LORD NAAS, 1857-1862 



where they lost. On the 13th, after drawing Tallaght 

 Hill, Verschoyle's plantation and Johnstown blank 

 there was a good run from Kilteel to Dowdestown 

 of forty minutes, though ending in a loss. There 

 was a ringing run of forty minutes from Devies on 

 the 1 8th; a very fair day on the 20th, with runs from 

 Castle Keely and Longtown. Frost stopped hunting 

 until the 25th, when there was indifferent sport 

 from a Dunlavin meet, followed by just average 

 days on the 27th and 30th. 



It is plain from the Baron's diary that the Kildare 

 country was feeling the full effects of the damage 

 done to the coverts by the severity of the Crimean 

 winter. December records show a lamentable num- 

 ber of blank coverts. On the 2nd Corbally, Davids- 

 town, Ballyhook, Whitestown and Tynte Park all 

 failed to yield foxes. The first blank day recorded 

 in the diary for some years was the 7th, an Enfield 

 meet; on the 30th, after a meet at Ballintagart, 

 they drew Sprattstown, Ballycore, Ballynure, 

 Whitestown, Copelands, and Tynte Park all blank. 

 On the other hand, the month was not without 

 good hunting. On the 4th a fox from the Curragh 

 covert gave a good hunting run of two hours by 

 Lord Drogheda's covert to Dunmurrey; on the 

 14th there was a good run from Halverstown, end- 

 ing in a kill at Castlemartin; on the 21st the Baron 

 writes, " drew Baltiboys, found, went away up into 



263 



