LAST YEAR’S wildlife amendment Act that targeted the only stag hunt in the country was an extraordinarily divisive piece of legislation.
Fianna Fáil TD Mattie McGrath lost the party whip after saying the Green Party would stop the “pussycat chasing after the mouse”.
Other rural Fianna Fáil TDs were similarly disgruntled, John Gormley to the extent that Fianna Fáil Minister of State Martin Mansergh said the abuse of the Green Party leader amounted to racism.
But like Mark Twain, rumours of the Ward Union Hunt’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. A hundred or so members of the hunt and local farmers gathered at huntmaster Séamus Fitzpatrick’s home, which overlooks Bellewstown racecourse, on New Year’s Day, a tradition held over from St Stephen’s Day due to the weather.
After the Act was passed, the hunt carried on, albeit with a few significant amendments. The Act states it will be an offence for a person to hunt deer with two or more dogs. Note the plural, so the Ward Union has been hunting with a hound.
At Bellewstown Cross, the baying hounds were released for a runaround and the friskiest was put on the scent of the deer.
Huntsman Pat Coyle admitted it was a “hell of a lot harder” to hunt with one hound rather than a pack as a single hound can often lose the scent where at least one from a pack could pick it up.
Nevertheless, the hunt has had a bumper festive season with between 60 and 70 riders taking part on Saturday.
In previous years the Ward Union would hunt the deer. Now, however, the natural scent is followed by the hound but the deer is caught and brought back to the herd before the hunt begins. The hunt is therefore run in a similar way to a drag hunt.
In addition, the deer is fitted with a GPS device.
“It is better than nothing,” said Mr Fitzpatrick. “The hounds have difficulties getting used to the new system, but the law is the law. It would not be as good as if we had a full pack.” Hunt chairman Christy Reynolds said he hoped a new government might be persuaded to amend the law.