HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



or about 1821 Sir Francis MacDonnell gave con- 

 tinuing permission for the Hunt to draw the Dun- 

 firth coverts, and his son, Mr Francis E. J. Mac- 

 Donnell made the covert at Colistown, Co. 

 Meath, and presented it to the Hunt. As, however, 

 the covert is situated in Meath, the late Mr Sam 

 Reynell claimed it for his hounds. The late Sir John 

 Power, of Kilfane, acted as arbitrator, and decided 

 that Colistown should go to Meath, but that the 

 Meath Club should make a new covert in Kildare. 

 This has never been done. 



I take note of these donations in kind to the 

 Hunt because, as I have said, I think the fact that 

 Mr John Kennedy found the Kildare country with 

 eighteen coverts, and, as Sir John Kennedy, left it 

 a quarter of a century later with all but fifty, speaks 

 very eloquently not only of his energy and good 

 management, but of a popularity which was able 

 to move Kildare sportsmen to such benevolence. 



The four seasons during which Mr Kennedy 

 undertook to hunt the country passed without 

 much of note in the Club annals. Such entries as 

 do exist in the minutes point to the appreciation by 

 the members of his excellent organization, an ap- 

 preciation marked by repeated votes of thanks. 

 Thus in 18 16 it was resolved, "That the thanks of 

 the Gentlemen of Kildare and in particular of the 

 Kildare Hunt are most eminently due to Mr 

 no 



