Noel Mullins

THE Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: “There is nothing more constant in life than change” and a really positive boost for hunting in Ireland this season has been the number of young talented huntsmen that have fitted in seamlessly for huntsmen that have either retired or moved on to another pack.

One such pack is the Island Foxhounds, where first season huntsman Colm Dwyer has been making quite an impression. Dwyer is from Ballacolla, Co Laois and has substituted studying law and business for the lure of a career hunting a pack of hounds.

While his father David hunted with the Laois, he credits Jim Quinlan, then huntsman of the Laois, with nurturing his interest in hunting. Quinlan hunted the Bull Run Hounds in America and also the Kilkenny Foxhounds before hunting the Golden Vale Foxhounds before retiring.

Every moment Dwyer had to spare outside school hours he was in the Laois kennels. Athlone horse dealer Jim Derwin, a joint-master of the Roscommons, supported him with horsepower following his pack. Dwyer also spent a year in Pat Hughes’ racing yard. He has a way with hounds and is an excellent horseman.

He is fortunate also to have had two new mentors with a wealth of wisdom to impart in George Chapman and Billy Connors. Chapman has been a master and huntsman for 43 seasons and Connors whipped-in in to Chapman for 15 seasons before hunting hounds for 28 seasons.

The best days this season for the Island were at Monamolin, Ballindaggin, and Boolavogue. At Ballymore hounds marked a fox in a tree. Budding mountain climber Michael ‘Mouse’ Murphy decide to investigate and, as he was climbing the tree, the fox passed him out on the way down and gave hounds a great run for over 50 minutes.

Former huntsman Billy Connors was following by car for a change when I visited as he has a bit of wear and tear on one of his knees.

He attended St Vincent’s Hospital, where the surgeon came to the conclusion that there are knees, and then there are Billy Connors’ knees, which are very different anatomically - the result of 45 seasons hunting hounds and point-to-pointing.

Following also by car were Fiona Gahan and her son, two-year-old Fionnan, as well as Susannah Dungan, Evelyn Fenlon, Ned Brown, David Nolan, George Chapman and Harry Poole.

Cecil Willoughby is now retired from hunting but follows most days. His horse Designer Grey won the Carey’s Cottage Chase, and his good greyhound November Weather beat the English Derby favourite. Jimmy Murphy was busy doing the fencing.

At the meet, John Howard was first to arrive. His wife Muriel whips into the Bree Foxhounds and they both produce top class horses for the local and overseas market near Monageer. John acted as an extra in Mel Gibson’s film Braveheart, and supplied many of the horses.

Belinda Walsh has a wonderful seat on a horse and is also a popular honorary secretary of the hunt. Hunting also were George Dobbs, Ashley O’Connor, Lauran Nolan, Shane Barnes, and Niamh Newens.

Vice-chairman Paddy Kavanagh, hunting with the Island for 35 seasons and popular with all the landowners, greeted everybody with a broad welcoming smile.

On horseback were Michael ‘Mouse’ Murphy, Joan O’Connor and Eoghan Murphy, as was Gearoid Doyle, whose brothers Donnchadh and Sean Thomas, train up to 50 point-to-pointers. Barry O’Neill and Robert James who won the novice championship ride for them.

The meet was at The Still Pub, which is owned by Nick Doyle who never misses a point-to-point on the weekends.

Field master Ted Nolan led the field away to the first draw at the long stretch of gorse at the Daphne, as the huntsman with 12 and a half couple of bitches, many by West Wilts Vanguard. He cast them along a valley where the Boro river flows down to the Slaney in Enniscorthy.

DAREDEVILS

A few daredevils (namely John Howard) cleared the high tensile wire while Michael ‘Mouse’ Murphy led the charge at the five-bar gate, followed by Eoin Murphy and, hot on his heels, Rory Scallan. Scent was non-existent in the rough grass and thick plantation in Currys and how hard the huntsman tried there was nothing on the move. It is usually not a good sign when you see a group with shotguns heading towards a covert.

Hounds found a fox off Marchelstown Road and ran on into Letts of Hollyford. They hunted around the extensive covert but could not get him away and eventually marked him to ground.

The back of Mooneys in the Boro Wood down by the river is always a sure find but on a day of poor scenting conditions it took patience on the huntsman’s part. He gave hounds time in the thick coverts through Ruttles, Tommy Williamsons, and John Roches and along the Caim Road.

The ‘four o’clock fox’ is alive and well because as the clock struck at exactly 4pm, assistant whipper-in Myles O’Connor hollered as a well-conditioned fox slipped across the road, heading right-handed. The bitch pack was on the first patch of decent grass all day. What a sound they made screaming away so fast one can only imagine what they would be like with any bit of decent scent - they must be nearly impossible to keep pace with.

The fox headed on and over the cross-country course at Liam Griffin’s Monart Spa Hotel. Griffin is remembered best as the trainer of the Wexford hurling team but he also hunted for years with the Killinick Harriers. His son Niall is an international event rider. The huntsman and the followers could not get through the electric gates at the yard but Dwyer skirted the headland and sailed over a a high tensile fence to reach the small wood where hounds were marking the fox to ground.

Being so far from the kennels, the huntsman decided to blow for home. Refreshments were provided by Annette Doyle at The Still Pub while a video of the hunt was shown on the pub screen.

Now that the season has ended may I thank all those packs that I visited in recent months for their courtesy and hospitality.

FACTFILE

Chairman – John Gahan

Master – George Chapman

Huntsman – Conor Dwyer

Whippers-in – Owen Wheeler, Aubrey Chapman

HISTORY

The Island Foxhounds takes its name from Mr W. Bolton’s residence. He acquired Captain Carey’s and Esmonde family packs. He died in 1853, and the Earl of Fitzwilliam and then Robert Watson combined the Carlow and the Island packs. Watson retired in 1904 and then both packs hunted separately.