WILLIAM Donnellan has a busy couple of days planned during a flying visit home this week.

Now living in Vancouver with wife Laura and their three young children Iarla, Tiernan and new baby Shay, William is involved with hunts on both sides of the Atlantic.

“I’m very excited about doing a bit of hunting while I’m home for a couple of days,” the North Galway Hunt joint-master and Craughwell native said. “I’ll be hunting with the North Galway Hunt so I’m going to get the opening meet there and with the Galway Blazers in Craughwell. I’m also excited to get some hound exercise in with the great Oliver Walsh up in Flowerhill and see my new RID mare that Laura’s dad - Mike Newell - bred.”

That Draught mare will eventually join several other Irish exports in Vancouver, where William, who owns his own construction business - IRL Construction - and five Irish pubs, is a keen supporter of the iconic Southlands Riding Club on the outskirts of the British Columbia city.

Also flying back to Europe this week from Vancouver was The Irish Field contributor Susan Finnerty, whose features on both William and Southlands Riding Club will be included in future issues.