l60 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



the people of the county are indebted for having the 

 present pack of foxhounds. Mr. J. A. Rochford Boyd, 

 in 1856, purchased the pack from Sir Richard Levinge, 

 and they were removed from Knockdrin to Middleton 

 Park, where they remained for a couple of years, and 

 Rawson was succeeded by Jack Mossom. Mr. Boyd 

 was not unsuccessful in his endeavours to show sport. 

 He was a good master ; and, as he kept a splendid 

 stud of hunters, he as well as his servants was invari- 

 ably well mounted. 



In 1858, however, there was another change, and 

 Mr. Fetherston-Haugh Briscoe became master, and 

 the hounds were brought to the Grangemore kennels, 

 situated at the Killucan end of the county. Mitchell, 

 who had been first whip in Kildare, was appointed 

 huntsman, assisted by Joseph Barton as whip. Bril- 

 liant sport was participated in by large fields ; foxes 

 became more numerous, and Mr. Briscoe hunted five 

 days a fortnight, and afterwards three days a week ; 

 but two years saw the end of his reign. The 

 hounds remained in the same kennels, when Lord 

 Vaux of Harrowden, in the most sportsmanlike man- 

 ner, came to the assistance of the hunting community 

 and formed a committee, consisting of Mr. J. A. Roch- 

 ford Boyd, Mr. Fetherston-Haugh Briscoe, and him- 

 self, to carry on the hunting of the country. His 

 lordship had always supported the foxhunting inte- 

 rests, and he induced eight gentlemen to subscribe in 

 order to purchase the pack from Mr. Briscoe, which 

 they did for ;!^4oo, that they should have them as a 

 county pack. Under the management of the com- 

 mittee the sport for a season was pretty fair, and 

 then, fortunately, Mr. G- Dease (now a gallant major), 



