THE FIRST PACKS 



Tullow, all members of the Bishopscourt Hunt, 

 formed the party at Burton Hall. 



" The country seats of Spanish Brown of Browns 

 Hill, Sir Richard Burton of Garry owen, and 

 Gustavus Rochfort, M.P., whose place and exten- 

 sive woods and fox coverts were the delight of every 

 sportsman on the banks of the Suir, all which and 

 the two inns at Carlow combined to lodge the aris- 

 tocratic members of the Bishopscourt Hunt, to 

 which were added the leading and influential Whigs 

 on the four hunting days and flocking from the 

 surrounding counties of Kildare, Wicklow, Kil- 

 kenny, and last, though not least, sweet County 

 Tip." 



The baronet goes on to record his youthful 

 impressions of this meeting, impressions which 

 are of great interest as a picture of fox-hunting in 

 Ireland nearly a hundred and twenty years since. 



" Although the turnout of the Bishopscourt Hunt 

 itself in the four days about which I am thus ir- 

 regularly jotting down my recollections was not 

 from the sombre uniform of its members as flashing 

 and as striking to some eyes who like to dwell on 

 some hundred to hundred and fifty cavaliers 

 decked in scarlet and gold, yet to my eye, which 

 was caught more by the aristocratic Master himself 

 than the coat he had on, the splendid and numerous 

 pack of well-bred, well-matched English dogs, the 

 blue coat and velvet cape lined with buff, the broad 



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