LORD NAAS, 1857-1862 



April 5. Hounds meet at Blessington; drew 

 Baltiboys, found, and had a fine run of thirty-five 

 minutes through Russellstown and into Downshire 

 where the hounds hunted for some time a fresh 

 fox; he broke at last but got away sometime before 

 the hounds and we had a good hunting run to 

 Walpestown. Drew Gouchers blank, found Johns- 

 town, and had a good run by Athgoe to close to the 

 wall of Lyons, then turned and came back to Castle- 

 warden Hill into Johnstown, and lost. " A capital 

 day's sport, and a good finish for the season," is the 

 Baron's comment. 



I shall allow a story which comes naturally into 

 this chapter to appear in the words of Mr M. W. 

 Dunne, who has most kindly sent it to me. 



" My father, who held the late Lord Mayo in 

 great esteem, used to tell the following with great 

 gusto. 



" During Lord Mayo's (then Lord Naas's) 

 Mastership, hounds one day had a long delay in 

 Downshire covert trying to get a lurking fox to 

 break. When he did go he took the low country, a 

 grand but stiff line, and hounds had traversed but a 

 few fields when they were at a loss. The huntsman 

 Goodall cast about a bit when hounds suddenly 

 shot over a high stile, and oft' like a rocket, keeping 

 a well-marked pathway leading over a succession 

 of stiles to Rathmore Village. 



vz 291 



