The North Tipperary Foxhounds don’t normally meet on Mondays, but tradition demands a meet at Luska on Little Christmas regardless of what day it falls. This is home of Myles and Amie Sterling on the shores of Lough Derg, roughly halfway between Puckane and Portumna.

The Sterlings and their connections have been farming at Luska since the late 1600s. Their daughter Elisabeth was out on her two-star event mare. She is a final year student in sports science in University of Limerick (UL) and hopes to do a masters at Trinity.

The house and lawn meet are reached by an avenue which bears close resemblance to a causeway. With high tides and almost incessant rains for the previous couple of days, getting to the meet was the first challenge of the day.

Being a normal working day with schools already reopened, it was a small but select field that was entertained to punch and mince pies as the waters of Lough Derg almost lapped at our feet. These were no ordinary mince pies, but produced in Áras an Uachtaráin where our hostess’ sister, Elisabeth Waldron-Hamilton, looks after the catering.

Hunt secretary Ciara Gaynor was on hand, though not riding. She is a serving garda and is currently stationed at Castleconnell near Limerick.

Master and huntsman Denis Gilmartin from Templederry, now in his second season, looked the part riding a nice grey produced by Fergus O’Shea from nearby Ballycommon. Gilmartin previously acted as kennel huntsman with the neighbouring Suir Vale Harriers where he occasionally carried the horn. He was hunting 12½ couple with a few Welsh cross thrown in to give a bit of volume and help in difficult scenting conditions.

The Gilmartins are obviously a family of foxhunters and the master’s brother Martin was acting as fencer and countryman for the day.

Fergus O’Shea brings on and produces hunters and was out on a nice four-year-old grey with his daughter Charlie and young Colum, both of whom were furthering their education in the hunting field. Fergus acts as farm manager for the Riggs-Miller family who farm at Tullaheady, for many years the site of the North Tipperary hunter trials.

Equally enthusiastic was Trish O’Shea following by jeep with her young son Josh (three) who jumped in every puddle in Luska, much to his mother’s dismay. Also taking a keen interest was Rory Cummins, who travels from Dublin as often as he can to enjoy a day with the North Tipperarys.

The regular whips were missing due to work commitments, so acting in their places were Richard Shannon from Murroe and former master Jeremy Cairns, who was master and huntsman for 25 seasons. Both were accompanied by family members. Shannon was out with his daughter Brid on her fabulous chesnut cob, while Cairns was out with his son, Jeremy Jnr., on a nice grey.

Joint-master Peter McCutcheon was on hand in his usual role as field-master on a homebred who was broken and produced by his daughter Evanna. She is shortly due to ride in the Oman Ladies Invitation Race on the Persian Gulf. She is a very useful amateur having ridden at Cheltenham and has just taken out a trainer’s licence.

She will be training her father’s Maarek, a champion sprinter who previously won the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp on Prix De L’Arc day and the Group 2 Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot.

CAUSEWAY

The first draw was nearby on Cameron Island which is reached by a causeway. This island part of the estate has been planted with hardwoods and is a sure find. It held a brace and after some woodland hunting, our quarry was marked to ground.

The master drew on and hacked around Luska bay. At this point so much rain was falling that hunting almost became a watersport, but they are a hardy lot in North Tipperary and appeared almost unaware of the downpour.

It had cleared somewhat before hounds drew across the Portumna road, all the while in Sterling land. This proved blank and the master took hounds back to Castletown which abounds with coverts and runs right down to the shores of Lough Derg and overlooks the largest island in the lough, Islandmore, which runs to a couple of hundred acres. Actively farmed, it is stocked with cattle who access it by a World War II landing craft.

Drawing the woods overlooking the yard, hounds spoke and it wasn’t long until there was a brace afoot. After some woodland hunting, a fine dog fox made a dash by the old walled garden for the shore and hounds quickly settled on him, giving great tongue. Foot followers were treated to a smashing view as hounds streamed down towards the lakeside coverts.

The lakeside was jumping with foxes and the master had some difficulty in settling hounds on the hunted fox as he was viewed away by Elisabeth Sterling. Hounds, led by the third season bitch Lottie (by Duhallow Linesman), ran towards the road. Here the field had a series of post and rails, logs and other hunt jumps which had to be taken at speed. Just before the Puckane road, our pilot was marked to ground.

With a diminished field, the master drew across the road in John Hall’s wood which is on one of a pair on adjoining hills. At this point further presidential mince pies and other goodies were dispensed from Amie Starling’s apparently inexhaustible supply. Hounds quickly found and ran to the nearby wood at Slatterys.

All good things come to an end and even the enthusiasm of Denis Gilmartin could not keep darkness at bay. However, drama was not quite over as young Laura Paterson, who was in the process of washing her horse in Lough Derg, became completely submerged and was last seen ringing out her hunt coat on the lake shore!