WEDNESDAY’S meet saw the North Kilkenny acting as hosts to the members and hounds of the Waterford Foxhounds. It was to be a special invitation meet at the home and farm of the Murphy family of Ballyconra near Ballyragget, where they have been farming, hunting and inventing machinery since Harry Ferguson produced the first grey tractor. Back in the day, when the Hunt looked like folding, three local sporting farmers were persuaded by the local curate, one Fr Kearns, to take over the hunt and, basically, it remains under the control of those local families more than 90 years later. While the generations have rolled on, the passion for the chase has remained undimmed.

Young Brian Murphy is the latest addition to the mastership, having stepped into the shoes of his Dad, Liam (the inventor). Liam’s trademark Liam Murphy Unique Inventions Company is to be found on machinery in farmyards all round Ireland and beyond.

Looking very smart in his pink coat, I asked Brian about the farm inventions, which include a world first in a bale feeder and unwrapper all in one. “Well those inventions are great, but the best thing my father invented was me,” was his light-hearted reply. Who could disagree with him?

Red carpet

The family, their neighbours and the hunt had really rolled out the red carpet to welcome the Waterford hunt, whose story is lost in Marquisian history. Senior master, Billy Healy, has now been in office for over 20 seasons and his enthusiasm shows no sign of waning. He was out with his daughter Jennifer, who works in the Irish Equine Centre.

Almost the first man to welcome us on arrival, where festivities were already well advanced, was hunt chairman, Mal Tynan, riding on the day and one of the mainstays of the hunt. Hunt secretary, Michael P. Maher was not far behind and ensured that we were well refreshed after our trip from Limerick.

But our real hosts were Liam and Breeda Murphy, who ensured there was a proper Kilkenny welcome for all. Liam has only recently stepped down as master, having been in office for over 25 seasons. A real proper hunting family, the NKH point-to-point is run on their land, with family-supplied fences.

From Waterford, came huntsman Jim Kenny, hunting 12 and a half couple of Old English, with his amateur whippers-in, Cormac Bolger and Brian Flynn. Making up the kennel party was former huntsman Maurice Flanagan, who now acts as kennel huntsman to the county pack.

Two of the masters had made the trip, Johnny Kiely and Edmund Dick, enjoying a day in strange country. Also visiting was the ever-debonaire and late of Coolmore, Tim Corballis, who can still ride at flat race weights.

Showing the way was, of course, NKH huntsman and master Noel Rafter, man and horse always beautifully turned out, which has more than something to do with his partner and soon to be his wife, Tanya Heffernan, probably one of the best cross-country riders in the country. The Rafter family were further represented by his sister, Deirdre, on a nice grey and Dad, Michael, on foot, who looks after hunt finances.

Noel Rafter MFH and huntsman of the North Kilkenny Foxhounds with Tanya Heffernan, who are about to tie the knot this year \ Catherine Power

Amateur whippers-in, brothers Michael and Thomas O’Neill, despite their amateur status, never miss a day from a two-week card all season. But then they have hunting in their blood, as their Dad, Tommy was also out.

It was a special occasion and, with a short word of welcome to all and thanks to the Murphy family from Billy Healy, Jim Kenny took his hounds just a short hack to his first draw, still on Murphy’s farm. Jim comes from a family steeped in hunting, where his uncle was one of the founders of the nearby Mulinavat Harriers, where Jim learned his houndcraft and learned it well.

Vistors

Visiting huntsmen, but all on foot, were Fergus Stokes and his whipper-in David Beecher, Kilkenny huntsman Gary Kiely, Kildare huntsman Padhraic Moynihan and former Tipperary whipper-in, Seamus Kelly, the latter with his arm in a sling from a rotational fall suffered while hunting with the Kildare. Seamus suffers from the debilitating condition of CF (cystic fibrosis), but it doesn’t stop him hunting a couple of days a week.

Hounds drew for quite some time and the huntsman’s patience was rewarded, when the fourth season Wilton, out of Waterford Blissful, threw his tongue and, with the pack rallying to him, our pilot was holloaed away by former huntsman, David Thompson, visiting from Laois on his cracking chesnut cob, who could go round on his own. They were away having a good tour of Murphy’s extensive farm before crossing the road over some good jumping before he was marked to ground in John Kenny’s farm. Going well throughout was former Grand National jockey, Andrew Ring, who rode the Gordon Elliott- trained Blow by Blow. He is now a racing official with the IHRB.

Given best, they returned to Murphy’s, where they again found and ran for Dromin covert and ran on for Paddy Delaney’s before running on to Clontibrid wood and, leaving the NKH kennels on their left, they ran on to Ballyraus.

Keeping us in touch were Bernie Tynan (Mal’s sister) and Valerie Moroney, who was married to the late great Johnny Moroney, who was capped six times for Ireland. Valerie hunted for many years with the United in Cork before moving to Waterford, where she hunted with the county pack.

With hounds marking and shadows lengthening, it was decided to blow for home. But home in this case meant returning to Murphy’s, where everyone was well looked after by Liam and Breeda, who had a marvellous spread ready for both visitors and locals alike.

Unique Kilkenny hospitality at its best!