THE shed beside hunt chairman Ger O’Brien’s house was bustling with North Galway Foxhounds hunt followers and locals, with a bar surround left in place after an engagement party the week before. Local farmer John Morris assumed the role of barman and he was dispensing from a line of bottles that ran along the counter. I am sure he would have a go at mixing a cocktail if requested! Ger’s mother Mary comes from a sheep farming family in Belclare and, together with his sister Marie and niece Edwina, they put on a range of refreshments getting the day off to a good start. This was the essence of genuine West of Ireland hospitality in a relaxed environment. Ger is grounded, as a result of a hunting accident last season, but had organised the hunting country. Before the followers mounted up, he asked them to support The Irish Pilgrimage Trust, who were bringing children with special needs to Lourdes. Noeleen Shevlin Potter, who hunted with Lady Molly Cusack Smith, joined in the excitement of the day. And the oldest visitor was 91-year-old Breda McCaul, who travelled from County Monaghan to have a day out with the North Galways!

This is the heart of Galway Gaelic Football country and the North Galway hunting jackets are not traditional red coats, but the maroon of the GAA jerseys.

Masters and Hunt Staff

Joint master Tom McNamara was hunting with his daughter Maria, one of the top show horse riders and an expert side saddle rider. They are busy with their hunter hirelings, supplying quality hunters to a number of packs in Galway. After the hunting season, they get their show horses ready. This season, they have a number of show horses in their plan, particularly Shanbally Hip Flask in the middleweight class, to campaign on the circuit with the Dublin Horse Show as the main goal. They always have horses for sale and recently one of their graduates, Shanbally Legacy, was twice Small Hunter Champion at The Horse of the Year Show in England, ridden by Clare Olive. Tom’s fellow joint master Michael Lennon was also hunting, while William Donnellan, who lives in Canada, and David Myers, who lives in the USA, who love their hunting over the Galway stone walls, were unable to be there.

The huntsman is David Masterson, who whipped in to the United and the Ormond Foxhounds. His cob Eamonn thinks he is a five-star eventer and is amazing to watch, as he speeds up as he gets nearer a wall. The whippers-in are Pat Mellett, Finn Reynolds and John Glynn, the latter had left his maroon jacket at home. David has had great support from the Quorn Hunt and the Henry brothers of the Meath Foxhounds for drafts and had some out on the day, especially Hasty, Drawbridge and Dribbler. The team on the ground, who tidy up all the loose ends on hunting days, are Tom McDonagh and Bob Ward, who the huntsman says is fitter than any horse and crossed country on foot like an Olympic athlete. On the day, Ger’s brother Tommy was helping with wall building.

But we missed field master Jackie Lee and his great hunter Simpson, who has led the followers for as long as anybody can remember and hope he will be back very soon.

Ben Johnston on his Appaloosa taking on a double stone wall at the North Galway Foxhounds meet at Ger O'Briens Farm \ Noel Mullins

Followers

Not alone is chairman Ger O’Brien, who told me that he has 50 Simmental in-calf heifers for sale, grounded, but honorary secretary Ann Leufer, who was with her sister Nina, is temporarily sidelined. Ray Lee was hunting. His son Raphael is a riding officer in the Army Equitation School. Maura Morrin, whose photos regularly appear in The Irish Field was following the progress of her husband Tom, who was hunting. Their son Michael worked for the Billy Stud in the UK and now works for Equine America International, who supply a wide range of supplements for animals, including a special range for horses. Ben Johnston was on a very impressive looking Appaloosa that can really jump and Colie Delap was on a scopey cob.

Finn Reynolds was riding The Gangster, a 17.3hh Sport Horse, who has two full sisters eventing in the UK. Also out were Kerrie Knipe, originally from the East Antrim hunt country, Oisin O’Brien, Pat Hewitt, John Glynn, James and Archie Rabbitte, Owen Hanlon, Mary Murphy on her coloured hunter, Richie Reddington and his daughter Sarah, Eddie Burke, Jason Carr, Millie Rabbitt, Brian Sweeney, whose daughter Eadaoin was hunting, Ryan Flaherty, Billy Dalton, Ria Mannion, her sister Emalie and Aideen Sweeney.

Hunting

The huntsman was hunting 14 and a half couple of tall and rangy hounds, who were taking the stone walls all day like stags. The first draw was in Biggera, where there is a long stretch of hazel woods, a comfortable place for wildlife. Hounds found almost straight away over Barry Murphy’s and St John’s and ran left-handed in a circle towards the road, but with the car followers in sight, he turned back uphill. Maura Morrin spotted him crossing the gap by the rocks as a rare woodcock took to the air and, when he reached the wood, he had a snug spot underground and away from danger, so he was left. In the meantime, the followers, who love jumping the Galway stone walls, were in their element with a good lead by the huntsman on his cob Eamonn, joint masters Tom McNamara and Michael Lennon and field master Pat Mellett.

The huntsman moved on in a mist of very wet drizzle and hounds found again in a pile of bushes left from clearing the fields. This fellow gave them a good spin over John Shaughnessy’s and Ger Burke’s, and the followers were spoiled for choice, as with the small fields, they were jumping literally every minute. Ger O’Brien remarked that they had already jumped a heap of hedges and had walls to jump as far as the eye could see. And Maria McNamara, who had hunted with the Tara Harriers the previous day on her classy chesnut hunter, made a great shape over them. Hounds were eventually stopped, as they were about to run into country that had not been organised.

They found yet again in John Morris’, who had stepped away from his bar duties at the meet, but would be back in time to welcome the followers at the end of the day. This fox ran towards the back of Connelly’s and eventually to ground. Here the huntsman and joint master, Tom McNamara, were occasionally jumping the walls upside each other, like they were point to pointing, and so too were honorary treasurer Tom Morrin and Eddie Burke. Young Finn Reynolds is another impressive young rider. In between draws, you always learn something new, as Finn’s mother Nora explained to me the benefits of a slow cooker, and that it changed her life, and to remember a little cider on a ham makes all the difference. But, she still had to phone her son Dara to remind him to put on the parsnips! I also learned that people getting married much later in life have to decide do they settle for, ‘A Purse or a Nurse’!

The last draw at Caraheens was on Ger O’Brien’s land and a brace were up and running the length of the long wood and broke towards Gerry St George’s farm and away over Padraic Moran’s with the followers popping walls at will, with a testy double and just two strides then sharp right over another double with a good drop. Ben Johnston on his classy Appaloosa and Sarah Reddington on her cob were to the fore. After a great day’s hunting, the huntsman blew for home.

There was more talk of Galway Football on the way home in the jeep, as the All-Ireland Club Football Finals being played in Croke Park was broadcast on the jeep radio. As people know, for many players a Club All-Ireland Title is often more treasured than a County All-Ireland. And, interestingly, the meet hosts, Ger and Tommy O’Brien’s brother Kevin, managed the local Corofin Gaelic Football Team to win three All-Ireland Club Titles in a row, which had never been done before.

History of the Hunt

The North Galway Foxhounds succeeded the Bermingham and North Galway Foxhounds founded by Sir Dermott and Lady Molly Cusack Smith in 1846.

Hunt Officers

Chairman - Ger O’Brien

Masters - Tom McNamara, Michael Lennon, William Donnellan and David Myers

Huntsman - David Masterson

Whippers-in - Pat Mellett, John Glynn and Finn Reynolds

Field masters - Jackie Lee and Pat Mellett

Honorary secretary - Ann Leufer

Honorary treasurer - Tom Morrin and Noel Keane

Kennel huntsman - Joe McEvoy

Visitors are welcome and hirelings are available from joint master Tom McNamara.