Il8 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



Damer, and Colonel Filgate of Lisrenny, joined their 

 packs for the purpose. The pack was kept some 

 years by Mr. Sheills, and the first record we have of 

 the Louth Foxhounds' meets being- advertised is in 

 1820. When Mr. Sheills gave up the hounds, they 

 were taken by the late Mr. Fortescue of Stephens- 

 town, who went to great expense in joining the 

 country and getting together a first-rate pack of 

 hounds. During Mr. Sheills' time a man named 

 William (or Billy) Kelly was huntsman, and he was 

 succeeded, when Mr. Fortescue took them, by Patrick 

 Cleary. Mr. Fortescue gave up the hounds in 1837 

 or 1838, and was succeeded for about three seasons 

 by the present Mr. Mervyn Pratt of Cabra Castle, 

 who hunted the hounds himself, his first whip being 

 Thomas Mathews, who afterwards became huntsman, 

 and held the horn till 1857. After Mr. Pratt resigned, 

 they were for a season or two in the hands of a 

 committee, with the late Mr. Straten of Dundalk at its 

 head, and about 1842, were taken by Mr. Arthur 

 Upton, till 1846, when they again fell into the charge 

 of a committee; but in 1848, they were taken by Mr. 

 William Ruxton of Ardee House, who carried them 

 on till 1854. The present Lord Bellew then had 

 them for one season, and in 1855 they were 

 taken by Mr. Robert Haig of Dundalk, who kept 

 them for five years, handing them over, in i860, to 

 the present master. During Mr. Haig's master- 

 ship, in 1857, Thomas Mathews was supernnuated, 

 and he was succeeded by a namesake, aiiother 

 Thomas Mathews, a man very celebrated in his 

 profession both in England and in Ireland. When 

 Mr. Haig retired from the mastership, Mathews went 

 to the Meath Hounds for one season, and then 



