MICHAEL Dempsey is a household and respected name in hunt circles all over the world. He was joint-master and huntsman of the Galway Blazers for over 30 seasons, and his son, Tom, followed him as huntsman for another 20 seasons or more having whipped into his father previously. Michael also hunted Lady Molly Cusack-Smith’s Bermingham and North Galway Hounds, and to complete the picture, he hunted the East Galway Hounds which possibly made him the only huntsman to hunt all of the County Galway packs in his career.

An exceptional horseman, Michael probably rode much lighter than his true weight and as a result, he was easy on horses which meant that they lasted longer and were always at their best when he sounded, ‘Gone Away’. He won point-to-points and believed that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so it made him difficult to stay with hunting on many occasions. I can still see him sitting still facing a big wall, just locking on with his legs attacking any wall that came in his sights. Tom was a junior international event rider and went on to whip-in to his father at the Blazers before following him as huntsman.

Another son, Michael, hunted the East Galway Hounds as did his father, while Pat was recognised as one of the most talented show jumping riders that rode on the international circuit in Europe and North America, spending much of his career in Germany.

His brother Paddy produced a string on top showjumpers, and his other brother JJ, whipped into him during his career in the Blazers, while his niece, Dr Rose Dempsey, joined the mastership and his nephew Kevin is a field-master. Michael Dempsey’s hunting philosophy was very simple, look after farmers and make sure the followers respect the country and understand and appreciate the privilege of being allowed to ride over other people’s farms.

He was not slow to handle any situation that jeopardised those principles. He was also extremely kind to young people hunting their ponies, always encouraging them to enjoy themselves. If any young person was short of a pony, Michael always had an idea of where one could be found.

The Galway Blazers got their name after a joint-meet with the Ormond Foxhounds. During a function later in the hotel, a fire broke out and the hotel was destroyed. Another theory was that duelling was popular in the 18th century and hunt followers were fond of settling disputes that way, known as ‘Blazing’.

Early days

Michael is retired for some years but he still resides not far from the Blazers kennels which hold so many fond memories for him. Michael was born in Dunsandle, between Loughrea and Athenry, beside a large estate owned by a former Blazers master Major Bowes Daly. He decided as a child that he would one day hunt the pack. Daly was Michael’s idea of the complete huntsman, a big man who could trot a horse down to the biggest double stone wall and make nothing of it. He had a wonderful voice and was pitch perfect on the hunting horn. Over 80 years ago, he started hunting as a 10-year-old on a pony borrowed from a neighbour, Mike Hynes, which he described as a ‘dinger’, and if a wall was too high for him, he would bank it – jumping on top like a goat and springing off it.

Taking on the Galway Blazers

Michael Dempsey took on the hunting of the Galway Blazers as joint-master in 1978 and put his stamp on the pack, breeding Old English bloodlines, particularly from the Duhallows, where he was friendly with the then huntsman Michael Buckley. He wanted a lighter hound that could bank the Galway walls and leave them intact. Over his tenure, he had some amazing bitch packs that would be literally gone in a blink, so you had to be sharp when they found. His puppy shows were always popular, a great social occasion, well attended and much looked forward to.

Tom Dempsey, huntsman of the Galway Blazers, with his hounds on the bank at Dublin Horse Show in 2013 \ Noel Mullins

Dempsey was the complete huntsman, professional in every way, clear on the hunting horn, quiet and consistent working with his pack, and as a horseman, he excelled. His best horse was Superman, whom he hunted hounds and won a point-to-point on in Athenry and Gavroche, that he bought from his brother Paddy. Superman was one of two horses that he bought from the Blake family in Tynagh, the other horse was sold to Italy as an eventer. He also trained point-to-pointers.

The stories of Dempsey’s skill as a rider are numerous. Hunting at the back of Craughwell one day, hounds were running hard on a fox for Greenhouse. When he got to the big old fashioned wooden level crossing railway gates, they were closed across the road as the Dublin train was coming.

Dempsey disliked being separated from his hounds so, to the followers’ astonishment and the waiting cars, he turned his horse and jumped the double of gates foot-perfect that were vertical, unbreakable and high with just two strides over the railway track in the middle to take on the second gate. Needless to say, nobody followed!

Visiting the Meaths with a horse that never saw a ditch before, everybody was held up by post and rails with a five-foot hedge and a ditch at the back.

