Anthony Costello is the new huntsman at the Galway Blazers. / Noel Mullins photo
The Galway Blazers (IR) is a knick name for the County Galway Hunt, the formal name certainly possessing less flair. (Flare?) One account suggests the Blazers acquired their soubriquet when, during a hunt ball in Birr, County Offaly (following a joint meet with the Ormond Foxhounds), the hotel burned down. Alternatively, the term, blazers, might refer to duelling or blazing as the practice was known. Some of the Blazers’ followers had a reputation for duelling!
When I was growing up hunting with the Blazers, Thursdays were the days to bring out young horses and ponies new to hunting. Often we came home on a different pony or horse than we started with as we had our fair share of falls! For that reason, I would not normally have thought of going to a Thursday meet this season, but I am really glad I did.
On Thursdays we would sometimes go sick from school and beg and borrow any animal on four legs regardless of their reputation. I remember being offered a pony in Athenry when I was probably not more than ten year of age that had done nothing. Early in the hunt he ran away with me, only stopping when both of us were in a lather of sweat near Castle Ellen, more than a few miles from Athenry. I was not worried about the pony, but I was sorry to lose my new flat tweed cap which I usually turned backwards to stop the wind from catching it. No fancy tack shops in those days, and no riding hats unless somebody picked up an old one at an auction
I missed the Blazers opening meet this year, as I was away hunting in the USA. But I was anxious to see how Anthony Costello, who succeeded Tom Dempsey as huntsman, was getting on. I did get out autumn hunting with Anthony and his whipper-in Aaron Farrell from County Kildare whose family hunts with the Ballymacad Foxhounds. The fruits of Costello’s work with the Blazers’ hounds has really paid off. Anthony is a born horseman, having won twenty-five point-to-points as a jockey on horses like Achill Backle and Celtic Park, and having produced numerous field hunters in his career. He learned the hunting of hounds from his late father James who hunted both the North Galway Foxhounds and the County Clare. I remember hunting with his father in Clare, and Anthony was helping with hounds in kennels and whipping-in when he was barely in his teens. His daughter Millie, son James, and his sister Donna’s sons Ian and Keith are all talented riders.
The Blazers have depended on Anthony over the years when their regular whippers-in were injured (an occupational hazard now with so much wire), so he knows most of the country well. He was riding a photogenic grey four-year-old that he bought at Ballinasloe Horse Fair, and he accounted well for himself as there are some big double stone walls around the Greenhouse meet. He has been visiting farmers and opening country since May and all through the Summer. For a meet the following week he had already visited more than thirty farmers, with valuable help from hunting farmer Martin Moran in Craughwell and showjumper and producer Timmy McDonagh from Hollypark. It should not be underestimated the amount of assistance a new huntsman needs in getting introductions to farmers, and having both Masters and followers actively assisting him in the organisation of meets.
The meet was at Johnny Geoghegan’s Lisnagranchy Stud, where Johnny stands the dual-purpose Thoroughbred stallion, Dahjee, full brother to Sheikh Mohammed’s favourite racehorse Dubai Millennium. Dahjee sired one of the most expensive and successful stallions currently standing in the world, Dubawi. Johnny also stands two Irish Draught stallions Ceide Prince and Huntingfield Sunny C. Johnny Geoghegan, like his father Mairtin is known the world over for his hunter hirelings.
This special part of County Galway, with its narrow lanes, small enclosures, and stone walls of all heights, is well foxed. Hounds found quickly and crossed Raymond Connolly’s farm where they wasted no time putting him to ground. To avoid being left behind, Field Master Johnny Geoghegan had to keep an eye on Costello who wastes no time between draws. He soon had another fox quickly away from Ger Morrissey’s Forestry that ran along by the railway line. Music was in the air with hounds in great voice moving on at speed over Marti Callanan’s into Jenni Connor’s where Field Master Johnny Geoghegan took a bath in a watery drain. His daughter Robyn and son Aaron got him out and brought his coat home which was a ton weight. I believe it is still dripping away over the bath holding up the family’s Saturday bath nights! Geoghegan gamely went on minus jacket and riding cap, until Dr. Rose Dempsey lent him a hat. Meanwhile hounds had crossed Seamie Ryan’s and by Seamus Coleman’s Aggart House where they marked this fox to ground beside a tree.
