WE have been hunting with the Co Clare hunt for over 30 seasons, well before our association with The Irish Field, and have never had a bad day. There is always a pent-up excitement once you cross the Shannon from the placid plains of Limerick to the challenge of the rocky walls of Clare. Added to that, the Clare welcome makes it always a very special day in our calendar and we were very glad to be invited to their opening meet last Sunday in Tulla. As we passed the cross of Spancil Hill, we knew we were in the heart of Co Clare and recalled the words of the song:

“The young, the old, the brave and the bold came, their duty to fulfill

At the parish church in Clooney, about a mile from Spancil Hill”.

Pauline and Derrick Burke out with the Co Clare’s at Tulla \ Catherine Power

Breaking tradition

Breaking with tradition, the opening meet was moved from its traditional venue of Quin to the small town of Tulla on the eastern edge of their county.

The day was tinged with sadness, as since last season the Co Clare has lost one of its most ardent supporters, the late John Horan, whose obituary recently featured in the pages of The Irish Field. No doubt as we were getting ready for the move off, he was tacking up for the opening meet in Elysian Fields.

Minogue’s sporting pub on Main Street was our venue and, as we arrived, the hunt staff (or most of them anyway) were already on hand, having a council of war and discussing the draw for the day. Because of the recent change of meet, the draw was going to be limited but the huntsman’s brothers, Tommy and Dermot (Considine), had done some trojan work and, with the support of the ever-sporting Clare landowners, a good day was assured.

Next generation

Sailing over the wall on her lovely grey is Susie Callinan from Ennis \ Catherine Power

A family steeped in hunting, Dermot Considine’s two lads, Oisín (aged 14) and young Cillian (aged 11) were both out with their uncle Johnny Geoghan of the Blazers following by car. Oisín has already had several days with the Blazers this season and had been hunting the previous day from a meet at Chivers. He gets in so many days hunting, at home he is known as “young Suntan” after the famed Aidan O’Connell, who would regularly chalk up 100 days a season.

It is always nice to meet old friends and Pat and Mary Stafford, who were there with three generations of their family, certainly fit that description.

Dr Pat hunted for many seasons with Clares and was always a great man to follow over the sometimes treacherous crags of which Clare abounds. Another serious man across the forbidding walls is Kieran Frost, a former chairman and very much the go-to man for all things hunting in Clare. Sadly, he wasn’t mounted on the day, but his brother Pat certainly was and looking the part. Pat is in the now very fashionable recycling business, but manages to get a couple of days hunting most weeks.

But the peeling of the Angelus bell from the local church was multi-tasking as the saddling bell and, with 18 and a half couple, huntsman and his whippers-in hacked up the main street to be greeted by a group of admiring foot-followers between Minogue’s and the old court house.

Youngest rider on day was young Sean Mulconroy, aged all of two, on lead rein with his proud parents, John and Caoimhe. Large land owners in the area, they made the hunt welcome at short notice.

Our huntsman, with whippers-in Paul Kilkenny, Ronan Lynch and David Frost, made up a formidable team. When you add in Aoibheann, who got engaged to Paddy at the end of last season, completing the quartet, they really looked the part. Aoibheann, who always turns out beautifully and is a real stylist in the saddle, was riding Paddy’s former hunter, while he was on a former Grand Prix show jumper by Douglas, which had been passed on to him by his owner, Eleanor O’Dea from Clarina near Limerick. Paddy and Aoibheann got engaged at the end of last season, but have as yet not been able to find space in their busy calendar to tie the knot.

Paul Kilkenny comes from a family steeped in hunting and his brother Sean hunted the county pack back in the day, while Ronan Lynch and young David Frost make up the team. Both in the electrical trade, Ronan runs a contracting business from his base in Newmarket-on-Fergus, while David is his third year apprentice. Ronan’s teenage daughter Emily was on a good white-faced cob and going well all day.

Without any great ceremony, hounds moved off from their first draw down the Feacle road on lands belonging to Willie Boland, who bred the great show jumper Chipmount, who jumped with distinction when ridden by Marie Burke. They drew on through Neylon’s and Mulconroy’s whom we met at the meet with their young jockey.

This part of Clare is full of covert, ranging from crags to impenetrable thorn plantation, so it was a little while before hounds spoke and it was the third season dog Bachelor (by Grove and Rufford Broker), who had the fox afoot and, with the Co Clare orchestra in full song, hounds took off over a selection of Clare walls, giving the field all they could do to stay on terms. After doing a good circle towards Feacle and back, our pilot found a welcoming crag and was given best.

They then pressed on to their next draw off the main Scariff road, on land owned by Gordon Liddy with loads of covert. While they were drawing this historic part of east Clare, once owned by George O’Callaghan-Westrop, the Taoiseach of the O’Callaghan clan, it gave an opportunity to catch up with some Clare stalwarts, Pauline and Derrick Burke, who have been hunting with the Clares almost as long as Brian McCarthy from Quin, who was out with his daughter Edwina. Brian and Derrick are both former hunt chairmen and have been part of hunt management for longer than most followers have been hunting.

New hunt Chairman Kevin Coffee was not found wanting over the big Clare walls. When not hunting, he is in the all-weather pitch business.

Just as some were wending their way back to Minogue’s, hounds again found and a smashing woodland hunt resulted until fading light forced our huntsman to blow for home.

A great start to what will hopefully be a great season.

Fact file

Co Clare Hunt

Chairman/ Master - Kevin Coffee

Vice-Chairman - Tadgh O’Regan

Honorary Secretary - Cathal McMahon

Treasurer - Edel McMahon

Huntsman - Paddy Considine

Field Masters - John Quinn, Darragh Hasset, Jamesy Arthur

Whippers-in - David Frost, Paul Kilkenny, Ronan Lynch

Point-to-Point Secretary - Paul O’Neill

Meets - Thur 12 noon/Sunday 12.30pm

History

Founded in 1890, and originally designated as harriers, they assumed the dual mandate of foxhounds and harriers in the eighties and continue to hunt in green. The founding master was Major Hickman of Fenloe House, who was also a great racing man. Fenloe continued its racing connection under the ownership of the late Tom Costello, producer of five Cheltenham Gold Cup winners including Best Mate, surely a record which will never be beaten. ‘Jimmo’ Quinn later became master and huntsman before Gerry Burke and Matty Green among others.