68 IRISH SPORT AKD SPORTSMEN. 



of fence to negotiate, walls, double and single fences 

 (some of the latter faced with stone, and straight as a 

 house), water and timber occasionally, but not often. 

 Whenever you want a horse, if you get one that has 

 gone straight over our country, you may be certain 

 of a safe conveyance over any country in Great 

 Britain. 



We have not many big woodlands except Curragh- 

 more, Kilcash, and Newtown ; Coolnamuck and Church- 

 town used to be, but the trees have been cut down ; 

 and we have some of the finest, oldest, and prettiest 

 gorses in Ireland. What lovely covers are those of 

 Carrigtruss and Knockbrack ; strongholds of foxes 

 for the last century. Carrigeen, Tubrid, Wilmer, 

 Ballydurn, Rathgormack, Ballyneil, Kilmoylan, and 

 Kilmacthomas (a bad scenting cover). Then the 

 new gorses his lordship planted, viz., Earlies Gorse, 

 Weatherstown, Rochestown, MuUinahone, and surely 

 we must not forget classic old Tory Hill, which 

 is a land-mark for miles around, and which held 

 many good foxes and afforded sport for years and 

 years past. By way of parenthesis, I will tell you 

 what old Sir John Power said of Tory Hill once. 

 He was a supporter of the Whigs, and one day, after 

 a severe run, the hounds were running up its steep 

 side, and Sir John found his horse was very beaten ; 

 He got off, and leading him up, he was heard to say, 

 " Damn you, Tory, I wish you and every other Tory 

 were levelled !" Then we have those grand nurseries 

 for foxes in summer, and from which we have many 

 a fine run in winter : — Clonassey, Carrig-a-tubrid, 

 Dowling, Corbally, Newtown, and Kilcash ; and in 

 the lowlands you see Bessborough, Belleisle, Cregg, 



