THE KILDARE HOUNDS. 21 



To connect us, perhaps, with the great past, a club, 

 founded on the lines of the Benson's, still exists and 

 flourishes — The Down Hunt assembles yearly for 

 convivial purposes ; and as there are no hounds, and 

 the membership of the very exclusive body entails no 

 qualifications in horsemanship, the memories of old 

 days, when many of the body followed the Lord 

 Charlemont to Dungannon, and the pictures of long 

 since dead members in the quaint uniform of the 

 club, are the only connecting links with the time 

 when sport was its raison d''etre. The election to the 

 privilege of wearing- the drab dress coat and gold button^ 

 is an honour very eagerly sought by Ulster gentle- 

 men ; and the man who emerges unscathed from the 

 annual week's long symposia, will have proved his 

 claim to membership of any convivial body in dear 

 Ireland or elsewhere. 



In 1808, field-money was first paid in Kildare, the 

 sum charged being i^-. %d. On the 6th of April, 

 1808, a resolution was passed that the full dress 

 uniform should be, blue coat, buff waistcoat. 



It may interest some to know who were the most 

 liberal subscribers to the fund in those days. In 

 1825 these were — The Duke of Leinster, ^50; Lord 

 W. Fitzgerald, £2^ ^s. <^d. ; Robert La Touche, 

 £^0; H. Carroll, ^50; Lord Mayo, ^20; W. H. 

 Carter, ;^ 2 2 155.; Colonel Loftus, £\\ 'js. 6d.\ John 

 H. Mayle, and Robert Saunders, ^^22 15^. 



In 1841, Sir John Kennedy resigned, after a reign 

 of much longer duration than any of his successors 

 have enjoyed. He was succeeded by Mr. John La 

 Touche, of Harristown. His term of office extends 

 over five seasons, during which time his great efforts 



