Irish Country Sports and Country Life Spring 2014

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Until 13th May 2014Irish

COUNTRY SPORTSand COUNTRY LIFE

GUNDOG SPECIAL and NEW IRISH GAME ANGLER MAGAZINE INSIDE

THE IRISH GAME FAIR www.irishgamefair.com

THE IRISH GAME AND COUNTRY FAIRwww.irishgameandcountryfair.com

demonstrated conclusively that they areIreland’s premier game and country fairswe are delighted to announce our 2014dates and to announce that with manynew attractions planned for both fairs –they will be bigger and better than ever.

Great Game Fairs of Ireland 2014Following a year when the

GREAT GAME FAIRS of IRELAND

SHANES CASTLE, ANTRIM 28TH & 29TH JUNE 2014

BIRR CASTLE, CO OFFALY 23RD & 24TH AUGUST 2014For Further details: Call 028 (from ROI 048)

44839167/44615416 Email : [email protected]

Managing Editor: Albert Titterington, ROI Editor: Derek Fanning, NI Editor: Paul Pringle, Associate Editor: Irene Titterington

Sales and Marketing: Paul Robinson

Publishers: (Editorial & Advertising) Country Lifestyle Exhibitions Ltd. Cranley Hill, 5b Woodgrange Road, Hollymount , Downpatrick BT30 8JE Tel: (028) (from ROI 048) 44839167

Email: [email protected] [email protected] URL http://www.countrysportsandcountrylife.com

ROI Office: ROI Office: Derek Fanning, E: [email protected] Tel: 05791 20003

Printed by W.&G.Baird Distributed by Easons (Dublin), E M Distribution Also Available by Subscription ISSN No. 1476-8240

The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or the publishers. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that information published is accurate and reliable, thepublishers cannot be held responsible or accept liability for any errors or omissions in this pubication. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the owner. No liability isaccepted for the safe custody of unsolicited materials and manuscripts. Publication of accepted articles is not always guaranteed and the publishers will not be held liable for any manuscripts,photographs or other materials lost or damaged while in their possession, although every care will be taken. The editor reserves the right to amend any such articles as necessary.

Published in association with Ireland’s country sports and country living web portal http://www.countrysportsandcountrylife.com

Main Cover: Stevie Munnon The Six Mile Water

Irish Game Angler Cover:From a painting of SeaTrout by David Miller

4 ROI Comment

5 Northern Comment

6 Countryside News

24 Exclusive - We talk to New CAI Chairman John Clarke

28 An Italian Gun Expert Selling Beautiful Guns In Ireland - Derek Fanning investigates

32 IKC Retriever Championship - Full Report by Shauna McGroarty

42 The Red Mills Interview - Ken Lindsay talks frankly

48 Gundog Calendar - 2014 Retriever Working Tests

50 The IGL Retriever Championship - Full Report

54 The Cocker Spaniel Championship 2014 - David Hudson was there!

58 Exclusive - The English Springer Spaniel Championship 2014

62 Sporting Friendships and the Year Ahead by Scotland’s Linda Mellor

66 Dog Show Reports from Margaret McStay

68 Terrier, Lurcher & Whippet Shows and Racing – all Champions qualify for New Competition.

72 A Fieldsports Education by Steven McGonigal

76 Art and Antiques with Michael Drake

80 Duck Dri - Part of the Fabric of Country Clothing since 1989

82 Frank Brophy recounts A Close Encounter In Africa

85 Tom Fulton’s Hunting Roundup

90 Hugh Brady Looks at The Irish Working Setter

94 Show Gundog of the Year

96 Country Chat with Billy Lewis

99 Great Game Fairs of Ireland Gear Up For (EVEN MORE) Extravagant 2014

102 The Gatekeeper - A Disturbing Tale by Julian Schmechel

105 A J’s Angst

107 Irish Game Angler Launches

108 Angling ‘Catch & Release’ Policy & Netting Ban Announced

110 Michael Martin - The Legendary Dollaghan Returns

114 Fine food and fishing at Mount Falcon Estate - By Emma Cowan

118 Simon Cooper Asks - Why Do We Fly Fish?

122 The Secrets are Out - Stevie Munn’s Angling Year

128 Lawrence Finney’s Passion For Fly Tying

130 Mark Tierney Says ‘No Salmon Nets’ Means Putting Fish First

132 Johnny Woodlock’s New Angling Challenges

134 George Barron Leafs through Books of The Loughs

138 FISSTA’s News & Views

144 Fisheries Development Funds - The Inside Story

146 Angling Expo Ireland Posts Success

The online version of the magazine will be updated monthly. Visit www.countrysportsandcountrylife.com/Magazine

Iam very interested in the reasonswhy people pursue certain

hobbies; and in the feelings andemotions which they associatewith those pursuits. Thesefeelings, these reasons, aresometimes of course expressed inbooks and I recently came across avery famous angling book, firstpublished in 1653, whichwonderfully expresses a person'sfeelings associated with thepastime of fishing.

