36 



No doubt this was a very brilliant gallop, and lacked only a kill in 

 the open to classify it as a jyerfect foxhunt ; but a well-known gentle- 

 man who was on a visit at Curraghmore at the time, and who for 

 years had hunted as a rule five and six days a week with some of the 

 crack packs of the English shires, told me the day after that he 

 never saw so fine a foxhunt in his life, nor had he heard of its equal 

 in England for a long time. And when I told him as a matter of fact 

 that we had had two or three runs that season just as fine as the one 

 under discussion, and that we expected to have even better before 

 the end, I don't think he credited me, but he might have done so. 



November 11, 1873 : Carrigeen, two miles straight for Knockaderry, 

 to the right through Carrigphilip, Ballytobin, and Shanaclune to 

 within half a mile of Dunhill Castle, then to the right through 

 Ballynageera and Savagetown, across the Waterford and Kiln road at 

 the old police barracks, and straight up to Carrigeen again, through 

 the little gorse without a check and straight for Slievenamoona, 

 the hounds running into their fox in the middle of the field next 

 Eathanny covert. Distance by six-inch Ordnance map, eleven miles ; 

 time, fifty- seven minutes. This good fox ran until he died, for he 

 dropped dead before the hounds ran into him. 



February 24, 1871 : Gardenmorris, through Carrigeen, by Carrig- 

 philip bog, through Knockaderry and across what is now the middle 

 of the reservoir, by Mr. Christmas' school-house, through Pembrokes- 

 town and Butlerstown, and killed in the open at Old Court. Eighteen 

 miles ; one hour forty minutes. A point to point of nine miles. 



It occurred to me at the time that I never before saw so many out 

 of a small field ride so fairly all through as fine a run as this was. 

 Up to Butlerstown, within a mile of the finish, ten or twelve men 

 continued well with the hounds, and at least six or seven saw the fox 

 killed. A few days after I found an explanation of this. It was at 

 that time a habit of mine, when I had the chance, to walk, as soon 

 after as possible, the line of any exceptionally fine run that I might 

 have ridden. Accordingly, I walked the one in question. Strange, 

 but true, along it all I did not find a fence which could stop any man 

 who had the slightest inclination to ride until I arrived at Butlers- 

 town. After that I found some big ones, particularly after crossing 

 the Dungarvan road. Several men that day took for a time the 

 " pride of place," but I don't think anyone held it as long as the late 

 and deeply lamented Captain William Quin of Loughloher on his 

 grey Chasseur d'Afrique, but the horse never recovered the effects. 

 Father "SVilliam Gubbins of Kilmallock also went well. 



Soon after the Old Court run, we had one from Knockbrack to near 

 MuUinahone, then a wide sweep towards Carrig-a-Xurragh, by Cat's 

 Bock, to the base of Tory Hill. Leaving it on the right, the fox went 

 two miles as if for Clonassey, then wheeled down to near Dunkit. 

 Here, I think, he lost his bearings, for although well ahead he never 

 tried any of the many places he might have got to ground in about 



