THE GALWAY HOUNDS. 129 



which it has borne so long. One story is, that at a 

 hunt dinner, it was proposed by Mr. Persse, and 

 seconded by Robert French of Rahasane, that they 

 should be called the * Blazers,' out of compliment to 

 Mr. Robert D'Arcy of Woodville, and James Burke 

 of St. Cleran's, both of whom had ruby locks, and were 

 consequently called the * Blazers.' Mr. D'Arcy was 

 at that time treasurer of the hunt. Some say that 

 it originated in this way: While Robert Parsons 

 Persse was master the hounds used to go once a year 

 to Birr, where they were met by the members of the 

 Ormond Hunt. After the day's hunting was over the 

 men of both hunts dined together. Many queer 

 stories are told of the extraordinary * doings ' at 

 these festive reunions. To cement good fellowship 

 they assembled ; the loving cup passed quickly round, 

 for the men of the period after worshipping at the 

 shrine of Diana by day were wont to honour Bacchus 

 at night, They were veritable 'umbrella nights;* 

 and during one of those midnight orgies they set fire 

 to the establishment of host Dooley, and it was burnt 

 to the ground ; hence, according to many, the deriva- 

 tion of the title. But I believe the other story to be 

 the correct one. Mr. Robert Parsons Persse died in 

 1829, and then the hounds returned to the kennels, 

 where they have been ever since." 



** Why, I thought Mr. Christopher St. George suc- 

 ceeded Robert Parsons Persse." 



" Mr. St. George kept a private pack for a short 

 time after Robert Parsons Persse' s death, but the 

 ancestors of the one now in existence never left 

 the Persse family ; and it was not until 1840 that the 

 first subscription pack was established in Gal way. 



