22 MEMOIR OF THE KILKENNY HUNT. 



It would thus appear that he received about 600 a 

 year from a few of his friends, which, considering the 

 enormous country he hunted, the many coverts and 

 earths which he made, and the many other con- 

 tingent demands on him, was not much. At the 

 same time he notes that he had so much meal in 

 his chest, and mentions the quarters from which it 

 came, thus leading one to the conclusion that he 

 received meal as a gift to a certain extent. Mr. 

 Power also gives list of rented coverts, and of wages 

 paid to his earth-stoppers, Dooley and Tierney. 

 These two men were succeeded by their sons, one of 

 whom (Tierney) is now earth-warner on the Bally- 

 foyle side of the country. Dooley died some twenty- 

 five years ago. Some information as to breeding of 

 hounds, &c., is given in Appendix I. 



With regard to the important subject of sport, two 

 practices then much in vogue in Kilkenny may here 

 be mentioned. It was the habit occasionally to dig 

 foxes run to ground in large woodlands, and, after 

 bagging them, to keep them for a few days, and in 

 the event of two or three coverts being drawn blank, 

 to turn one down in front of the pack, giving the fox 

 a fair chance for his life. On several occasions which 

 Mr. Power mentions, good runs were thus enjoyed, 

 especially as the fox was often turned down in a 

 part of the country he was presumed to know. The 

 second practice was to take out the old pack and 

 young hounds alternately, or, at all events, on separate 

 days. This was not invariably done, but it was 

 usual, especially in the earlier part of the season. It 

 is not a practice which would commend itself to any 



