Irish Foxhuting Vacation - I'm back....

[Hilary]

Just wanted to post that I had the most fantastic trip at the end of January foxhunting in Ireland - I went via Loughrea Equestrian and Gerry McCarthy in Loughrea - which is about 45 minutes from Galway.

I rode 5 times - 4 of them hunts, on a 7 day trip. I capped at 4 different hunts - 2 in Tipperary, and 2 in Co. Galway and saw all manner of Irish terrain - banks, drains, stone walls - lots of mud and wire, but came home in one piece, as did the horses.

Anyone interested in doing such a trip I cannot recommend Gerry enough - he was fantastic - his horses are well trained and safe, no worries about equipment either. I am pretty experienced but saw and did things on horse I’d never imagined possible - my favorite day was in “wall country” where we jumped stone wall after stone wall, and my 2nd favorite was in a tiny town called Dolla where it rained sideways at 35 degrees for 4 hours and we went through mud and brush that you’d not think possible.

This is a video of my last day (where it only rained for about 20 minutes). I am on the palomino.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChY6nYPr9J0

There are Gerry’s sites - he does trail ride vacations in the summer season, but I wanted to hunt and he accommodated.

http://www.horsetrailsireland.com/

http://www.foxhuntingireland.com/

[Bogie]

Wow :eek: That looks like fun!

[skydy]

It does look fun! Glad you could go and that you had a great time! I am envious… A horsey trip to Ireland is on my bucket list.:yes:

[seabreeze]

LOVED the video!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

[SanJacMonument]

One of these days I’ll book a trip to ride there too. Thanks for posting your photos and glad you had fun.

[bizbachfan]

thank you, looks awesome!!

[awm]

Hilary, did you hunt with the North Tipperary Hunt?
The Huntsman there is a great sporting fella!

Great to hear you had a wonderful time, those horses make it
all seem so easy, don’t they?!!!

When are you going back?!!!

[Hilary]

Yes, I did go out with the “Nor Tips” - it was a Wednesday and about 5 minutes in it began raining sideways with ice pellets. It was 35F and I have never ever (ever) been so wet, but my god those boys worked their tails off to give us a good hunt and of the 4 hunts, it was the second best experience. (first being the nice day with all the galloping and jumping stone walls)

That was the hunt in Dolla, and there wasn’t a lot of jumping, but the terrain, the banks/drains, stream crossings. Hedges so thick they couldn’t get the horses through - although we sure tried). Oh, and MUD.

It poured the whole day and we were out for a good 4 hours, with the hounds on a line most of the time.

Not sure when I can get back but I would go in a heartbeat.

[awm]

So cool for you!

What did you think of Mr. Shanahan?!!!

[awm]

Oooops goofed up on the North Tipps, the Huntsman is Mark Allard, right?

Shanahan is Huntsman for the Premier Hunt near Tipperary, did you go out
with them by chance?

I could move to Ireland---------

[Hilary]

I think the huntsman at North Tipperary is a younger man named Kevin. BUt I might be wrong. He was young, whatever his name was!
The field master at NP was an older man named Jeremy.

I hunted with Ormond (and met John Kenny), North Tipperary, East Galway and Grallagh Harriers.

[otterhound]

My partner’s brother used to hunt the Ormond pack, but he’s been hunting the Co Clare’s for quite a few years now. Was your “Jeremy” American by any chance? When I was over there, and Pat was hunting the Ormonds, the huntsman for the North Tips was a tallish American guy called Jeremy. Their hounds were kennelled with the Ormond and Pat used to look after both packs in kennels.

[Hilary]

No, I don’t think he was American but I don’t know for sure. Someone said he also did a lot of carriage driving. We didn’t do a lot of talking that day -our teeth were chattering too loudly.

[Acertainsmile]

Thanks for sharing, Ireland is on my list also!

[Small_Change]

I’m ridiculously jealous. We were just there in November and went out with the Blazers… I have been torturing myself looking at videos and pictures of the Irish horsey world since, and am just longing to go back. I truly have never identified with anywhere so strongly before, and loved every moment I was there with Dad! I’m so glad you had the same wonderful type of experience. I loved the huge walls as well - nothing like being on a good horse over wall after wall!