Traditionally-bred English foxhounds of the Co Limerick with huntsman Fergus Stokes (right) and whipper-in David Beecher (left) / Catherine Power photo
George Blenerhaasset of Ridelstown is credited with being the first Limerick Master around 1800. In about 1830 Mr. Croker of Ballinagarde took on the pack with Geo Fosbury which went on to become the County Limerick Foxhounds.
Hounds have been kennelled in Clonshire, the hunt property in Adare, since 1930. The village is now one of Ireland’s leading equestrian centres. Former County Limerick Masters familiar to many in the U.S. are the recently mourned American Master Al Schreck of the Los Altos Hounds (CA) and Master and huntsman Hugh Robards who hunted the Co. Limerick for twenty-seven seasons before coming to North America.
The Limerick meet twice a week, Monday and Wednesday. On Monday we were guests of the Goddess Aine, Goddess of Light, who is reputed to live on the hill of Knockainey (near Bruff) which hosted the meet this day. Goddess Aine is not just the Goddess of Light but she also double-jobs, covering Fertility and Love, both very important in the world of hunting! Despite dire weather forecasts, the Goddess granted us a lovely, bright and crisp, sunny day, absolutely ideal for hunting.
Whipper-in David Beecher neatly up the bank with hounds / Catherine Power photo
This fabulous pack of Old English foxhounds, expertly produced by huntsman Fergus Stokes and whipper-in David Beecher, just looked a picture. The current pack stems from hounds brought to Ireland just after the war by Lord Daresbury from the Belvoir, and the bloodlines have been maintained and some would say improved in the intervening decades. Fergus who learned his trade with Ger Withers in Duhallow has now been hunting the pack for several seasons and at this stage knows every blade of grass in Limerick. By contrast it is David Beecher’s first season, having spent the last couple of seasons with the Tipperary.
All three Joint-Masters were on hand—Mr. John Halley, Lady Anna Johnson, and Ms. Emma Thompson—though Lady Anna was on foot as she was on family duty. However cousin Emma Thompson was on her good grey. Born and bred in Croom, Emma now lives (on non hunting days) in London. Emma’s page is on the rise as her brother Sir Francis Brooke has just been appointed HM The Queen’s representative in Royal Ascot. He is the first Irishman to have held such a prestigious post. He replaces Johnny Wetherby who will be stepping down after the next Royal meeting.
Senior Master John Halley negotiates the bank in good form on his powerful grey. / Catherine Power photo
Senior Joint-Master is John Halley who has held the position since 2007 and appears to enjoy it more every day he comes out. This day he was accompanied by his two sons, one of whom is his fellow veterinary surgeon David who works in the family practice, Fethard Veterinary. Fethard must be one of the biggest equine practices in Ireland with over thirty vets, many of them specialists. Also on board was young Jack Halley who owns and runs the iconic Hayes Hotel in Thurles, the birthplace of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The GAA is Ireland’s largest athletic organization and a key part of Irish society. Completing the group were Aisling Appleby, the better half of leading trainer Charlie Appleby.
It was great to see at the meet our former farrier, Cal O’Connell, hail and hearty to see off his son Timmy who was out with his wife Adrienne. The couple hunt with both Scarteen and Limerick. Timmy is the farrier to the stars, shoeing all JP McManus’s Martinstown horses including the legendary Istabraq. He has the distinction of shoeing more Cheltenham winners than any farrier in these Islands. Timmy was area manager for the day and had put in a huge amount of work to make this hunting day a success.
On the dot of eleven Fergus sounded the move off. The first draw was less than a minute’s hack away in Neilus and Miriam Hayes’ Knockainey Stud which regularly tops the elite yearling sales and recently achieved a price of €220,000 for a Kodiak filly. The stud bred no less than two Derby winners, Galteemore and Ardpatrick, when it was in the ownership of the Gubbins family. Neilus was on hand to welcome hounds but sadly none of his family were riding as they were unavoidably away.
A local connection was maintained in the form of John Gleeson who trains a string of pointers out of the Knockainey yard. He was on his best horse, a business-like black that he had acquired from Simon Hope in the UK in a deal too complicated to describe.
While hounds drew (it was blank) we had the opportunity to catch up with old friends such as hunt secretary and go-to person, Dee Hogan. The term secretary doesn’t quite describe Dee’s role in the hunt; if the hunt were a business, CEO might be a truer description.
Kieran Cusack, a major builder, was Field Master; helping up front was Shane Stokes, the huntsman’s brother who gets out every day he can. Also part of the team was former whipper-in Jamie Byrne who now works as stud groom at Islanmore stud.
John Cooke’s farm produced the first fox of the day and away they went over the biggest and best. John Cooke and his sister Catherine hunted for many years and come from a great hunting tradition. In this bit of old country the banks are untouched by modernity and roads are scarce with huge blocks of hunting country in between. Under instruction from Timmy we were in the right place on the boundary of John Gleeson’s and their near neighbour, Kevin Cooke, who came down on his racing quad bike to see hounds through. His young sister Sarah Jane on her forward-going grey was one of the first over the bank and gave a great display.
Hunt treasurer Mathew Lloyd from Kilballyowen and Emma Buckley from Crecora showed bank jumping at it’s best. Needless to say trainer John Gleeson, complete with cigar and recovering from a dislocated shoulder, made nothing of it.
Keeping us up with the pace by road was Sean Kelly who, despite his Tipperary origins, has developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of most of Co Limerick. He travels as part of the Halley team, bringing the horses then following by road during the hunting day.
Dee Hogan’s competent bay leaps successfully for the bank. The banks took their toll on staff and field members indiscriminately, however. / Catherine Power photo
The music was mighty as hounds hunted their fox on towards the Baggotstown road. The jumping was serious and took no prisoners. As they jumped into Tom Conolly’s farm our huntsman decided to take up foot hunting in his scarlet coat, his horse having disappeared towards Mount Coote. He was obviously practising in case the job of huntsman of the Co Limerick foot beagles should fall vacant! Soon to join him on foot was Joint-Master Emma Thompson but she was fortunate in having Dee Hogan (a qualified horse catcher) nearby. Emma had to run no more than two or three fields to be reunited with her horse! Fitness experts say a brisk run in the middle of the day is very good for you. Another tumbler was area manager Timmy but fortunately his good wife Adrienne on her foot perfect grey had his horse caught in jig time.
Hounds crossed the Baggotstown road at speed and crossed the Morning Star, but our pilot knew where he was going and found refuge on a welcoming shore and was left. A sad sight was Jamie Byrne leading his horse who appeared injured, but help was on hand as team Halley had brought the mobile X-Ray with them and were able to give the horse a clean bill of health.
Hounds then drew on towards Bulgaden but the best was over. Eventually hounds finished up at Bulgaden Castle, where our English visitors from the Bicester were able to retire to for re-hydration. Limerick still has the magic touch!
Posted April 7, 2020
This article previously appeared in The Irish Field and is republished with permission.