Factfile

Chairman – Timmy Hanly

Honorary Secretary – Anne Cregan

Point-to-point secretary – John O’Shaughnessy

Huntsman – Jamie Cross

Whippers-in – Selena Braddish, Mark Siney, Tadhg Hanly

Field-Master – Brendan Magner

IT was like Hamlet without the prince. Since last season, the Stonehall Harriers have lost not one but two of their iconic joint-masters.

The venerable Michael O’Shaughnessy who had been master and since 1949 and huntsman for much of that period had passed away but so had his much more junior joint-master Ivan McDonogh whose obituary appeared only recently in The Irish Field.

But Stonehall, bereft of masters, were determined the show must go on and so they had their traditional opening meet just as those who were gone would have wanted it - at Bansha House where hounds have met since their foundation back in 1911. Keeping with tradition, hospitality was offered to all, both foot and mounted, by Liza McDonogh, Ivan’s daughter and a serving member of An Garda Siochána, based in Ennis.

Stonehall aren’t the biggest hunt in the world but what they lack in size is more than made up by enthusiasm. This is especially true of their huntsman Jamie Cross who also hunts the Ballybrown Beagles. A builder by trade, he parks his building business for the winter and virtually lives with his hounds during season.

He has a great back up in his girlfriend and whipper-in Selena Braddish who works as a psychologist in one of Dublin’s leading psychiatric hospitals. Making up the whips roster on the day was Mark Siney, originally from Laois but who has really settled in to Stonehall.

Jamie hunts an all-harrier pack and when I asked how many couple he had out, he corrected me in that traditionally, harriers are counted not in couples but individually, and he had 24 on the day. We live and learn.

As always it was great to meet up with old hunting friends to reminisce such as meeting John Long and Eddy Sheehy whose turnout is always of Leicestershire standard. Also on hand was Doris Sheehy whose daughter Theresa was as usual out on a young horse she was bringing on and probably changed on to two others before our huntsman blew for home. Ray O’Neill from Cuuraghchase, who has taken over as fundraiser in chief for Stonehall, was anxiously looking for a sporting face that he could sell one of the Stonehall raffle tickets for a fabulous array of hunting prizes. Also holding a watching brief was Aubrey Bourke who farms nearby.

A short address and a word of welcome for all came from hunt chairman Timmy Hanly which was followed by a minute’s silence for the two fallen masters and all other members that had passed away since they last met here in Bansha. Timmy is due to host the Stonehall point-to-point on his very extensive dairy farm on Sunday, November 27th.

Stiff walls

However our huntsman, on a smashing chesnut, was raring to go and as the clock approached the appointed minute, with a short note on the horn, he was gone to the first fence of the day in Ivan’s front lawn, a good stiff wall which always claims a few victims.

Hunt staff over, according to protocol, was field-master Brendan Magner on Pat Hanly’s good mare. Pat, a chartered accountant, was out briefly on foot but had to return to the office to sort out the end of year tax affairs for half of the farmers in west Limerick.

Three teenagers, Caoimhe Gammel, whose uncle Tony hunts the very smart Low Country Hounds in South Carolina, was out and going well as were Megan Walsh on a nice coloured while Eva Cummins gave a copy-book display over the wall. Father and son team Tom and Paudie Hanrahan popped over it as if it was not there.

However it wasn’t all plain sailing as Jack Tiernan, whose family are in the motor trade, made heavy weather of it, but in his defence, he was on a young horse on his first day out. Having nursed him over the first, he appeared to get better and better as the day progressed and before hounds retired, he could almost have been described as a made hunter.

Hounds quickly drew Ivan’s winterage which was blank and drew on towards James and Ann Cregan’s farm with countless jumping opportunities. James was on foot as he is recovering from one of his multiple falls off young horses and Ann, who doubles as hunt secretary, was doing mothering duty with their two young children Dylan (8), already a show rider of some distinction, and young Jessica (5), both of course mounted and ready to take on the biggest and best.

To their huge disappointment, their farm was blank and as the next draw involved quite a hack, they reluctantly had to give best for the day.

Immaculate farm

Hounds drew on across the road to John Finucane’s very extensive dairy farm which for management is a picture. For all that, the immaculate dairy paddocks are linked by hunt jumps and he has one of the best maintained fox coverts at the bottom of his farm, as well as numerous small wildlife havens dotted around.

It shows how a farm can be run productively and still be in tune with nature. John is a former huntsman of the Stonehall and nephew of the legendary Peggy O’Shaughnessy, wife of the late Michael happily still going strong.

Drawing one of the mini coverts, hounds opened and they were away like a flash for a guided tour of John’s farm with its many challenging walls. Seen to be going well was the veteran Eugene O’Doherty, all the better for his recent trip to Australia where he rode in a couple of shows. Young Aaron Kelly, who plays rugby for Villiers, was flying but Mick Boyce’s three-year-old had to given a sympathetic ride to get him round.

Eventually, Reynard found a welcoming shore and was given best. Hounds made the short hack back to Seamie Barrett’s where they found and ran to Pat O’Connell’s before swinging back in a sweeping left-handed circle to Ballyengland where he went to ground in a crag.

It was the end of a most enjoyable day’s hunting for all in fabulous autumnal weather and God willing, the Stonehalls will be following the tradition laid down the founding fathers for many, many seasons to come.