Joe Cavanagh, MFH flies a stone wall / Noel Mullins photo
A Dublin-based journalist once wrote that the only way you would find the village of Taughmaconnell in County Roscommon was if you took a wrong turn! But this is far from the truth, and in fairness he later wrote that if one wanted a world free from distraction, then Taughmaconnell was the place!
The Easy Galway Foxhounds were meeting at Michael and Theresa McHugh’s Tavern in the quaint village. On the wall of the pub was a picture of Paddy Cusack who was on the Ballinasloe rugby team that won the Connacht Junior Rugby Cup in 1958. He was a teammate of former Irish international and Lions prop forward Ray McLoughlin. But the real story was that only now—nearly fifty years later—the winners were presented with their medals!
On the international stage, Taughmaconnell produced the seventh Governor of California, John Gately Downey, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1827.
But for followers of hounds, the area around Taughmaconnell is spectacular. Miles of lattice-work stone walls, rolling sand hills with large pockets of furze, plantings, and acres of hazel woods that provide comfortable homes for foxes to live and breed. Some years ago I remember the well known horse dealer Mylie Cash when he was whipping into the East Galway Foxhounds giving a display of how to jump stone walls, some topped by wire that few followed. It is wonderful foxhunting country, and later in the day it was to serve up its usual helping of sport.
The area is involved in all aspects of the Irish equine industry. Christy Casey and Brian Dunny from Murdock Kelly’s racing stables were heading for the gallops, while Gary Gormely who was hunting gained much of his knowledge of producing horses from Athlone horse dealer Francis Derwin. He now produces showjumping ponies, and campaigns a pony colt by the Connemara stallion Silver Shadow. Both Gary Gormely and Gerard Broderick use the hunting field as part of their showjumping horses’ and ponies’ education.
Elaine Bleahen who is originally one of the Nolan family from Kilcullen in County Kildare was chaperoning her children. Her sister Catherine is married to international showjumper Edward Doyle, and they bred the Irish Sport Horse stallion Flexable that won the 2012 Rolex World Cup, and competed on the United States Olympic Team in London with regular rider Rich Fellers. Elaine’s husband John is a well known horse trainer in the west of Ireland. Their combined equestrian talents have certainly been passed on, as their two sons Josh and Luke were at the fore all day over the stiffest of stone walls. Of course Luke has ridden on the pony racing circuit with wins this season on Take That, The Boody Man, Summie Time and Where’s Johnny.
Mark Bleahen was also out on a nicely marked Appaloosa closely watched by his father Niall from the road. Chairman Tom Fahy’s extended family was hunting—son Thomas and grandson Thomas who was on a nice Connemara pony named Sapphire. His cousin, assistant trainer Donal Fahy, was also hunting and Ballinasloe Riding Club was well represented. Marie Dunne, joint honorary treasurer was busy collecting subscriptions and caps while at the same time getting her horse ready, as was honorary secretary Kathleen Ward.
Regina Power was back after injury, coincidently at the same meet last year, and was not tempting fate by paying her membership until she got safely through the day! Regular American hunting visitor to Ireland Scott Caskey who owns Alchemy Restaurant in Martha’s Vineyard in the USA is no stranger to extreme sports, as he was a professional downhill skier! David Masterson keeps Scott’s hunter in his livery yard, and had a three-year-old out for the first time that behaved impeccably.
Huntsman Liam McAlinden had fourteen-and-a-half couple of hounds out, including a litter by Ballymacad Norman out of a bitch Gallop that goes back to a Westmeath line. The first draw was across the road from the pub in Tommy Shaughnessey’s, but all that was disturbed was a donkey that was lying up in the middle of the covert!
Joint-Masters Joe Cavanagh and Michael Brassil’s horses jumped extravagantly over the first few walls, and young Harry Bleahen was four feet out of the saddle before reaching terra ferma! No problem for honorary whip Alan Connelly Briscoe who was riding the Giraffe, so named because of his height—over eighteen hands!
The next draw was Jackie Costello’s, which is a long stretch of furze on a series of sand hills. Hounds quickly found and hunted up and down the length of the covert on Sheephill, and on through the hazel woods. They overran the line, but the huntsman cast them back and they picked it up again. They completed a circle before hunt staff stopped them as there were so many sheep in the area. There were some nice walls between that and the next draw at John Finnerans, but the covert was blank. Even the experienced Field Master Cathal Gibbons slid off gracefully at one wall, but Michael Dwyer who used to hunt the Ormond Foxhounds gave a great display, as did Dorothy McAlinden, her son Daniel, and her sister-in-law Marie. But young Harry and Luke Bleahen picked up a bit of sod!
Crossing Pauline Coffey’s and Tom Mears’ there were some nice patches of furze on the hill where Robert Headd and Keith Casey saw a fox earlier in the morning. The first draw produced nothing, so the huntsman decided to try it again. He was right; a fox was sitting tight, and once hounds found the line there was a burst of music and they were away on his brush left-handed towards the village. They ran on through John Finneran’s, Glennon’s, Eugene Costello’s and they could be heard a half a mile away marking him to ground in Eamonn Fallons.
There were more than enough stone walls to keep followers busy and a fantastic view of two good foxes who were more than a match for any pack of hounds. Wall builders Johnny and Paddy O’Donnell were busy putting the country back together late into the evening!
FACTS
The East Galway Foxhounds were founded in 1891. The country was hunted originally by Giles Eyre of Eyrecourt (1791-1829). Some well known Masters of the pack were Lancelot Smith, Paddy Pickersgill, Charlie Bishop, Michael Higgens, jockey Walter Swinborn, and Michael Dempsey.
Chairman: Tom Fahy
Masters: Joe Cavanagh, Vincent Shields, John Flynn, Michael Brassil, and Pascal Conroy
Field Master: Cathal Gibbons
Huntsman: Liam McAlinden
Whipper-In: Alan Connolly Briscoe
Posted January 4, 2013
Author/photographer/foxhunter Noel Mullins is a retired computer marketing executive in Ireland. Visit his website for more of his work and his books.