Kilkenny huntsman Peter Cahill and foxhounds move off from Mount Juliet, the spiritual home of the Kilkenny. / Noel Mullins photo
The Kilkenny Foxhounds were founded by John Power in 1797, and the founder was succeeded by his son Sir John Power in 1844. Hounds have been kennelled since 1921 at Mount Juliet when Major Dermot McCalmont, MFH built the kennels. His son Major Victor McCalmont (Master from 1949-1993) continued the hunting tradition until he passed away while in office.
Stepping into the kennels one can feel the sense of history. Although I have reported on the Kilkenny Foxhounds many times in the past, it has been more than thirty years since I attended a meet at Mount Juliet—the spiritual home of the Kilkennys. At the time, Major Victor McCalmont who hunted the pack for thirty-four seasons was Master. Peter Thomas was hunting hounds and Paddy McDonald was whipping-in. I recall the second horsemen dressed in charcoal grey livery and grey bowler hats arriving to exchange horses with Major Victor and the huntsman in the early afternoon.
The Kilkenny, by the way, is seeking new Joint-Masters.
When Mount Juliet was owned by the McCalmont Family, it sat on over one thousand acres and employed more than one hundred people. Each had a specific role in a traditional Downton Abbey-structured household and estate, as either butler, footman, cook, painter, carpenter, groom, chauffeur, gardener, blacksmith, hunt staff, and so on.
In 1987 the estate was sold to become a Jack Nicholas-designed championship golf course. The Irish Open has been played there three times, as well as the American Express Challenge featuring Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara, Fred Couples, Tom Watson, Rory McElroy, Ernie Ells and other world-class golfers. The difficult third hole guarded by water is just behind the kennels. Other sports that residents can enjoy are equitation, falconry, archery, and trout and salmon fishing on the River Nore.
Jackie Onassis visited the kennels as did former head of the FBI John Brennan, whose father worked on the estate. The late Joe Walsh (a brother of five-times All Ireland Hurling Title winner Kilkenny goalkeeper Ollie) was a painter on the estate. Joe was a marvellous musician at hunt balls and other formal occasions with his band, the Marble City Sound. Joe’s daughters Olive and Carmel still live in the family home at the kennel entrance.
Over the years the Kilkennys have produced many champion hounds including the 1978 Peterborough Bitch Champion, Famous 1977 by Heythrop Foreman 1973. The unbeaten sprinter, The Tetrarch, also known as the Spotted Wonder was bred and stood at Mount Juliet. His bloodlines can be seen in the pedigrees of American Horse of the Year Bold Ruler and Triple Crown winner Secretariat.
The American Isaac Bell was Master and huntsman from 1908 to 1921. He challenged the conventional hound breeding of the times by introducing Welsh blood to the fashionably ponderous English hound to produce what is now known as the Modern English Foxhound. Bell was an international sailor and knew all about wind direction, winning the Fastnet Race in 1936 on his yacht Bloodhound, making him a genius at casting hounds. Another well-known Kilkenny amateur huntsman and Master for nineteen seasons, Sir Hercules Langrishe, could blow Gone Away on a shotgun barrel!
The current Hunt Chairman is Michael Shefflin, owner of the Annshoon Stud, who stands Fruits of Love, a grandson of the American Triple Crown winner Secretariat through his dam. Shefflin is a brother of Kilkenny hurling legend, Henry Shefflin. Recently appointed Hunt Committee member Johnny Dicker is a son of Rory Dicker who hunted the Kilmoganny, and now their family pack, the Rockview Harriers. Joint-Masters currently in office are John McErney and Paul Holden. Those interested in becoming a Joint-Master of the Kilkenny should contact the Hunt Chairman.
The huntsman is Peter Cahill assisted by two whippers-in, Declan Mulcaire (professional) and Stephen Cotterell (Honorary). Peter Cahill grew up hunting in his native Cork, whipping-in to the Coolnakilla Harriers and the Bride Valley Minkhounds before hunting the Carlow Farmers Foxhounds for five seasons. He is now in his second season hunting the Kilkennys.
Cahill is popular with the followers, attracting some seasoned foot followers who have been enjoying themselves during autumn hunting. Agricultural contractor Stevie Cotterell who acts as honorary whipper-in is a superb rider, as I witnessed when reporting on the Mullinavat Harriers. Cotterell whipped-in to Robert Kent for seventeen seasons providing exceptional sport. This day at Mount Juliet, there were as many followers from the Mullinavat, Kildare, and Carlows as there were from the Kilkennys, proving the huntsman’s popularity.
The hunting country is tight at Mount Juliet, especially with a championship golf course to negotiate. However, it is a nice sense of tradition to keep the meet open. After a stirrup cup at the main house, now a hotel where the residents flocked to get photos, it was then down across the bridge to Ballylinch Stud where John O’Connell is manager and a member of the hunt. After exiting by the Boher Gate they jumped into Peter Raftus’ dairy farm and drew on over Nicholas Kelly winter corn, finding a fox along Kevin Hynes’s. Unfortunately, the fox ran the wrong way towards Raftus’ heifers, which he had moved to facilitate the hunt, so the huntsman stopped them. Foot followers had a grandstand view from the Viaduct. The next draw was though Thomastown GAA Grounds and across the bridge into Watt Walsh’s yard where his son Noel keeps hirelings to supply visitors to the local hunts, then onto the point-to-point course. The huntsman drew all along the extensive Grennan Woods by the River Nore Valley which was spectacular, the colours reminding one of autumn in Vermont. The weather was so good that the followers seemed content to take in the views.
Crossing the road into the Dun Wood and back by Grenard Mill, hounds found in a wet marshy field and screamed away over Remy and Kevin Hynes’s and Martin Walsh’s to the Viaduct, marking him to ground near the Saint Nicholas Church.
Saint Nicholas Church is the final resting place of the saint born in 346 AD and brought to Kilkenny by the Crusaders in the twelfth century, thus inspiring the legend of Santa Claus on Joe Connolly’s farm.
With an experienced and enthusiastic huntsman on board, the Kilkennys are looking to recruit new Joint-Masters. Applications should be directed to the Chairman, Michael Shefflin ([email protected]) or telephone 00353-51898107 or (cell) 00353-879786438. If any interested party is also a golfer, he or she will have not only a kennel of foxhoundsat their doorstep, but a championship golf course as well!
Posted December 2, 2016
Noel Mullins is a lifelong foxhunter and sporting photo/journalist. Click to visit his website and view his books and articles.