THE WESTMEATH HOUNDS. 1 65 



good man in the field and kennel, is huntsman, with 

 J. Mason and Frank Toop as whips. 



There are forty-three couple of good, useful work- 

 ing hounds in the kennel at present. The country is 

 fairly stocked with foxes, to be found chiefly in the 

 natural woods and demesnes, there not being many 

 artificial coverts ; but they are all the better for that, 

 and take some killing. Parts of the country are hilly 

 and not too easy to get over ; but west of MuUingar 

 is a fine grass country, with coverts few and far be- 

 tween, and there a fox must run for his life, for 

 he cannot easily find a haven of refuge. Mr. R* 

 W. Reynell of Killynon, and Mr. Henry Murray of 

 Mount Murray, may be looked upon as the fathers of 

 the hunt ; both were good riders in their day, and 

 very hard indeed to beat, the latter especially being a 

 very fine horseman, and in former days Major Dease 

 was a veritable " clinker." In the first flight is now 

 always to be seen Captain J. R. Malone, no ordinary 

 welter-weight ; Mr. O'Reilly is always very hard to 

 beat, and Lord Kilmaine is generally the leader of the 

 " light brigade." Mr. C. Coffy of Newcastle, also rides 

 well, and is an ardent lover of hunting. It would 

 be strange if his tastes did not incline in a manner 

 which pre-eminently entitles him to mention in my 

 memoranda of the chase, as, if there is any tfuth in 

 the old saw, "breeding will tell," he is a natural 

 sportsman. He keeps a very good pack of harriers, 

 as did his father before him for very many years. 

 Few names have been so long associated with the 

 Irish turf as that of Mr. Richard Coffy, who bred and 

 raced many famous racers and chasers — The De- 