This book is 'The Compleat Angler'and the author was Izaak Walton. The feelings described inhis marvellous book are no different to those feelings whichcontemporary anglers experience. Walton in fact features ina stained glass window in Winchester Cathedral. In thewindow he's wearing a black, stovepipe hat and knee-lengthboots, and has shoulder-length white hair. At his feet lies abasket, net and rod and he is supporting his chin in his righthand while his left hand is holding a book. In thebackground a river meanders into the distance. Trees borderthe river and hills stand behind its banks. It's a portrait ofrural calm, of peace and inner contentment. At the bottomof the window there's an inscription which is a bit of adviceto the viewer, ‘Study to be quiet,’ advice which is as relevantnow as it was at the time of the window's making.

‘The Compleat Angler’ is a practical book advising peopleon angling techniques, but it is also a work of contemplation,of philosophy. Indeed, it was subtitled ‘The ContemplativeMan's Recreation.’ It is the opposite of contemporarypolitical correctness which casts aspersions on anglingclaiming that it's a cruel pastime. On the contrary, Waltonsays that angling is in fact ‘a noble calling’ and is a goodimpulse;he celebrates rural tranquility and the contemplativelife.

The book was recommended to the poet Samuel TaylorColeridge by Charles Lamb in the following terms: ‘Itbreathes the very spirit of innocence, purity and simplicity ofheart. It would sweeten a man's temper at any time to readit; it would ‘Christianise’ every angry, discordant passion;pray make yourself acquainted with it.’ When we read it weenter a very attractive world of repose and peace, a world ofwisdom and truths, a world which is a good primer for lifeitself.

At the core of angling, after all the practical stuff, is thisworld of rural peace and satisfaction. After the fishermanreaches his chosen spot, after he has cast his line, there comesa period of immobility, inactivity, of waiting. Angling is infact a countrysport which is ideal for philosophers and poets.

The form of Walton's book is a dialogue between‘pescator’ (fisher) and ‘viator’ (traveller). Pescator takesviator fishing, shows him the practical aspects of angling andrelates his philosophy. As they fish, fresh-faced milkmaids

sing ballads while going about theirwork, and each evening pescator andviator enjoy beer in a tavern duringwhich they sing a song in praise ofthe country life or of fishing. One ofthe songs goes as follows:

'Oh, the brave Fishers life,It is the best of any,'Tis full of pleasure, void of strife,And 'tis belov'd of many:Other joysare but toyes,only thislawful is,for our skilbreeds no ill,but content and pleasure.'

Walton asks the ancient philosophical question, ‘whetherContemplation or Action be the chiefest thing wherein thehappiness of a man doth most consist in the world?’ Waltonargues that there should be no opposition betweencontemplation and action and it's wrong to set one abovethe other. Rather, we should proceed through life in easyrelation with both states of being. He said that both states ofbeing come together when fishing. ‘Both these meettogether,’ he wrote, ‘and do most properly belong to themost honest, ingenious, harmless Art of Angling.’

Walton wrote disapprovingly of the work ethic, with itspo-faced practitioners. He didn't like an undue emphasisbeing placed on materialism and reality. Reality and thematerial world are of course very important but we canchoose our emotional reaction to this state of affairs. He feltcompelled to defend angling against the 'serious grave men'who 'scoff' at it. He wrote: ‘There be many men that are byothers taken to be serious grave men, which we contemnand pitie; men of sowre complexions; money-getting men,that spend all their time first in getting, and next in anxiouscare to keep it; men that are condemn'd to be rich, andalways discontented, or busie. For these poor-rich-men, weeAnglers pitie them…'

What he was saying in 1653 remains as true as ever. In ourconsumer culture, in this world of toil and financial anxiety,angling represents a bubble, an oasis, of contentment andcontemplation. Walton pointed out that part of the peacefulnature of angling was due to the pastimes's proximity towater. He pointed out that rivers are often used for quietcontemplation and reflection. He cited the children of Israelwho decided to sit down by the banks of the Babylon whenthey wanted to remember Zion. ‘Both rivers, and theinhabitants of the watery Element,’ he wrote, ‘were createdfor wise men to contemplate, and fools to pass by withoutconsideration.’

