8O MEMOIR OF THE KILKENNY HUNT. 



between the flags when young. He won several 

 races with a mare by Economist, and on Wedge won 

 his last steeplechase at Whitefields, beating Lord 

 Waterford, Mr. Power of Gurteen, and Lord Desart, 

 all three first-rate men across a country. In the 

 matter of hounds he had greatly improved the Cur- 

 raghmore pack, which he had hunted himself ; and 

 when he took over the Kilkennies, proceeded to im- 

 port sires and breed largely. At first he had to 

 procure drafts, but after two seasons he relied on his 

 own entry to supply vacancies, and in the year 1875 

 he put forward fourteen couple, of which he says, in 

 a letter to the Hunt Committee, " he was rather 

 proud." By the wish of the Hunt Committee he 

 engaged John Tidd as huntsman, and got William 

 Nevard as whip. The hounds were moved to Blunden 

 Villa, near Kilkenny, where they remained for about 

 fifteen years, and hunt stables were fitted up in the 

 town. Sir James Langrishe, who had acted as Hunt 

 Secretary for about nine years, and had done much 

 good service in that capacity, resigned in 18/1, and 

 was succeeded by Mr. Seigne ; whilst John Hcarns 

 was appointed earth-warner for the greater part of 

 the county in place of Doolcy, incapacitated by ill- 

 health, and has remained in that position ever since. 



Needless to say, Mr. Briscoe showed good sport, 

 and his second season must ever stand out as a red- 

 letter epoch. John Heffcrnan, who had been hunts- 

 man in Tipperary at one time, succeeded Nevard as 

 whip, and later on William Ouinn came from Cur- 

 raghmore, where he had been second whip under 

 John Duke. 



