16 



the meeting, and a committee was formed consisting of the late Lord 

 Bessborough, Sir Robert Paul, the late Mr. Thomas Lalor, the late 

 Mr. David Malcomson, Mr. Joseph Strangraan, and a few others. 



The late Mr. Henry Whitby Briscoe of Tinvane was unanimously 

 elected as our new Master, and Mr. John T. Medlycott of Rocketts 

 Castle kindly consented to undertake the duties of honorary secretary. 

 A list of subscribers was then opened and most liberal sums promised 

 by all present, Lords Waterford and Bessborough, with Messrs. Dav 

 George and Fred Malcomson, heading it with princely amounts. 



Each gentleman who owned a fox-covert offered it free to the new 

 ^Master. Lord Bessborough had several in the Kilkenny country, 

 which, by the arrangement with the late Lord Waterford, were 

 subject to a rental of fifty pounds a year to the Kilkenny Hunt. Lord 

 Bessborough, in addition to his subscription to the new fund, now 

 undertook to pay this rent, so that our Hunt might retain them. 



Soon after this meeting and previous to the auction at Curragh- 

 more in June, Mr. Briscoe, as promised by Lord Waterford, selected 

 his pick of the Curraghmore hounds and four of the hunters. This 

 he did with the assistance of Johnny Ryan the huntsman, and chose 

 thirty-two out of the sixty couple which constituted the pack. The 

 first lot chosen by Briscoe was that of five couple and a half, a 

 reduction of the Brocklesby pack, which had been sent by Lord 

 Yarborough to Lord Waterford the very week he was killed, and 

 which the poor Marquis never even saw. His selection of the 

 hunters was Merryman, Sunshine, Cheasty, and Wall— horses suitable 

 in every way for the work they were to be continued at. The title 

 was then changed to that of " The Curraghmore Hunt," as Lord John, 

 in his position of a clergyman, did not wish the pack to be called by 

 his name. 



Lord Henry had always given three or four days a week, but when 

 the Hunt was changed to a subscription pack the money available 

 did not enable Mr. Briscoe to have more than two days. So great 

 an extent of country not being now necessary, fresh arrangements 

 were made with the Kilkenny men, and they took back a portion of 

 the territory which had been lent to the late ]\[arquis, including 

 Wynne's Gorse, Kiltorcan, Castlemorres, and Killeen, all fine sporting 

 coverts. 



The sum agreed to be given Mr. Briscoe for hunting the country 

 was £580 per annum, which, however, was subsequently raised to 

 £1,000 ; the fund in addition provided for keeping in order the coverts, 

 fowl and damage claims, and expended a lot of money in repairs of 

 the kennels and stabling at Tinvane, and started the new Master with 

 extra horses. The payment of field money which, of course, in Lord 

 Waterford's time was unknown, was then introduced, and this also 

 was given to Mr. Briscoe. Hounds and horses were then removed to 

 Tinvane. 



I have before me the " Curraghmore Kennel Book," commencing in 



