THE FIRST PACKS 



" From Kildare and around the Curragh came the 

 Fitzgeralds, Hamihons, Aylmers, Kirwans and 

 Dennises; from Wicklow all the followers of the 

 house of Wentworth, the Stratfords, Westleys, 

 Symses, Saunderses, Tighes, and Guns; from Kil- 

 kenny those allowed patriots and sportsmen to the 

 backbone the Powers, John and Richard, the 

 Bushes, Tighes and Giant Bayley; from Tipperary 

 came the Matthewses, the Riches, Chum Ponsonby, 

 Butlers of Lowes Green, Coxes of Castletown, 

 John Bailey of Desborough, Lord Cahir, the 

 Tolces, Manserghs and Gorings. Such a meet of 

 men and horses," concludes the writer, " take them 

 all in all, were never before here congregated to- 

 gether or anywhere else to greet one man and follow 

 one pack of hounds. I confess it made an impres- 

 sion on my youthful mind and frame then expand- 

 ing into manhood that up to this hour and trotting 

 on to fourscore has never been obliterated/* 



These interesting recollections of Sir Joseph 

 Hoare I think leave little doubt as to the impor- 

 tance of the Bishopscourt Hunt in 1792, or of the 

 place organized fox-hunting already occupied in 

 Ireland. Before passing on it may be worth while 

 to print an old hunting song, still remembered in 

 the district, which confirms the tradition of the 

 Bishopscourt establishment. It was very kindly 

 written out for me from memory by Mrs Ellen 

 Murray of Templemills, Cellbridge, who told me 



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