Dempsey remarked that he did not come this far to a meet to be held up, turned his horse on the road and showed a clean pair of heels to the Meath followers! At Carnmore Cross with hounds hunting hard to the Rifle Range, barbed wire was standing a few feet from a big double wall, but Dempsey sailed over it.

He was known for long days hunting and being reluctant to pack up early. On another occasion when hunting the East Galways, the only way to get home was to follow the sparks of honorary whipper-in Shirley North’s hunter’s shoes as they struck each wall on the way home!

Judging and parading

As a recognised judge of horses, having bought and traded horses of all types all his life at horses fairs and in the rough on farms, Michael was in demand at shows all over the country, judging hunter classes. It was also outside the hunting season and so it fitted in well.

Michael paraded the Blazers hounds at the Dublin Horse Show in 1983 and again in 1989. He was very proud of the fact that he had such an understanding with his pack and of the 22½ couple, every hound settled on the bank. I don’t think anyone has taken that number of hounds to Dublin in the meantime. Some 24 years later, his son Tom, now hunting the pack, paraded the Blazer hounds again which was probably the first time a father and son paraded hounds on separate occasions at the Dublin Horse Show.

Unique: Michael and Tom Dempsey, father and son, have hunted the Galway Blazers for over 40 seasons \ Noel Mullins

Hunting in the USA

Michael looked forward to the hunting trips to the USA, starting in 1990 with fellow masters Liam Clancy, Willie Leahy and Vincent Shields as they went in March when the Blazers had finished. Liam Clancy recalled: “The Americans treated Michael like hunting royalty as master and huntsman of the famous Galway Blazers which has an international reputation, and many would have hunted with the pack over the years.” He added: “Willie himself was a household name as many had hired hunters from him while others came back, year after year, holidaying on his Connemara Trail. He had numerous offers of accommodation, so keen not to disappoint them and to be hospitable, we availed on occasions of their kind offers, but it meant that sometimes we did not know from day to day where we would be residing.”

That year they started hunting with the Mellon family’s Rolling Rock Hounds in Pennsylvania where Joseph Hardiman, originally from Willie’s parish of Aille Cross, was huntsman. He and his wife Kim organised hunters for them before they went on to hunt with the Andrew’s Bridge – black and tan hounds originating back to France to the Gascon Hound where the Scarteen Kerry Beagles have their foundation also. They hunt in the Amish country where they still work the fields with horses and mules. Then onto Virginia to the Loudoun and then the Orange County where the hounds are orange in colour with often a white ring on their necks, hunted by the legendary huntsman Melvin Poe, a great friend of Michael’s, famous for his moonshine although he did not drink himself. I met Melvin in 2008 and he always wondered why Michael and his fellow masters came hunting in America when Galway was so beautiful.

In 1990, Liam Clancy recalled that they hunted with master Mrs Hannum and Mr Stewart’s Cheshire Hounds in Pennsylvania where Galwayman Ivan Dowling is huntsman today. Then onto Maryland to the Green Spring Valley Hounds before travelling to Virginia, again to hunt with the Piedmont Hounds, where Jackie Onassis hunted. Willie using his charm, invited her to come over and hunt with Galway Blazers, and he promised to give her his best hunter.

Hunting one day, the field-master stopped the followers when she had a fall, but Michael and the lads were not going to miss a good run, so they pushed on and were at the finish with just the hunt staff!

Retiring as master

He continued to be a fearless man across country until he had a serious fall when hunting hounds outside Loughrea in 1998, and after over 20 seasons, he handed over the hunting horn to his son Tom who had been whipping-in to him from the start. He was so disappointed to give up hunting hounds, but a year later his son hurt his ribs and was sidelined. Against doctor’s orders, Michael got back in the saddle and had a cracking hunt from Cartymore, having to take a check at a double wall which looked unjumpable but he sailed on. Yet another time hunting hounds at Newcastle, he was wearing a white neck brace for his neck injury, and he was told later that he looked like a hunting priest in the distance!

Michael continued as joint-master for many years organising the hunt country, managing the breeding policy and kennel management and relations with the farming community and retired close to Craughwell where he had so many great memories. He certainly achieved his childhood ambition of one day hunting the Galway Blazers, and many followers at home and abroad will have their own special memories of following Michael Dempsey across the limestone walls. I know I have mine.