HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



The season continued of much the same quaUty, 

 bad scent generally, varied by weather which al- 

 lowed of an occasional good day's sport. As a 

 general rule, however, if the fox got much of a 

 start, the chase was hopeless. " The worst scenting 

 season so far possible," is an entry of November 27. 

 On December 5, however, there was sport. 



" Ran from Spratstown through Ballina close to 

 Ballyhook, turned and ran through Saunders 

 Grove and killed on Ballynacrow Hill, a famous 

 run of I hr and 40 minutes," and sport continued 

 good for a week. 



There is an interesting mention of the famous 

 Laragh Brook under date of January 8, 1853. 



" Ran from Laragh very fast to Tattoo, back to 

 Laragh, when I think we changed foxes, and took 

 the hounds off at Tattoo. An enormous field out; 

 two crossed the Laragh Fence." There was a good 

 run from Arthurstown on the 21st " as hard as we 

 could go close to Punchbowl, leaving Rathmore on 

 our left, on to Three Castles. Did not go into the 

 covert, ran the fox a view through Finnamore land 

 across the river. The fox got to the mountain, where 

 the scent died completely away. A fine run and gal- 

 lant fox." On February i they 



" Ran from Nine Tree Hill leaving Narraghmore 



on the left as hard as we could go, through Hatfield 



to ground at Halverstown. As good a forty minutes 



as hounds ever ran without a pause." There was 



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