156 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



run. There was a full moon, and a good scent ; and 

 the Marquis, on a horse called Surprise, and Ryan, the 

 huntsman, on a one-eyed horse, rode in brilliant style 

 throughout. The fox was run into while endeavour- 

 ing to jump a high wall near Thomastown, at twenty 

 minutes past eleven o'clock at night. 



The music of the hounds, crossing the country at 

 such an hour, caused no small amount of wonder. A 

 peasant who heard the Marquis's thrilling who-whoop! 

 and the chimes of the pack, as the gallant old varmint 

 was held high for a throw, was so terrified that he 

 almost died of the fright ; and for many a day stories 

 were told by the country-folk about this memorable 

 chase ; and more than one amongst them firmly be- 

 lieved that it was his Satanic Majesty and his hell- 

 hounds that they saw. Lord Waterford hunted the 

 country for six seasons. He had kennels built at 

 Lakefield, near Fethard, but they were maliciously 

 burnt down ; this annoyed him so much that he gave 

 up the hounds. But he presented several couple of 

 them, five horses, and a subscription of ;^ 100 a year 

 to a committee of Tipperary gentlemen to hunt the 

 country. 



As particulars of Lord Waterford's very eventful 

 career as a sportsman are given in a portion of this 

 work, I need pass no eulogy on him here, though I 

 cannot in a book such as this but mention the thrill 

 of sorrow felt throughout Ireland for the sad fate that 

 befel that public benefactor on the memorable March 

 afternoon upon which he was killed, when 



" Mayboy stumbled o'er the rotten wall." 

 The committee had the hounds for a short time, 



