252 IRISH SPORT AND SPORTSMEN. 



of Sir Hercules Langrishe, who was a great supporter 

 and good sportsman. Sir Hercules was, in more than 

 one respect, a very notable Irishman and wit. He 

 played once, in the then famous Kilkenny plays, Sir 

 Lucius O' Trigger, when Tom Moore (of the Melodies) 

 took some minor part. Riding with a Lord Lieutenant 

 in the Phoenix Park — I think Lord Anglesey — the Vice- 

 regal steed slid in a pool of water, and nearly unseated 

 the rider : ' Why the devil don't they drain the park ? ' 

 said his Excellency ; * Ah ! ' quoth Sir Hercules, 

 * they're too much taken up in draining the rest 

 of the country.' The Viceroy chuckled, so did Sir 

 Hercules. There used to be great fun at the hunt 

 dinners ; sportsmen from every county used to come 

 down for a week; officers used to come from Dublin, 

 Cork, and other places too. Young fellows on for all 

 sorts of fun. 'God bless the boys !' said a Crimean 

 Brigadier. ' How they bruised and boxed, laughed 

 and lushed, fought and philandered ; and, by gad, sir, 

 they were not milksops or mollycoddles.' When Sir 

 John Power went to live at Kilfane the hunt gained 

 great notoriety, and sportsmen from distant counties 

 used to come to hunt in Kilkenny." 



*' Who was huntsman to Sir John ? " 



" Byrne — a first-rate man at his business — was his 

 first ; Con was whip to him. After some years, Byrne 

 was succeeded by a most popular man, an adept at the 

 profession, indeed, Sir John would have no other ; his 

 name was Robert Comet. He came from Lord Yar- 

 borough, and brought with him three hounds from 

 that kennel — Crabbier, Graceful, and Gracious — and 

 from this stock were bred most magnificent hounds of 

 the true foxhound type. Mick Butler was first-whip 



