IT is no easy job to replace a legend but this is the task faced by young Jamie Byrne who has just been appointed huntsman of the famed Duhallow Foxhounds.

The Duhallow suffered the recent loss of huntsman Ger Withers.

Nowadays a huntsman has do a lot more than hunt hounds, he has to be a diplomat to deal with landowners and other stake holders within the hunt country and a PR man to sell the concept of hunting in an increasingly sceptical environment. In the case of Duhallow, he also has to be a fearless cross-country rider endowed with an overabundance of venery. Jamie ticks all those boxes.

The Duhallow committee advertised in The Irish Field for a huntsman. With Duhallow rightly recognised as one of the premier packs in these islands, it was not surprising that they had a bulging postbag with a dozen or more applicants. Chairman Pat Fleming and committee were faced with the unenviable task of picking a suitable candidate.

The bar is set very high in Duhallow – they have had three world-class huntsmen over the last 30 years in Dan Coleman, Michael Buckley and Ger Withers.

Jamie Byrne comes from Newcastle West, just 15 minutes from Duhallow country. He started his hunting career with Bernard McCoy and the Old Mill Hounds before moving as first whipper-in to Fergus Stokes in Clonshire and remained in office for three seasons.

For the last three seasons, Byrne has worked as stud groom in Islanmore Stud in Croom with stud manager Nigel Anderton.Meanwhile, Golden Vale huntsman Michael Comerford is moving to Co Laois where he will replace Dermot Hanniffy. Golden Vale will be hunted for the coming season by young Dan Moloney from Roscrea.