Huntsman: Brendan Kavanagh

Whipper-in: Patrick Goland

Field master: Peter Somers

Honorary secretary: Siun Stafford

Honorary treasurer: Peter Somers