26 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



during those festive gatherings the fun of the 

 chase was only exceeded by the hilarity of the 

 after dinner time, when the majority of the com- 

 pany were Bacchi plenus before being conveyed to 

 bed. En passant^ I may remark that they had a 

 very beautiful service of plate, which was after- 

 wards sold to discharge some of the debts, and this 

 they always brought with them during these excur- 

 sions. Such was then the custom, and right merry 

 meeting these festive reunions were. About this 

 time the Benson's Club was in existence, and the 

 members used to bring a pack of hounds with them 

 to Castlepollard, county Westmeath, annually, and 

 during a month's sojourn there the fun and dissi- 

 pation were something wonderful. Colonel Lennox, 

 afterwards Duke of Richmond, a notorious bon vivafit^ 

 having heard of the bibulous capacity of the mem- 

 bers of "Benson's" sent a challenge, which was 

 accepted. The test of endurance between the con- 

 tending parties was, that after drinking two bottles of 

 brandy, and smoking an ounce of tobacco, with occa- 

 sional relays of "devilled" kidneys, they, without 

 ever going to bed, should hunt all day, the best 

 ** stayer" to win. The colonel distanced all his 

 competitors with the exception of a Mr. O'Rielly. 

 The performance commenced on a Monday ; on the 

 Sunday morning following, when he walked into the 

 kitchen, the colonel was amazed to see his opponent 

 dancing with the chambermaid ; he at once "threw 

 up the sponge," and, no doubt, spoke truly when he 

 said, " I never met a man before who could drink six 

 nights^ hunt six days, and then enjoy an Irish jig 

 with Betty." 



