Foxhunting in a wet and wonderful Ireland

Despite record rains and flooding in Ireland, seven students and two faculty members spent their Thanksgiving Break foxhunting in the Emerald Isle. It was messy but marvelous, according to the group. Here’s an abridged version of the daily reports sent by Directory of Technology Merrilyn Blue.

Nov. 23: We arrived at the Dunraven Arms to learn that hunting has been cancelled in the area tomorrow, so, instead of joining the Scarteen Hunt, we will travel to the Galway Blazers a couple of hours north of Adare. We will get our horses from the famous Willie Leahy of Galway and look forward to jumping the stone walls of the north country.

Nov. 24: After a three-hour drive through rain-soaked and flooded Irish countryside, we arrived at the meet in a village called Monivea. In the village square, we met Willie Leahy and our horses for the day. It was pouring! It continued to rain all day and we stayed to the roads most of the time. We witnessed incredible hound work with Galways’ pack. It was always a tight and efficient pack and made beautiful music for us under harsh conditions. We viewed the hunted fox many times and came home soaked to the bone.

Nov. 25: Following a leisurely breakfast, we drove northeast to The Rock of Cashel and then south to Blarney Castle. The Rock of Cashel, home to the kings of Munster in the 5th century, is a fortress-like cathedral on a rock promontory surrounded by graves that are topped with beautiful Celtic crosses. At Blarney Castle, we all hung upside down over a sheer rock wall 150 feet in the air and kissed the Blarney Stone. (There were safety bars – not to worry) Then, we were off to do some shopping at the Blarney Woolen Mills.

Nov. 26: After a night of pouring rain and blowing winds, we packed up hunt kits and headed to the Tipperary Hunt meet just outside of Fethard and the Coolmore Stud. As we drove, the sun rose to a beautiful sunny day. We were met by a lorry fillled with beautifully turned out field hunters. These horses were not just beautiful but turned out to be some the best mudders we have ever encountered. And, boy was there mud! The natives said that this was the heaviest and deepest going they remember. Our horses were brilliant! We jumped numerous banks, ditches, fly fences and more. Most of the time we were in hock deep mud and having a great time! After four and a half hours in the saddle and covered in mud, we reluctantly gave our steeds back to Pat and headed home to the Dunraven for a much anticipated Thanksgiving dinner.

Nov. 27: Our trip to the meet in Kildimo took only 10 minutes. The Stonehall Harriers country stretches along the Shannon River and is bordered by Limerick Hunt country to the east. We met our horses at the Seven Sisters Pub and promptly moved off at noon. Lots of water in the fields but good hound work and lots of fun. We had a great view of a fox running at full speed across the field with hounds a few feet behind. He leapt over the stream in one bound, leaving the hounds to ford the stream while he got away. It was very exciting. We jumped stone walls, banks, and barbed wire with pallets laid against it. We forded flooded fields and galloped really fast in the most beautiful country we have seen yet.

Tomorrow we go to Clonshire Equestrian Center to ride cross country one more time followed by a visit to the Limerick Foxhounds kennels and a chat with the huntsman. And then it’s time to pack and head home. What a wonderful time we have had!