96 



Manifestly it would be to their own advantage, as well as to the 

 public, if the owners of these stallions used supervision over the mares 

 they allow to their horses, for the reputation of the sire cannot be either 

 made or maintained if the mares be of a bad class, while, if unsuitable 

 mares could not get sarved by well-bred sires, they as a class would 

 soon ba relegated. Most of our stallions are the property of gentlemen 

 of means, who have the interest of our horse-breeding at heart, and it 

 is from them the example should come, the following of which would 

 develop more generally the improvement which I maintain has of late 

 years come over Irish horse-breeding. 



I have no list by me, so I can jot down only as they occur to me the 

 l^roprietors of our Irish Stud Farms, and of necessity I must omit some. 

 However, here follows a goodly number :— 



Mr. William Pallin of Athgarvan, Mr. James Daly of Clonsilla, Mrs. 

 Anderson of Ballymoney, Mr. John Gubbins of Knockany, ^Ir. John 

 Hutton of Ligamaddy, Mr. K J. Corbally of Rathbeal, Mr. Hillier of 

 Castleknock, Mr. Charles Blake of Heath House, Mr. William Brophy 

 of Herbertstown, Mr. ^lat Maher of Ballinkeele, Mr. R. X. Talbot 

 of Grennan, Mr. J. C. Murphy of Oberstown, Capt. Greer of Crotans- 

 town, Lord Greville of Clonhugh, Sir Charles Coote of Ballyfinn, Mr. 

 John Reese of Civility Farm, Mr. B. B. Trench of Loughton, Mr. J. 

 O'C. Murphy of Breemount, Mr. William Dunne of Bally manus, Messrs. 

 Widger of Waterford, Mr. Davies of Kilcock, Mr. R. C. Dawson of 

 Cloughran, and Mr. Edmond Smithwick of Kilcreene. 



With the exception of the establishments of Messrs. Dunne, Gubbins, 

 Maher, and Brophy, I don't think any of the above were in existence 

 twenty years ago ; while many of them can't count ten anniversaries. 

 They nearly all rank as first class, and many of them have no superior 

 in England. In them are from five or six to a score or more brood 

 mares, some half, but mostly thoroughbred, and all possessing every 

 essential for dropping stout foals. 



Mr. Gubbins, at Knockany, co. Limerick, has Kendal, by Bend Or, 

 standing at 200g3. a mare. Mr. Pallin for the service of Favo and 

 Mr. Murphy for Boulevard get 50gs., while Mr. Gordon for Ben 

 Battle gets 30gs. The other sires in these various studs are let out 

 to thorough and half bred mares at from 5g3. to 20gs. Then we have 

 the Government thoroughbred sires standing at £1 a mare to farmers, 

 and distributed all over the country, together with those other stud 

 farms which I can't call to memory. Of course there are also many 

 men w^ho, although their establishments may not be very extensive, 

 have several useful mares and also thoroughbred stallions. This speaks 

 volumes for the facility which Irish breeders now have for getting at 

 good blood. When, therefore, they flourished so well in the past, 

 what must not be expected of them in the future ? 



The stud farms at Knockany and Bruree owned by my friend Mr. 

 John Gubbins are the most extensive in Ireland, and few are more so 

 in England. The Knockany Stud was established in 1866 by his elder 