Derek FanningROI Editor

4 Spring 2014 Countrysports and Country Life

Country Sports and Country Life RoI Comment

I’m writing this as the shootingseason draws to a close and

while I enjoyed every day of it,every moment whether in goodcompany at some shoot or other,it has been a little different tothose of previous years.

I seem to remember someone sayingthat in your youth it begins with the questfor getting a shot, moves into the quest toadd something to the bag, right throughthe ‘look how many I got’ stage to arrive atthe stage where the entirety of the day isexperienced fully. The beauty of natureand the impact that surroundings make indelible footprints on ourconsciousness. The camaraderie of the company, the work of a gundog as ‘the youngster’ develops from being merely ‘trained’ to ananimal which has seen it all, done it all, and like yourself has a seriousnumber of winters under its belt. Yes, it’s an old dog with a greywhisker or too, a wee stiffness in the joints and, like us perhaps, anold dog who is not looking for any more new tricks: just theenjoyment of the sport at a more leisurely pace perhaps.

Well, now Pringle, you may be thinking, what on earth has this gotto do with an editorial in this magazine. So I’ll tell you. Earlier in theyear we had some extremely worrying health news on the familyfront which I though could well put to an end any thoughts ofshooting that I might have been nurturing. While the outings wereindeed curtailed, I learnt a salutary lesson - enjoy the moment. Andthat’s what I did on the few occasions I was out. One day per month,I was shooting somewhere beautiful, surrounded by nature, friends,and my dogs and living and enjoying the time to the full.

As well, every week I went picking up with my two labs, theexperienced dog and the young dog. More good friends, more freshair, more fun. Every day was a pleasure, culminating in a friend askingme to take on one of his dogs which was not coming up top hisexpectations for field trials. Me? Another dog — he must bejoking…..Sure these two are only……….? Then I checked to find thatthe older dog was in its ninth year with the youngster only a year orso behind. So how fortuitous was that then? The realisation that itwas the dogs and not just me outside the first flush of youth and outof the blue, like Don Corleone, came an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Bailey is two years old, trained but needing experience and a bitmore confidence and is now part and parcel of the team. When mywife came with me to have a proper inspection before making thedecision to take him it was a no brainier for me. ‘Yes, we’ll take him,’she said and dutiful as ever, how could I possibly refuse! I’ll report onhis progress in due course.

A young man’s first woodcock‘The only things worth a dime are old dogs and children and water

melon wine,’ or so the song goes. Well, one young man I saw inJanuary at a shoot with his father certainly came up to the mark as faras I was concerned. Readers may already know that I’m all forencouraging people of whatever age into country sports andconservation and I recalled seeing this young man accompanying hisDad to shoots before. There he was again, a bit older, a bit taller, butstill with the same keenness, the same smile and importantly the samemanners and obvious respect for the countryside. But this time therewas a difference; he said he’d had his first go with a shotgun with hisDad on Boxing Day under strict supervision. He’d bagged a pheasantno less, on top of a couple of pigeons, so the apprenticeship with Dadhad really paid off. Now here he was, again with Dad, walking on tothe first Drive and I didn’t see them again until after the final drive

before lunch. Somehow, he seemed to betaller, smiling even more, happiness oozingout of every pore. What had happened?He had been at the peg and Dad hadoffered a shot at a pheasant if one cameinto view. It didn’t. But what came in itsplace to the young man (and to manysportsmen and women) was priceless. Hisfirst shot at a Woodcock. It was now beingcarried with all the ceremony of a regalprocession. By the time the day ended, thatyoung man was still smiling fit to burst.Another rite of passage, another stepalong the path for the ‘new dog,’ and amemory to be recalled when he is the same

age as his Dad or even older. I know full well the pleasure and pridethat his Dad felt that day. I’ve felt it myself with my son. Thingschange with the passage of time, but some things remain exactly thesame.

