2 20 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



Lord Shannon is now one of the most popular mas- 

 ters in England, where he has the Vale of White Horse 

 Hounds. 



Henry Robert Boyle, fifth earl, was born in 1833, 

 and was educated at Eton. When nineteen years of 

 age he went as attache at Frankfort, whence he was 

 soon afterwards transferred to Vienna. In 1853, he 

 retired from the service, and six years afterwards mar- 

 ried Lady Blanche Lascelles, daughter of the Earl of 

 Harewood. She died in 1863, his Lordship suc- 

 ceeded his father in 1868, and the same year married 

 Julia Charlotte, youngest daughter of Sir William 

 Cradock Hartopp, Bart. When his Lordship took the 

 mastership of the United Hunt, he at once set about 

 improving the pack and the country ; indeed, he re- 

 made the country which had been hunted by his father. 

 He had R. Pattle as huntsman for one year, with Pat 

 Neil, who had been whip to Mr. Uniacke. As first 

 whip, Pattle was replaced by Wheatley, previously 

 whip to the Duke of Grafton, and his '* aids" were P. 

 Neil and John Curtis. After a lapse of two years, 

 George Bollin was made huntsman, with Tom Perry 

 and Curtis to turn them to him. In 1875, Lord 

 Shannon gave up the hounds, and sold his bitch pack 

 to the present committee of the United Hunt Club, 

 and his dog pack to the Duhallow Club. The man- 

 agers of the United Hunt soon succeeded in getting a 

 good dog pack, and they have now forty-five couple 

 of working hounds. The hounds were kept at 

 Castle- Martyr ; but were removed very recently to 

 new kennels at Middleton, a move in the right direc- 

 tion certainly, as they are five miles nearer to the 

 centre of the country. Last season (1876-7) John 



