Pat Coyle, huntsman, Ward Union Staghounds (IR) / Catherine Power photo
Pat Coyle, born and reared in Two Mile House, Co Kildare, has been huntsman of the Ward Union Staghounds since 1980. It was as natural for young Pat to follow a hunting career as it was for a bank manager’s son to join the bank. Pat’s maternal uncle, Eamonn Dunphy, was the much-revered huntsman of the Ward Union, but age and falls had taken their toll. By the late 1970s, he was nearing the end of his tether. So when the job of yardman in the kennels fell vacant, seventeen-year-old Pat Coyle applied and was hired. By that point, he was no longer red raw.
“Maureen and Paddy Powell [great uncle of Irish Field Editor Leo Powell] from Kilcullen were keen hunting people, with Paddy hunting the Naas Harriers in the 1970s. I helped out with Paddy in the kennels as much as possible, and this experience stood to me when I applied for the role of yardman with the Ward Union in 1977.” –Pat Coyle
Pat soon adjusted to life with the Ward’s and while the plan was that he would have a long apprenticeship, circumstances changed when Eamonn Dunphy was forced into premature retirement. Pat, still very young, had to don the pink coat and hunt, then as now, one of the most famous packs in these islands.
He was fortunate to have inherited four outstanding Masters: Raymond Keogh, cattle dealer extraordinaire; Fred Duffy, who farmed near Swords; Denis Coakey, who ran a vast agri-supply business; and Roy Craigie of Premier Dairies, whose family had been steeped in the Wards for generations. With all four Masters supporting the young huntsman, still not twenty, he showed great sport almost from the word go.
“We had very few motorways. Golf courses were very rare in the area, housing and developments were few and far between, and general farmland was far less intensively cultivated. Also, today, more and more farms are very dependent on wire fencing, which makes hunting much trickier for hounds and horses.”
For those who have not been privileged to hunt with the Wards, it is quite a different experience from foxhunting. For starters, they didn’t meet until 12.30 or perhaps 1:00 PM, as once the stag was enlarged (released from the stag cart), its action from the word go. Fields of sixty or seventy-plus were not uncommon, and with a large proportion of the field made up of National Hunt jockeys, it was flat to the mat from the start. The country, by and large, is flat with large enclosures mostly divided by large trenches, not unlike small canals, which take a bit of jumping.
Pat Coyle (center) at the Duhallow Puppy Show with (l-r) Duhallow huntsman Jamie Byrnes and Duhallow whipper-in Joe Coyle, his son. / Catherine Power photo
Pat took to it like a duck to water, and with the support of his wife, Deirdre (Battersby), from Garristown in the heart of the Ward country, there was no looking back. An all-around sportsman, he acted as trainer for Meath Minors and coached the Meath Juniors in 2010/11. His longevity as huntsman is matched only by his tenacity, having missed only nine hunting days in his forty-two seasons. His youngest son, Joe, following in the family tradition, is learning his trade with the Duhallow as first whipper-in.
“To be honest, I have to say that I had a wonderful relationship with all our Masters and chairmen over the years, but there were two standout people who did tremendous work during the difficult period of the Green Party.* Oliver Russell and Christy Reynolds were undoubtedly our “go-to men” during this period, and they put in incredible work to ensure the club’s survival.”
(L-R) Huntsman Pat Coyle, Masters Gerry Reynolds and Stephen O’Connor, and whipper-in Peter Reynolds / Catherine Power photo
Oliver Russel was always the steadying hand on the tiller of the Ward Union. While masters came and went, Oliver was chairman for a substantial part of Pat’s reign as huntsman. “I was a riding member of the Hunt over Pat’s forty-two years and held office positions on the Committee of Management for twenty years. Pat’s role played a crucial part in the success of the club,” said Russell.
On a hunting day, Pat chose the deer to be enlarged or sought out an outlier.** He hunted hounds with dash, being the first horseman across the country―first to jump at a ditch or obstacle no matter how difficult and first up to collect hounds if the deer was at bay. It was his job to ensure that the deer would be returned to the deer park unscathed, and the day wasn’t over until hounds were returned to the kennels and the comfort of their lodges.
Pat’s face (see opening image) shows the parallel battle scars―marks of honor visible on the faces of most Irish huntsmen who break the way through for the rest―from many encounters with the thorny hedges of Meath and Co Dublin, but he still crosses the country as if there was no tomorrow. He has always been well mounted, but he particularly recalls Jacko, who carried him for twelve seasons and never let him down when the going got tough.