New entryNow on the trout season. I hope to be on the Six Mile Water as

usual on opening day and to actually get out more on the river thisyear. Yes… I know… I say that every year, but this time I mean it.Whether or not I really do get a line wet more than last year is opento question. We shall see, as family health matters could put a rudestop to it. No matter. Out once, twice or weekly, I shall enjoy everyminute. I shall appreciate its unique qualities, along with theexcitement of just being ‘ on the water’ again as I have done sincethat day, long ago, when my old friend and I first tried to cast a clumsyfly on the Bann. ‘Duffers’ fortnight’? Not really, as it was in March thatwe did it. But those two particular ‘Duffers’ are still going strong, stillreminiscing about ‘remember the time forty years ago when we….’Maybe this season we will set up a few more special occasions to addto the memory bank. You could do that for yourselves too next timeyou’re in the field or on the water or maybe introducing a youngsterto country-sports. There’s nothing better as far as I’m concerned.

More angling newsStill on the angling front, the demise of the Irish Angler means

there is no longer specialist game angling coverage in Ireland. So,after speaking to a number of people and organisations, we havedecided to fill the gap with a new publication called THE IRISH GAMEANGLER. Initially this will take the format of a ‘magazine within amagazine’ as a specialist section within Irish Country Sports & CountryLife. THE IRISH GAME ANGLER will also be developed with additionalpages in an online for-mat on www.irishgameangling.com.

Pulling the two together is great for readers and for businesses. Itshould potentially give anyone marketing Irish angling products, themost effective marketing medium they have ever had, as well asoffering even more to readers. Have a look at the super anglingfeatures and photographs in this edition - rest assured there’ll be lotsmore angling to come!

I hope to meet many more readers at the Great Game Fairs ofIreland, when the season kicks off at Shanes Castle for the Irish Game& Country Fair. Shooting, fishing, fine food, hunting, hundreds oftrade stands, ringside thrills, entertainment and trips back in time foreveryone with the re-enactors; maybe even a game fair memory ortwo for you to think of, as the seasons come and go.

I can almost feel the sunshine now!

Paul PringleNorthern Editor

Countrysports and Country Life Spring 2014 5

Country Sports and Country Life Comment

COUNTRYSIDE NEWS

Details of this new event have been hard tocome by, even to ICS&CL magazine, as

Director Albert Titterington has been ‘playing hiscards very close to his chest’ about an eventwhich he states could be the most spectacularcountry sports and country living event he hasever organised. If this is true, and the snippets ofthe planning and attractions we have beenprivy to, would tend to indicate that the veteranof 53 game and country fairs over 36 years hastaken this to his heart as a ‘pet ‘project. Havingarguably delivered the two best ever Irishgame or country fairs ever at Shanes and BirrCastles in 2013, he intends to make 2014 a realcelebration of Irish country sports and the Irishcountryside with two magnificent fairs leadingup to an end of season spectacular at thestylish new venue of Montalto Estate.

Albert informs us that final touches arebeing put to the plans for this event which willput Ballynahinch and County Down ‘on themap’ and all will be revealed at the presslaunch in March when the web sitewww.ballynahinchharvestfestival.com will golive.

But we managed to get Emma Cowan toget us at least a ‘keyhole view’ on what willbe a unique part of the event - a real focuson fine food.

A Medieval Feast Throughthe Yellow Door

The Yellow Door’s Simon Dougan, one ofNorthern Ireland’s top chefs will be cookingup culinary delights with a distinctly Medievalflavour at the inaugural Ballynahinch Harvestand Country Living Festival, 27th and 28th

September at the beautiful Montalto Estate.The Yellow Door have popular deli’s and

restaurants in Belfast, Lisburn and Portadownand it’s the Yellow Door’s professional outsidecatering team that will be managing the foodoffering for the entire two-day event but theundoubted highlight will be the MedievalBuffet Banquet to be held in the CarriageRooms fine dining hall.

“I’m really excited about the concept ofthe Medieval Banquet and I’ve got greatplans in store,” said Simon. “The room will beset out in period style with long tables andbench seating, featuring reindeer hide coversfor a bit of comfort with a difference.

A keen shot himself, Simon is particularlyexcited about the chance to cook up gamerecipes with a Medieval flavour and amodern twist. “I can’t reveal all just yet butexpect the food to be gutsy and reallyflavoursome, with game dishes like pigeonpie, lots of meaty flavours and wholesomesoups served in freshly baked bread bowls,”he said.

“There will be a hedgerow harvest too withelderflower drinks and dishes and I’ll also beputting a strong focus on desserts, like lemonposset and traditional puddings in a mouthwatering display.”

