18 



The choice of Mr. Henry Briscoe as Master was most excellent, 

 for no man knew the duties all round better than he. He had kept 

 and hunted foxhounds of his own for several years previous to his 

 selling them to Lord AVaterford, and he always studied the working 

 of hounds during the many years he continuously hunted with the 

 Kilkenny, Tipperary, and Lord Waterford's packs. Briscoe rode to 

 hunt, and did not hunt to ride. He was in a word both theoretically 

 and practically qualitied in every way for the duties of M.F.H., but as 

 I shall devote a chapter entirely to that great foxhunter, I need 

 now say no more about him except so far as directly concerns the 

 subject of this chapter. 



Briscoe started with Johnny Ryan as huntsman and Billy Barry a& 

 whipper-in, each of whom had served under Lord Waterford in their 

 respective capacities. Barry was, however, soon parted with, and his 

 place was filled by Harry Hardy, who in turn also changed and went 

 to Mr. Filgate, then and ever since Master of the Louth Foxhounds, 

 and with whom he has remained to the present day. Briscoe then 

 imported John Duke from an English southern pack, and things 

 worked most harmoniously for some years without further change ; 

 Ryan carrying the horn, with Duke whipping in to him. 



Old Johnny was a capital huntsman, quick as lightning, but 

 never in a hurry. He was a brilliant rider to hounds, with one of 

 the neatest seats I ever saw and perfect hands ; he seldom used 

 his horn, and when he did he had but three blasts, each totally 

 distinct from the other — one long single note to draw hounds from 

 covert, one sharp quick touch to bring them to him when casting, 

 and a rattling double-double-double to get them away on their fox 

 and proclaim the end of a run. He had a melodious voice, but used 

 it also sparingly. After some years he gave up his post and went to 

 America. 



Briscoe then took the horn himself and showed a continuance of 

 quite as good sport as we had with Ryan ; Duke whipped to Briscoe 

 also, and soon became first-rate at his work, he was a very fine 

 rider and had a powerful and capital voice. Dan Ryan, a son of 

 the huntsman, was soon after made second whip, and a right good 

 man he was ; and for many years he whipped to Duke, when he- 

 succeeded to the horn. 



The Curraghmore hounds, under Mr. Briscoe, showed exceptionally 

 good sport. I don't think any other two-day-a-week pack in the 

 kingdom showed better within the same period, and, from what 

 I heard at the time, it quite equalled the magnificent sport shown by 

 Henry Lord Waterford in the previous decade of the Hunt. 



It would be tedious and uninteresting to the general reader to have 

 to wade through accounts of foxhunts— -no matter how brilliant — 

 which took place so many years ago, particularly when they had not 

 taken part in them, so I shall not impose the task upon them, except 

 so far as to prove to demonstration that the sport was of the character 

 I say. 



