Huntsman Declan Feeney / Noel Mullins photoSaint Patrick arrived at Strangford Lough in 432 AD from Wales. He quickly converted the local chieftain Dichu, who gave him a barn in which to hold his services. On the site known as the cradle of Irish Christianity on the Hill of Saul (meaning Patrick’s Barn, or in Gaelic, Sabhall Phadraic), there remains today a church and round tower where services are still conducted each Sunday. Saint Patrick died on March 17 in 461 AD, and his remains are interred in nearby Downpatrick Cathedral.
The East Down kennels are in County Down, on the outskirts of the village of Seaforde, southeast of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Hounds were originally kennelled there by the Forde family from 1768 to 1837 and were known as Mr. Forde’s Hounds. They later became known as the Lecale Hounds, and subsequently the East Down Foxhounds. The hunt members wear the St. Patrick’s blue collar.
Although huntsman Declan Feeney’s birthday coincided with the meet at Ballytrim near Killyleagh, it was just another normal day out hunting his pack in the magnificent County Down countryside with the Hill of Saul in the background. The meet was also in the shadow of the snow-capped Mourne Mountains made famous by the song writer Percy French in his emigrant song, “Where the Mountains of Mourne Sweep Down to the Sea.”
Feeney had seventeen-and-a-half couple of hounds out—all well seasoned as at this time of the year with lambing he leaves all his young hounds in kennels. Feeney is a consummate professional in managing and hunting a pack of foxhounds, having served his time whipping-in to experienced huntsmen in the Meynell, Flint and Denbigh, South Shropshire, as well as the East Downs. He has a reputation for breeding strong, athletic hounds, and at the moment he has two litters on the ground, one out of East Down Guidance by Meynell Dracote and another out of Meynell Pansy by East Down Planter. As a horseman with a number of point-to-point races under his belt, he is brave across country. He has a great understanding with his fourteen-year-old chestnut mare by Diamond Chin out of a Thoroughbred mare, having acquired her as a six-year-old. Feeney will pop off the road over a gate in the blink of an eye, or over a typical wide hedge that would at first appear to be impossible.
Craig Cavan, MFH / Noel Mullins photoJoint-Masters James Armstrong and Craig Cavan are both able horsemen and have a keen interest in racing as they host two point-to-points on the scenic track beside the Irish Sea at Tyrella every year. Auctioneer Armstrong spent some time in his earlier career with racehorse trainers Mouse Morris and Guy Harwood, and he can be seen as often hunting with the Meath and the Louth Foxhounds, or more recently at the Scarteen Hunt Ball. Craig Cavan has the most perfect record in racing, as his first and last ride was a winner at Tyrella! He displays that racing style in the hunting field, riding short and sitting perfectly over a fence. He is a farmer and is very active in the local farming association.
In 1967 a young Craig Cavan visited County Carlow and Kilkenny with the Young Farmers Association which took in a visit to Major Victor McCalmont’s Kilkenny Foxhounds kennels at the magnificent Mount Juliet. The American Master, huntsman and renowned hound breeder, Isaac (Ikey) Bell—who broke the mould on all the old traditions of hound breeding and produced the modern hound—hunted the Kilkennys from 1908-21. Little did Craig know that just a few years later, in 1978, he would begin one of the longest and most successful periods in office as Master of the East Downs, which has now lasted for thirty-five seasons. And like Major Victor McCalmont, Craig and his huntsman have a special interest in hound breeding that has seen them frequently take away a substantial amount of silverware at the Annual Master of Foxhounds Hound Show at Stradbally.
Hunt Chairman Pat Turley farms beside Downpatrick Racecourse, where his company produces Kings Field Horse Haylage, sold through agents around Ireland. His son Andrew was hunting with him on a smashing coloured horse that Cathy Feeney the huntsman’s wife produced. His other son Patrick was away riding in a point-to-point. Patrick rides out of racehorse trainer Brian Hamilton’s yard, and he recently schooled Cheltenham runner Moscow Mannon.
Local farmer Willie McDowell was not following as he had ewes lambing, but Donna Quale was on a good stamp of a coloured hunter. Conor Feeney the huntsman’s son was on another smashing coloured hunter produced by his mother Cathy that can really jump. Also out were Cathal Rogers and Graham Bell.
One always needs to be discreet in mentioning a lady’s age, but when a lady has reached a century or more it is an honour and a privilege to meet such a remarkable person. Consequently there is no doubt that the lady known respectfully as Mrs Ervine, who is 103 years old, is the most senior hunt car follower in Ireland. She travelled around with her daughter Daphne and told me that she hunted with the Iveagh and the County Down Staghounds up to when her children needed more of her time, but has always retained her interest in hunting and horses.
Originally from Banbridge, County Down, her father produced horses, and she and her husband moved to the Killyleagh area to farm in 1946 where her son Max still farms the family holding as well as successfully breeding Thoroughbred horses. He has consigned Thoroughbred horses like Insatiable by Don’t Forget Me that was trained by Sir Michael Stoute, and Gaceota by Mujadil trained by Richard Hannon. At the December Foal Sales at Tattersall’s in 2011 he sold a New Approach filly foal out of his Nureyev mare Pine Chip for 300,000 guineas, having sold a yearling previously out of her by Dylan Thomas for 140,000 guineas. Another successful result was an Acclamation colt out of his Seeking the Gold mare Gold Husk.
Before moving off a wide range of refreshments were served by Lola Armstrong, Joint-Master James’s mother, and Dr. Eithne Smyth (nee O’Gorman) who is originally from Salthill in Galway, where she hunted in her youth with the Galway Blazers.
The first draw was in the wood beside the lake at Clarke Cunningham’s timber yard, where his extensive domestic and commercial tree maintenance service is based, but it was blank. The huntsman hacked on to Max Ervine’s and drew back from the road that leads down to Strangford Lough. Feeney went through wire in order to get the best angle on his draw in Clarke’s Wood, but not before two smashing woodcock did their customary vertical take off and sideways jink which makes them so difficult to account for. A fox was sitting really tight undetected by most of the pack that had gone through the covert, but Feeney, an experienced huntsman, was prepared to be patient.
He was right, and the pack eventually managed to dislodge the fox. A holloa on the far side signalled that the fox had broken covert towards the furze or whins as they are known in County Down. Max Ervine’s farm jeep slipped sideways on the soft ground and got stranded as he was watching proceedings with former Joint-Master Diana Kirkpatrick and his sister Margaret, so he had to resort to his spotless road jeep to keep up with the action. Blame for the incident could wait until later, but it did come, and was appropriately apportioned!
The fox at this stage had run through the Commons at Tullykin left-handed with the Hill of Saul and the Mountains of Mourne overlooking Strangford Lough in the background. The followers were at full stretch to keep up with the pack that split with two couple hunting back on the line, but the main pack had gone on.
Feeney took on a substantial stone wall that had a drinking trough on take-off, and, as he was to find out, another drinking trough on the landing side! Honorary whipper-in Michael Smith and Joint-Master Craig Cavan were quick to follow as hounds eventually marked their fox back at the find. The final draw was on James McCabe’s farm. He is a good hunt supporter and although hounds spoke in the first covert it was probably a stale line, and the big covert was also blank.
The East Down Foxhounds meet at Ballytrim produced not only a cracking run, but also before a backdrop of scenery that would be difficult to match.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Posted March 17, 2012
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(l-r) Donna Quale, Graham Bell, Cathal Rogers, Joint-Master James Armstrong, and Pat Turley / Noel Mullins photo