Adding to the Medieval theme, theCarriage Room Banquet will feature afalconer with an owl flying around the tables,a harpist, knights in armour and servers inMedieval costume.

The Yellow Door will also be providing foodon site around the Festival. Among otherthings, look out for a burger food station witha difference, providing food theatre withchefs demonstrating the art of burger makingwhile you wait for your freshly made, trulydelicious burger.

Find out more about Simon Dougan atwww.yellowdoordeli.co.uk or visit the YellowDoor Deli on Lisburn Road, Belfast orWoodhouse Street, Portadown. Simon’s book‘The Yellow Door, our stories, our recipes’ isavailable to buy in store.

Emma Cowan

A sneak preview of the Great Game Fairs of Ireland’snew event at Montalto Estate, Ballynahinch

on the 27th & 28th September

Top Chef Simon Dougan - planning game recipes with a Medieval flavour and amodern twist.


It was with great sadness that I learned ofthe death of Joe Craig, who passed away

on the 5th February, less than two weeks afterhis 92nd birthday.

Joe was a true gentleman in every senseof the word and will be greatly missed bymany shooting and gundog peoplethroughout Ireland

We offer our sincere condolences to his

three sons Vincent Maurice and Ian and tothe entire Craig family. A full appreciation ofJoe's life will appear in the next issue.

Winston Kelly

Obituary

Joe Craig24th January 1922 - 5th February 2014

Greers of Antrim & Coleraine62 Greystone Rd, Antrim, BT41 2QN 028 9446 0066 www.greersofantrim.com


COUNTRYSIDE NEWS

Established in 1894 in the port ofSouth Shields in the North East of

England, Barbour, the leadingBritish heritage and lifestyleclothing brand is celebrating its120th anniversary this year.

Originally set up to provideprotective outerwear to fishermen,sailors and mariners from the worstof the British weather, today,Barbour offers a completewardrobe of clothes and footwearfor men, women and children.Shirts, knitwear, trousers andaccessories are now as just asmuch in demand as Barbour’siconic outerwear. Barbour’scollections span from function tofashion offering different ranges forall ages, from technical sportingclothing to heritage fashion styles,inspired by Barbour’s archives andre-interpreted into modern,contemporary silhouettes.

In 2014, Barbour remains 100%family owned. Chairman, DameMargaret Barbour has led thecompany for over 40 years and herdaughter Helen Barbour, the 5thgeneration of the family, is ViceChairman. The brand is a globalsuccess sold in over 40 countriesworldwide including Germany,Italy, Spain, France, the US andJapan and further overseasexpansion is planned. Thecompany is proud to hold threeRoyal Warrants from HM TheQueen, HRH the Duke of Edinburghand HRH Prince Charles.

Today, Barbour is worn as much

in the city as it is in the country andthe choice of collections suit manydifferent lifestyles. Collaborations inrecent years with designers such asAnya Hindmarch, Alice Temperley,Paul Smith, Tokihito Yoshida andNorton & Sons have all provided aunique interpretation of Barbour’sarchives and attracted interestfrom a new fashion consciousaudience discovering Barbour,

perhaps for the first time.From oilskins in 1894 to

motorcycle wear in the 1930s tothe lifestyle collections today,Barbour has always beenrenowned for providing the bestpractical country clothing,whether knitwear, shirts or jacketsto keep its wearers warm and dry,a reputation the brand is proud touphold.

The Spring Summer 14collections are testament to howfar the brand has come in 120years. Classic country clothing isBarbour at its best. Practical andfunctional, the collection isdesigned for those who live, workor love the outdoors. Camping bya lake, walking the dog, cookingon an open fire, Barbour clothingimagines a world of possibilities.Knitwear and shirts in navy, cream,pale blue and red feature stronglythis season alongside lightweight,practical weatherproof jacketsdesigned for spring showers andsummer rain, a staple of any Britishsummer.

Steve Buck, Managing Director,Barbour said: “The company hascome such a long way from theoriginal business in 1894 to theglobal lifestyle brand it is in 2014.Throughout its evolution, it hasbeen guided by the Barbour familywho have each made their ownspecial contribution in shaping thebrand into what it is today.Attention to detail, quality,durability and fitness for purposehave been the guiding principlessince Barbour was founded. Whilethe range and styles may haveexpanded, we have alwaysremained true to our heritage andare very proud to be celebratingour 120th anniversary.”