The huntsman jumped out onto the Craughwell Road and drew Garrigan’s where they had another fox on the move and hunted him to the New Line by Boycott Hazels and along Rahasane Turlough, a 690-acre karst lake of ecological significance with no outlet. It dries out in summer and fills again in winter. It is a breeding ground for Asian and American Wigeon, and rare Fairy Shrimp that inhabit the waters. I spent many nights at Rahasane in my childhood, shooting with my father Gerard and his friends Tommy Raftery, Martin Brown and Gill Morrissey (later to become terrier man of the Blazers) waiting for the wild duck to fly in. Continuing around the turlough, hounds were close to this fox who wisely found an earth and will probably be game to run another day.
Christian Rontgen was over from Germany. He comes a number of times each year to hunt with the Blazers. He also hunts with the Jachtvereniging Soestdijk Kerry Beagle pack in Holland. He stays, as do a lot of visitors in Tom and Mairead Dempsey’s Craig Country House nearby. Also hunting were Tom Fleming, Patricia Mc Cambridge, Niall Earls, Oliver Concannon, Fintan O’Donnell and Alan Morgan. Field master Willie Leahy had Malcolm and Liz Mullrooney from the Arapahoe Hunt in Colorado on his hirelings. Visiting also were Vera Theirs from the USA and Beverly Nicholson from Canada who came back with a dirty jacket, as well as Richard and Jenny Jakeman, Darragh Reilly, Hallie Tillie, and Francie Burke who does so much work in the Kinvara and Gort hunt country. Hunt chairman Janet Coveney has hunted with the Blazers for forty-eight seasons, as well as with the Bermingham & North Galway Foxhounds, of which her husband Merrick was Master for eight seasons. Ross Trask from Canada was on foot and missed sighting a fox as he was busy for that moment talking to a local! Following by jeep were locals Billy Shaughnessey and Martin Loughnane.
Two of the Blazers’ Joint-Masters were already grounded from the Gort meet—David McCarthy with rib injuries and Rose Dempsey, a doctor herself, with twenty stitches in the back of her head from her horse hearing the hunting horn as she was mounting. He bolted down the road. It was nice to meet up with Leone Walsh as she worked with a good friend of mine the late Tom Kelly from Dromore Castle in Kildimo in Limerick. His wife Eimear still invites the local hunts onto her land, and it is a favourite draw of both the County Limerick Foxhounds and the Stonehall Harriers. Johnny Geoghegan’s sister Geraldine and daughter Megan were hunting. Geraldine has the very interesting job of managing the Rehabilitation Yard for Darley Racing in Newmarket. I was expecting to see hunter producer Tom McNamara and his daughter Maria a well-known side saddle exponent but they were away. Leah Haggerty from the USA enjoys Irish hunting so much that she bases herself in Galway for the hunting season. She is also Joint-Master of the Roscommon Harriers.
The meet was particularly memorable for the exceptional hospitality of the Geoghegan family led by Johnny’s partner Joanne, her mother Una Mary, daughter of Lady Molly Cusack-Smith, the legendary former Master and huntsman of both the Galway Blazers and her own pack the Bermingham & North Galway Foxhounds. The hosts were also assisted by Mary Corbett and Suzie Gwyn Jones.
It was a smashing day out. The new Galway Blazers huntsman was relaxed with hounds that respected him and did not let him down. I could not help thinking that his late father James, a well-known huntsman in his day, would have been so proud to see his son Anthony hunt the Galway Blazers pack.
Posted December 4, 2017
Noel Mullins is a lifelong foxhunter and sporting photo/journalist. Visit his website for more articles and books.