THE sudden passing of John Horan robs the Banner county of one of its most outstanding sportsmen, not to mention raconteur, hunting man and so much more.

I have known John since I first started hunting with the county pack when he was both master and chairman more than twenty years ago. Then, before he was struck down by ill health he was the man to follow across the unforgiving Clare walls. Riding his own horse he won the Brady Brown Cup in Dromoland point-to-point then, as now, the most hotly contested race of the meeting.

His achievement was even greater than the form book might suggest as in those days, many of the defeated horses were not necessarily those whose names appeared on the race card.

Born in Limerick, he attended Crescent College, though he spent his summers on his uncle’s farm in Fedamore where he learned to ride and generally adopt country ways.

As his father’s job took the family to Dublin, John finished his education in Blackrock College.

However, Clare was in his blood and on completing his Leaving Certificate, he took up a position with Air Canada in Shannon and he was never to leave the airport for the rest of his working life.

By juggling his work schedules it gave him the opportunity to hunt two days a week with his beloved Co Clare Hounds and he filled many roles within the hunt. All the while he was a crack shot and would spend nights deer stalking and the there was generally a haunch of venison on the menu at home.

Dining at John’s was an experience where one more exotic course with the appropriate wine was followed by another. The guest list was equally eclectic and while table conversation was wide ranging, laden with anecdotes, mostly for our host, the one item that never featured on the agenda was back-biting or malice.

He filled many roles at national level in the hunting world and was treasurer of the Hunting Association for many years. So appreciative were the Association of his work and dedication that on retirement they commissioned a portrait of him on his favourite hunter by renowned equestrian artist, Liam Clancy.

Around ten years ago his beloved wife Joan passed away and John’s health seriously declined resulting on him being on dialysis several times a week for the rest of his life. This he took with his usual good humour making little more of it than a disagreeable head cold.

Being on his own apart from his favourite Jacksey (the Jack Russel), his neighbours really rallied round and he was never short of a caller or a house to drop into.

He died as he would have wanted to, in action, returning from a holiday in France which he had planned with military precision for many months prior to departure.

As he was being laid to rest with Joan in Bunratty cemetery, Co Clare huntsman Paddy Considine on horseback sounded the going home on the hunting horn, a fitting send-off for a gallant heart, a good friend and a man who looked adversity in the face and didn’t back off.

If there is hunting in heaven I’m sure John is readying his hunter for the opening meet and will cross the celestial wall with the same gusto and enthusiasm as did the challenging the walls of Clare.