MR. ALLEN M'dONOGH. 343 



CHAPTER XXV. 



MR. ALLEN m'DONOGH. 



As I have promised to record in it the " doings " of 

 the most remarkable patrons of field-sports, for the en- 

 tertainment of those who honour my maiden essay as an 

 author with their kind support, I think this work would 

 be deficient, were on its pages not inscribed, in a 

 very special way, the name of Mr. Allen M'Donogh. 

 He is one of the most noted of the many sporting 

 celebrities who have, by their straightforward con- 

 duct, their love of sport, and their wonderful feats in 

 the saddle, tended to make Irish sportsmen famous 

 throughout the world. Mr. M'Donogh was born, in 

 1808, at Willmont, one mile from Portumna, in the 

 County of Galway. When a mere boy, he evinced an 

 ardent love for silk and scarlet and out-door sports of 

 all kinds. His father, although he never raced a 

 horse, always kept a stud of good hunters. The sub- 

 ject of this notice remembers to have seen, when very 

 young, eight of his father's horses (value for at least 

 ^800), shot one morning, owing to their being affected 

 by that terrible malady, glanders, then much more 

 prevalent than now. When he was eight years old, 

 Mr. M'Donogh's father died, and a few years afterwards 

 he was sent to Tullamore College, to be inducted into 

 a knowledge of syntax and prosody, but he evidently 

 preferred Diana to all the gods and goddesses he met 

 with in his classical readings. He was no sooner in 

 the academy than he became " home sick ;" and, long- 

 ing for his equine and canine pets, and to " tread once 



