The Irish standard., 1905-01-07
FOR SP0RTSMEN
Ireland Looked Upon as a
"Happy Hunting Ground"
And the Natives Know a Horse
When They See Him.

ideal happy hunting ground" for va
rious reasons, the chief of them being
that, to il man Of limited means, a sea-
sons hunting can be carried on far
more economically than Oh this side of
of the Channel, says writer in the
Gael. Another very important advan-
tage which Erin possesses is that the
winters are milder than in Great Brit
ain, and there is not the same risk of
being stopped by frost.
OF late years, Ireland is becoming
more and more popular with English
and foreign sportsmen, and many
places in the counties Dublin, Meath
and kildare are now rented for the
hunting season, and, what is more to
the purpose, these visitors are bccom-
ing regular migrants, coming back as
surely as the swallows. This is not to
be wondered at when it is considered
what facilities the Green Isle affords.
Perhaps there is no other town or
city in the three kingdoms from which
better hunting can be had, on reason
able terms, than from Dublin. From
it two tirst-class packs Of foN-hounds
the Meath and the Kildare-and
magnificent pack of staghounds-the
Wards-are within easy reach, and
any one making it his headquarters
can hunt six days a week, if he feels
inclined Tor able) to do so, at much less
cost than anywhere else. Besides the
packs named, if a change is desired,
turn can be had with the Louth or
Westmeath foNhounds, or one or other
of several packs of harriers-all with
in reach.
The Meath may be taken as the
crack Irish pack; with 20 couples of
hounds it is only second to the Beau
fort, and is the one Irish pack which
hunts five days in the week, viz. Mon
day, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday.
The Meath country Is 60 miles long
by 80 miles wide, and evrey description
of fence can be had. In what is called
th" Dublin country" the bitches are
wide and deep with narrow banks,
which take ''some doing" Most Of the
country, however, is fenced with enor-
nous doubles" and is nearly all in
grass, with large fields. Wire exists
pretty largely in parts, but arrange
ments aer generally made with the
farmers to take it down during the
hunting season. The best centers to
keep horses at are Navan, Dunboync,
or Dunshaughlin, which are in tltr
cream of the country. Mr.. John Wat
son makes capital master, and has
held thee post since 1891. For the
Meaths one requires well-bred hunt
er which can gallop, jump and stay
to have a chance of living with them.
The Midland & Great Western rail-
way does everything possible to ac-
commodate hunting men, and runs
trains for all meets.
In the season 19O2-O3 the Meath
hounds opened the campaign on No
vember i, and hunted 100 days, being
only stopped on five. They killed 4S
brace of foxes, and had some excellent
runs; one from Rotoath Gorse, cover
ing 25 miles. and lasting two hours and
10 minutes, never touching a covert,
the fox making fifteen-mile point.
This is only sample Of what the
"Royal Meaths'' can do, and anyone
who cannot be satisfied with them
must, indeed, be glutton.
The killing Kildares' muster Sc
couples, and hunt four days a week,
viz: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday. The kildare country ex-
tends over district some So miles
long by 20 miles in width, most of it
grass and nice going. The fences vary
very much, but it is mostly a bank
country. A clever, well-bred, bold
horse is what is wanting. kildare can
easily be hunted from Dublin, the
Great Southern & Western railway
running special trains to suit the con-
vcnience of huntsmen; but for anyone
wishing to keep their horses on the
spot, the town Of Mas will be found
the most convenient center. The Kill
dare hunt dates back for considerable
over a century, and the present master
is Baron de Robecl, who, as Colonel IT.
de Robeck, took over the horn in 1897.
The Ward Union staghounds have
been made famous by Whyte-Melville,
but he did not exaggerate, nor take
pOetical license when he wrote of the
glorious difficulties Of those who "hunt
with the Ward" The "Ward" pack
consists of about As couples of partic-
ularly fine, fast hounds, and they have
a grand herd of over 20 red deer, some
of which have afforded wonderful runs.
Most of the meets are within easy dis
lance of Dublin. The Ward country
lies in the counties of Dublin and
Meath. much of it being hunted by the
Meath foNhounds. They hunt three
days week-NIonday. Wednesday and
Saturday. The best center for the
Wards is Dunshaughlin. The mini
mum subscription is Is per annum, in
Kildare it is f1O (for residents). and
in Meath from f10 upward.