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and situated in the co. Waterford. These two were nearly all of 

 grass, and old laid down ; the fields are fairly, but not over, large, 

 and are divided by big, sound, safe fences, every part of which is 

 negotiable, allowing hounds to carry a head and race abreast over, 

 while horses have equal liberty and the advantage of being able to 

 keep on better terms with the hounds than if the fields were larger, 

 fences smaller, and at times having but one or two jumpable places 

 in them. 



In my experience I never saw a country I would prefer to ride over 

 to those of Pioss and Ballydurn. Yes, over them we used to have the 

 sport long ago ! The foxes were plenty, stout and straight ; the 

 country wild and not over-peopled or cattled ; and the coverts were 

 far apart. The old grass land nearly always, particularly in the Ross 

 country, carried a good scent ; so with a pack like the Curraghmore, 

 by Jove ! it was not surprising we had sport the like of which was 

 seldom equalled but never surpassed in any shire in England. 



"We had, however, some rough portions in the old country, 

 notably along the Welch hills, and in parts of Pembrokestown and 

 Knockaderry ; but if they required a bit more careful riding and did 

 at times knock up a horse, we could aU the more appreciate the 

 lovely open grass which we immediately got into after leaving those 

 scrub-clad regions. Over these parts, by the way, hounds usually 

 raced, the stunted bracken, furze, and heather rendering scent all the 

 more powerful. 



That about Mount Neil, which lies w^est of Kilmacow toAvards the 

 river Suir, required, I think, more judicious riding to get over safely 

 when hounds went hard than any other portion of Lord Waterford's 

 country. The fences were very straight with narrow tops, and had no 

 grips to guide a horse where to take off. Like all other parts it 

 ■carried a capital scent. On the other hand, the Clonassey country, 

 and all that lying along the incline to the Welch mountains as far as 

 "Carrigtruss, was enclosed with small single fences, mostly low walls, 

 to get over which all one had to do with his horse was to " sit down 

 in the saddle and keep his head straight."' 



The stiffest part in all Lord Waterford's region was that which lay 

 between Lane-Fox's Covert (three miles from the city of Waterford) 

 and the river Suir, round by Roanmore. It was, however, only of 

 some six square miles area, but if a man was carried by a new 

 purchase in safety over that little patch, he might place the most 

 implicit confidence in him wherever else he went. 



Taking the old Curraghmore country all in all, the good and the 

 bad, I don't think there was a more sporting one to ride over in any 

 part of the kingdom. We had every possible description of fence to 

 negotiate except timber and water— the pastures were sound, and 

 afforded the best of going ; there was very little plough, and when it 

 was met with a hundred yards generally got us to its end ; and if 

 betimes we came to a portion of bog or otherwise awkward going it 



