LORD NAAS, 1857-1862 



doubt the fences were stiff, the ditches wide, and 

 the ground in splendid order for galloping, but for 

 which and the few minutes the horses obtained in 

 CoUestown to catch their wind, the hounds would 

 have run away from everybody. As it was, out 

 of some one hundred and fifty men who started, all 

 who stayed with the hounds and were found at the 

 finish, were the Baron de Robeck, Mr Johnny Wake- 

 field, Mr Michael Aylmer, Mr Henry Meredith, 

 who afterwards lived at Nor elands in Kilkenny, 

 Sir Jas. Higginson, Captn. Frank Kennedy, son of 

 Sir John Kennedy, Bart, who was the father of the 

 Kildare Hunt, Mr Charles Hoffman, Stephen 

 Goodall, a couple of farmers, a groom and the 

 whipper-in. Alas all these fine sportsmen are now 

 dead except Mr Hoffman and the Baron de 

 Robeck, and ever since the latter gentleman came 

 to ride in Kildare early in the 'fifties and soon after 

 built Gowran Grange on his own property he has 

 been not alone one of the best of sportsmen, but 

 one of the most useful county gentlemen in that, 

 perhaps our premier county. He is still hale and 

 hearty, and can ride to hounds as well as, if not 

 better than, any other man of his age in Europe. 



Turning now to Baron de Robeck 's diary, I find 

 the following. 



" Novr. 26th. Meet at Maynooth. Drew Laragh, 

 went away fast by Laragh House to Castle Hussey, 

 crossed railway and canal and went fast to Colles- 



271 



