HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



It may, nevertheless, be of interest to future 

 generations of Kildare sportsmen to note down 

 such slight particulars of the personality of the third 

 Master of the family of Kennedy as are clear in the 

 recollection of those who knew him. " Sir Edward 

 Kennedy," writes one of these, " whose father 

 almost founded the Kildares as a subscription pack, 

 was a little short, wiry man, the very cut and weight 

 for a first-class performer across country. He rode 

 both well and hard, and his whole soul was in his 

 hounds and their performances, and nothing upset 

 him so much as the sublime indifference to the pack 

 exhibited by the majority of the field, whether on 

 wheels or hunters. He worked very hard at keeping 

 the country, and was very hospitable to everybody, 

 especially to the guild of sportsmen." 



Like other Masters of hounds in Kildare, Sir 

 Edward was a warm supporter of the Turf, and not 

 only owned several racers, but enjoyed a consider- 

 able reputation as an amateur rider. 



Sir Edward had also the admirable habit of his 

 family of keeping a hunting diary, and I have before 

 me at this moment such a diary extending over the 

 last three years of his Mastership, the seasons of 

 1 87 1 to 1874. It includes also a r^sum^ of the total 

 finds and kills during the whole of his term from 

 the year 1868 to 1874, information which will 

 enable me to make some interesting comparisons 

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