HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



by the fact that the word cu, hound, or mil chu^ the 

 hound used for large game, was often a part of the 

 title of chieftain or warrior. "St. Patrick's master 

 was Milchu; his convert, who gave him Down, was 

 Di Chu, and the prefix of cu was common among 

 the leaders of the Irish during the early centuries 

 of the Christian era." As for the love of the Irish- 

 man for his hound, did not Oisin say to St Patrick, 

 " To the son of Cumall, and the chiefs of the Fiann, 

 it is sweeter to hear the voice of hounds than to 

 seek mercy. O, son of Calpurn, wilt thou allow to 

 go to heaven my own dog and greyhound," an in- 

 teresting anticipation of the idea expressed in 

 Pope's well-known lines: 



" And thinks, admitted to the equal sky. 

 His faithful hound will bear him company." 



Coming to historical times, we find the Irish 

 reputation for sport in no way diminished. " The 

 Irish," wrote Bartholomaeus Anglicus about 1260, 

 " are contented with milk for drink, and are more 

 addicted to games and hunting than to labour." 

 King John and Edward the First have both left 

 record in the Calendar of State papers of their 

 appreciation of the valuable qualities of the Irish 

 hound. In Tudor times, the hunting establish- 

 ments of the great were a continual grievance with 

 their opponents. Thus, in 1525 the Earl of Kildare 



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