HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



covers widely separated. This happened at Elvers- 

 town in the first week of December, when a third 

 fox gave one of those long runs in the hill country 

 for which the Blessington meet is so famous. The 

 fox broke for Slievethoul, but being headed 

 wheeled first for the cover, but then turned to the 

 left for Punchestown racecourse, passed over Mr 

 Meredith's fine grass land, skirted Byrne's farm- 

 house and went on fast as if for Stonebrook. Here 

 he turned to the right and went straight for 

 Sillagh bog, which he crossed, and, wheeling to the 

 left, skirted Dowdenstown and on to Elverstown. 

 He passed through the cover and again broke 

 for Slievethoul, skirted Downshire, went down the 

 coach road, which crossed half a mile beyond 

 Blessington, where the hounds were called off in 

 the dark. It was a fine hunting run of just two 

 hours and twenty minutes. 



Sport continued very good throughout Decem- 

 ber. On the 8th hounds found in Kilteel, where the 

 fox broke on the Johnstown side, and gave a very 

 fast twenty-five minutes without a check to Arthurs- 

 town, going through the cover and on as if for 

 Burnt Furze, but turned to the left and ran within 

 a field of Newtown Old House. Here he turned to 

 the right, and again to the left and pointed straight 

 for Tipper, where he turned to the left again, then 

 to the right and straight for Cradockstown. Here 

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