FROM THE ARCHIVES: It's the time of year when fox hunting was the main sport of the hunting, shooting, fishing classes: this report from 1901 recalls a Kildare Hunt meeting which was a danger to the hunters as well as the hunted. – JOE JOYCE
THURSDAY, THE 3rd – Ballytore. The meet was just in front of the old schoolhouse, famous for being able to number amongst its sons one of Ireland’s most brilliant orators, Edmund Burke. It is now almost in ruins. Devies, which is under the care of Mr Fennell, was our first draw. On the last occasion we visited it we had a most tiresome wait while hounds were hunting in covert a fox that refused to leave. On Thursday we are not kept long ere a fine specimen breaks towards the road. There is a quick scurry to the narrow hunting gate, and when we get through hounds are running to our right through a nasty swampy bit of ground. A few follow them, and are rewarded for their enterprise by seeing hounds swing from them, and, favouring the field, who are to the left, making for the high road. We then run straight to the Behan road and, crossing it, wheel to the right, and have a nice bit before crossing one of the many roads near Birtown, and up to Mr Fennell’s place at Birtown house.
The fence here requires a bit of doing, Mr Raftery, who was very much on the ride, gets over first with what looked like a nasty fall. In the lawn two couples of hounds get away from the pack, and by the time the remainder are on the line the hunt is practically over, all traces of our fox having disappeared in a most mysterious fashion The bog-covert at Youngstown, better known as Cooney’s, is next drawn. There is a lot of wild gorse, in the furthest end we find.
Our fox keeps to the swampy land for some time, and at the off-right corner of the low-lying ground seeks the upland, and gives us a short ring back to the same spot. A couple of casts are necessary before the line is hit off, and running parallel to the covert we have a very treacherous half mile before getting on to sound going. When we do we run nearly up to Glassealy House, and a big up-bank near it gives a quartette a start of the field, who, turning to the right, are “wired”. Hounds run nearly up to the Glassealy road, and swing to the left near Old Grange Cross roads, and it looks as if the Monte of Ardscull is meant; but our fox, turning to the left, again runs back to Cooney’s, running through it and over the road beyond.
Here a sad sight meets our view, that good sportsman, Major Alexander, of Newtown, lying on a gate, evidently badly hurt. It appears that when going away from Cooney’s, his horse made a mistake at a narrow bank double, and failing to get over the gripe at the far side, came back on his rider, and lay on him. Major Alexander’s head was under water, and he was with difficulty rescued. When his horse was pulled off him and he himself was taken out, it was seen he was badly hurt. Doctors O’Neill and Colgan, who were both out, were quickly on the scene, and first aid was rendered, and as far as it could be surmised the left thigh and collar-bone were broken. Major Alexander, though evidently in great pain, was not unconscious, and complained more of the cold than anything else, and, with a cigarette in his mouth, and lying well covered up at the bottom of Mr More O’Ferrall’s brake, which most opportunely happened to be near, seemed to think much less of his accident than his many friends who were only too anxious to assist him.
I fear there is no chance of his being out again this season, and hope that he may soon get over the effects of his nasty fall; if bulldog pluck and a good constitution, backed by the sympathy of every man and woman in Kildare can assist him, he certainly will.
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