The Wards would have upwards of a hundred Irish Red Deer in the park and are one of only three recognised such herds in Ireland. Because these deer are managed, they provide a unique gene pool when many of the wild herds have cross-bred with sika and other non-native species. They are managed with as little human intervention as possible to maintain their wild state. There were always special deer kept for the big occasion but The Pillo, so-called, was exceptional because, like a homing pigeon, he always finished near the Pillo Hotel in Ashbourne.
The Wards are noted not so much for long days as long hunts. Pat recalls a day from Kilcock where hounds finished in Dunshaughlin. Only this season, hunting under the new protocol, hounds hunted from Stamullen to Oldtown.
This author was fortunate to have been there for a Ward Union red-letter day. Four intrepid Scarteen jockeys with their home Field Master, Val O’Connell―former race jock, now Turf Club official―as our pathfinder on one of his famed ex-point-to-pointers made the trip on a Tuesday at the end of the season. The meet was at Tattersalls, Rathoath. There were the usual refreshments on offer, but, truth be told, such was the state of nerves and anticipation, I don’t think any of the visitors partook. The stag (and he must have been a good one) was enlarged just a few fields from the sales complex, and away we went.
Tayto Park and Grange Research Station flashed by but other than that, the country was totally unknown to me. We hadn’t gone too far when huntsman Pat Coyle’s horse became semis-submerged in one of the Meath trenches. With a replacement being sportingly surrendered, hunting continued apace. There were several breaks when the scent was lost, giving horses and jockeys a welcome breather only to resume until the stag eventually went to bay near Summerhill in a disused cattle building.
As the hunt was nearing its end, Field Master Sean Byrne and Pat Coyle sportingly invited the visitors up front. At the finish, it was one of our number, Jimmy Mulcahy, the dashing Veterinary surgeon from Tipperary using skills developed in his practice, who “took” the stag and held him until the deer cart arrived to pick him up. The stag was returned unscathed to his companions in the deer park. In a lifetime of hunting, it was one of the best and certainly the longest hunt distance-wise run in which I have ever taken part.
Grand National winner Robbie Power, whipper-in, with huntsman Pat Coyle, collecting hounds from a Lawn meet at Oliver Russell’s . / Catherine Power photo
Can any other hunt in the world boast of having two current Grand National-winning jockeys among their team of amateur whippers-in? Featured in this illustrious list are Robbie “Puppy” Power, who won the great race in 2007 on Silver Birch (33/1), and the peerless Paul Carberry in 1999 on the family trained Bobby-Jo (10/1). Paul, in particular, has remained a regular, rarely missing a day.
Grand National winner Paul Carberry whipping-in to Pat Coyle. / Catherine Power photo
Pat has always had a great support team with amateur whippers-in and with his lifetime friend Kieran Ryan always at his side.
“In the hunting field, Pat was second to none. He had the most amazing relationship with his beloved hounds, the ability to quickly read situations as they arose, provide followers with a great day’s sport, but more importantly, build a very solid rapport and respect among the farmers and landowners whose land we were so privileged to cross.
Pat has led the Wards through a myriad of changes during his career. Changes in the law, farming practices, and urban sprawl.” –Kieran Ryan
But hunting is all about hounds, and I asked Pat if he had a favourite hound.
“Every hound I had always gave everything and knew their role, but yes, there were some key hounds over the years. A bi*ch called Bugle and a Dumfriesshire dog called Donovan who was brilliant at hunting rivers. In more recent times, Talbot, Major, and Raglan were particularly good, the latter two being required to hunt the deer on their own due to circumstances. One of the best days this season was when Raglan had to start on his own as we had an outlier in the Stamullen area, and after some hard work, he got him out of the block, and we had a great day ending up at Springhill near Oldtown.” –Pat Coyle
In a reflective mood, Pat recalled those who made it all possible.
“Where do I start? There are too many, and no doubt I will leave someone out, but first up is my best friend and right-hand man Kieran Ryan, who has been by my side as whipper-in since 1983/84. The Campbell family, Darren, Graham, and their late father Jim were great yardmen over the years. All the whips and Masters who created great memories on and off the hunting field over the years. The hunt members, committee members, and all hunt supporters, thank you. Finally and most importantly, a massive thanks must go to our farmers and landowners as without their continued support we wouldn’t be here today.”
Finally, if you had your life to live all over again, would you still choose a career in hunting?
“Without a doubt. Apart from my family, hunting has given me the best days of my life.”
Posted May 15, 2022
*The Green Party in Ireland was originally founded as the Ecology Party. Its members embrace ecology, socialism, and pacifism.
**An outlier is a deer from the Ward Union deer park that has evaded hounds on an earlier hunt and remains at large in the wild.
This article previously appeared in The Irish Field and is republished with permission.