Mrs Sarah Angel, owner of the Louth Foxhounds, wishes new huntsman Alan Reilly well.The County Louth Foxhounds—founded in 1817 and one of the few packs of Old English breed of hounds in Ireland—have a new huntsman this season. Alan Reilly replaces Noel McKeever who sadly had to retire after nine seasons hunting hounds due to a recurring hunting injury.
The McKeever family has given exceptional service to this premier foxhound pack. Noel’s father Michael started working in the Louth kennels when he was fifteen years old. He whipped-in and hunted the hounds for a remarkable forty-four seasons.
Michael has also judged hounds in Ireland and at the Rolling Rock Hunt in America where his friend Hugh Robards was huntsman after retiring from hunting the County Limerick Foxhounds. Michael was a popular huntsman with a lovely welcoming way with people young and old. Noel displayed many of his father’s talents, having grown up with horses and hounds, so the transition of taking over from his father came easy to him. Also, he was quick across the country as a huntsman has to be with this smashing pack. The McKeevers run a knackery for fallen stock which is very important for a clean environment in the countryside, and it has kept up their contact with the farming community.
Alan Reilly, the new huntsman, is a farrier by trade and a native of Drumconrath in County Meath. He is familiar with the Louth hunting country and the hounds, as he has hunted with the pack since childhood. He later whipped-in for three seasons before furthering his experience with two seasons whipping-in to the Kilkenny Foxhounds before returning to whip-in with his home pack again last season. He is a young man who rides with short stirrup leathers, has a reputation as a fine horseman, and is capable of crossing the country with ease. He is also supported by a good team of whips in Christopher Rogers, son of trainer Harry Rogers; Stephen Gunne; Mark ‘Spud’ Casserly who whipped-in to the Meath Foxhounds for many seasons; and John Larkin who trains horses nearby in Dunaney. Townley Angel also whips-in, but on this occasion he was looking after his seven-year-old daughter Isobel who was hunting for her first time on her pony Misty. Joint-Masters of the Louths are Gerry Boylan, Edmund Mahony (chairman of Tattersalls), Joe Callan, Dr Ralph Hoey, and Richard Filgate. Joint-honorary secretaries are Mary Shirley, in office since 1960, and Jane Angel.
The Meet
It was very much a social occasion for both mounted and foot followers with a marquee on the lawn beside the Mistresses’ Garden where the annual puppy show is held. The Louth Foxhounds and the County Louth Beagles who are also kennelled in the yard were singing in unison in the background. Aonagh Cowley was on foot as his horse had a slight knock but he hopes to get out during the next week. Also on foot were Johnny McCoy and Patrick Halpenny who has followed the Louths for the last fifty-two seasons. Young Mark Harris was celebrating his ninth birthday, accompanied by his mother Irene and grandfather Jackie Moran who seldom misses a day. Hunting on horseback were Chairman of the hunt Tom Lanigan and new subscriber Rowena Boyd, sister of international showjumper Shane Breen and sister-in-law of Meath Joint-Master Andrew. Anne Lawson and her daughter Rachel looked very dapper in purple waistcoats that they make themselves. They also have supplied some members with similar style waistcoats in a variety of colours.
John Larkin’s son, twelve-year-old Adam, was hunting as was his stable jockey John Sullivan, and yet another point-to-point jockey Linzi Dowdall. Louise Boylan, Paula Finnegan, David Wiggins, and Martin Wayte were all on horseback. The youth were also well represented with Aoife Hand, Abigail Boylan, Megann Wayte, Aoife Fay, Niamh and Ciara O’Connor and Oisin Duffy all on well turned out ponies and horses.
The Hunting
The Louths are known for maintaining hunting courtesies and tradition. As hounds assembled on the lawn, Mrs Sarah Angel who owns the Louth pack of hounds kennelled on her estate wished Alan Reilly every success for the season. It proved to be a tough test for the new huntsman on his first opening meet. Scent was dreadful but he worked with his pack giving them assistance only when they needed it. The nineteen-and-a-half couple of hounds looked fit and well in their coats watching Reilly all the time. He has a great relationship with them which I saw first hand on a few mornings when he was hunting on foot before the season opened. Reilly was riding a nice chestnut hunter that came from David and Joanne Baker on whose farm the famous steeplechaser Arkle was bred. Mark Casserly was on a dark bay that the late Aidan Galligan and former whipper-in to the Meath Foxhounds used to hunt. Lisrenny is a large working and sporting estate with managed tillage, woods and coverts where they rear pheasants for shoots. It is also a popular place for foxes to reside as they have dinner on their door step!
The first draw was the Three Corner Wood. Although not expecting to find, hounds cold marked a fox almost immediately. The fox bolted without delay when he spotted the huntsman, hounds, and followers, and set his sights for Derran Wood. Scent was patchy. Although hounds managed to hold the line in the wood, it was much more difficult in the open, and this was not helped by foil from a large flock of ewes nearby. Looking around there were foot followers standing on every hill for miles around hoping to get a glimpse of a fox. The wind was strong so it was difficult to hear hounds, and rain was threatening with dark clouds overhead.
Drawing on in the new plantation beside The Mistresses’ Covert, hounds found a fox that ran along the banks of the Glyde River and back to The Briars where scent petered out.
It was decided not to draw The Bog and Hall’s Wood as it contains pheasant pens. Horses and hounds hacked down through the village of Tallanstown to Rathneskin to where the point-to-point is held. Here hounds found two brace in the Black Thorns that hunted around in a circle. One fox decided to leave and cross the Tallanstown road but turned back as there were so many people in cars following and went to ground. The Laurels were blank which was unusual but it seems that foxes were concentrated in one area so the next draw was the New Covert in Reestown close to the Danny Boy Pub. There was a fox in the Council Bog but scent was so poor and hounds had worked so hard all day that it was decided to blow for home.
Reilly and his hounds got their first meet of the season off to a fine start finding four brace of foxes, but as foxhounds are scenting hounds and not sight hounds the elements were against them in getting them to run in open country. All that is now needed is a little cold weather to improve scenting conditions, and then we will see this fine pack of hounds show sport at its best. The followers were very complimentary in wishing this young huntsman and his whipers-in an enjoyable season.
Posted November 22, 2011
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