12 MEMOIR OF THE KILKENNY HUNT. 



his was the only established pack of county fox- 

 hounds in Ireland, and he was practically free to seek 

 his sport where he would. He went into the County 

 Carlow as far as Tullow, and even as far as Coollattin, 

 in Wicklow ; occasionally drew coverts in the County 

 Wexford, as well as the Durrow woods in the 

 Queen's County. He had makeshift kennels in 

 various places, and his practice was to go to a certain 

 centre, and hunt the surrounding districts for a few 

 days, moving off to another locality whenever he 

 wished. The practice at that time was to meet at 

 daybreak, and Mr. Power often told the compiler's 

 father that in those days he frequently used to shelter 

 from the wind under the lee of a house at the place 

 of meeting till day dawned, and he was enabled to 

 commence operations. By drawing up to a covert 

 or " head of earths," the line of a fox was often 

 taken up and carried into his stronghold, where 

 hounds fresh finding him when just returned from 

 his nocturnal ramblings, frequently ran him long dis- 

 tances, and at that hour with a good holding scent. 

 Early in the present century, however, the old system 

 began to die out, and gradually the hours of meeting 

 became later during the regular season nine, then 

 ten, later on ten thirty and continued at the latter 

 hour for many years. 



And now as to hounds. During the last century 

 the proprietors of Irish packs bred chiefly an old 

 Irish hound of a harrier type, rather rough in coat, 

 inclined to be leggy, and certainly not a " sorty " 

 hound on the flags, but with good nose and plenty 

 of music. The type has probably disappeared, 



