THE CURRAGHMORE HOUNDS. 83 



rather than beauty. The inside is exceedingly well 

 and comfortably laid out, but not to the same extent 

 of magnificence and show that one sees in houses of 

 other noblemen of Lord Waterford's position. The 

 stables form each side of the courtyard, and they, like 

 the house, are built for comfort, use, and health, rather 

 than for showing off the new inventions of stable fur- 

 niture and architecture. They contain boxes for about 

 thirty horses ; ranges of stalls for as many more ; 

 very extensive harness and saddle-rooms and coach- 

 houses. To the right as you enter the court are two 

 long ranges of box-stalls, built at the rear of those 

 forming the court ; in these are the servants' and young 

 horses, and in which is accommodation for some fifty. 

 The farmyard has the same characteristic, all for utility, 

 and resistance of wear and tear. 



The pointer and setter kennels adjoin, of course, 

 old Harney the gamekeeper's house, and are very 

 extensive, and near them is the pheasantry ; but his 

 lordship does not care much for the long tails, and has 

 but few. 



A stroll of a mile along the banks of the Clodiagh 

 brings us to the kennels. They are situated close to 

 the river, with a southern aspect. They have eight or 

 ten separate lodging-houses, with a large feeding- 

 house and drafting-yard in the centre. In front there 

 is a large enclosed paddock for airing the hounds 

 after feeding, and in this lies the only defect in them. 

 It is on a steep hill-side, with a fall to the kennels ; but 

 as the drainage is good, no bad effects are found, and 

 the hounds never suffer from kennel lameness. Outside 

 this is another large paddock, in which the brood bitches 

 lodge in wooden huts when they have their puppies. 