For details on the Spring Summercollections, please visitwww.barbour.com or call 0044 191427 4210

Eland Jacket: Hooded longer length wax jacket with 1’’ diamond profile stitch yoke details.Available in Olive, Sizes 8 – 18; Hedley Shirt: Frill top, strand collar shirt in Tattersall check cloth.Available in ivy, imperial purple, sizes: 8 – 18

Barbour Celebrates Its 120th Anniversary

Brimham Jacket: Seam sealed waterproof safari inspired jacket with box pleat bellowed pocketsand Alcantara piping details. Self-fabric shoulder patches with epaulettes. Available in navy, armygreen, sizes S-XXL

Smyth Country Sports, 1 Park Street, Coleraine BT52 1BD N. Ireland (+44) 02870343970

Homefield & Stream, 18 Church Street, Enniskillen BT74 7EJ N. Ireland (+44) 02866322114

Courtlough Shooting Grounds, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin Ireland (+353) 18413096

Sportsden, Trimgate Street, Navan, Co. Meath Ireland (+353) 0469021130


COUNTRYSIDE NEWS

MOST GLORIOUS TWELFTHFOR SOME YEARS

With the 2013 grouse season officially ended Scotland's leadingsporting agency, Sporting Lets, has reported one of the strongest

shooting seasons for many years.Experts believe this year’s grouse season has generated an estimated

£38million for the Scottish economy which includes the supplementaryboost to rural communities in terms of tourism spending and seasonalemployment.

Sporting Lets, run by leading Scottish property consultancy CKDGalbraith, operates both walked up and driven grouse shoots on someof the finest Scottish estates and its shooting programme was almost fullylet throughout the whole season. Robert Rattray, partner at CKDGalbraith and head of the firm’s Sporting Lets agency, said: “This seasonhas been quite a contrast to 2012. A cold and prolonged winter set thescene for a late Spring followed by one of the warmest and driestsummers for a number of years. As a result some grouse were well grownoffering fabulous shooting right from the start of the season whilst somechicks were literally days old and provided a developing stock whichenabled good shooting into late October and early November.”

Some big bags were recorded, notably The Lammermuirs, which hadan excellent stock of birds and shot very well into late October, with onemoor recording over 500 brace. Perthshire continued to improve withthe best driven shooting had in the Crieff to Amulree area. The AngusGlens performed generally well with minor exceptions and some excitingshooting into late October.

Aberdeenshire was more mixed, partly due to the winter snow, withsome moors reporting good shooting whereas others had to cancelsignificant parts of their programme. Inverness-shire generally performedmuch better than last year as a result of some of the more marginalmoors shooting much better numbers. The best day from one highground moor saw well over 300 brace shot.

Robert continues: “Walked up grouse shooting is hugely popular andstill very affordable being around £100+vat per brace with bags thisseason ranging from five to 25 brace for teams of up to six guns.However it is not as easy to find these days with some moors includingCaithness and Sutherland having fewer grouse whilst bigger moors tendto concentrate on driven programmes. Driven grouse shooting is muchsought after and the average day this season offered between 50 to100 brace for a typical team of eight who paid in the region of £150+vatper brace. Given this year’s excellent performance anticipation isrunning high for the 2014 season and a number of teams have alreadyconfirmed bookings for next August and September.”

The majority of parties booking grouse shooting come from within theUK and demand shows no signs of abating. In addition there are alsosignificant numbers of international sportsman that visit the country toshoot grouse. Scotland has an established reputation for offering worldclass sport together with an overall experience that cannot be matchedanywhere in the world. Sporting Lets has been bringing retainedinternational clients to Scotland for over thirty years and demandremains strong.

To find out more, visit the firm’s dedicated sporting website atwww.sportinglets.co.uk and follow us on Facebook:facebook.com/sportinglets and Twitter: twitter.com/SportingLets

PA-i5 adapter for iPhone®5/5s from SWAROVSKI OPTIK

Spotting scopes and binoculars from SWAROVSKI OPTIK can nowoperate in perfect harmony with an iPhone*. This is thanks to

SWAROVSKI OPTIK’s PA-i5 adapter for iPhone* 5/5s, which turns long-range optical devices in a single motion into telephoto zoom lenses, thuspresenting digiscoping to every user from new perspectives, whetherthey are observing wildlife and birds, out hunting, or while traveling andenjoying their leisure time. The adapter from SWAROVSKI OPTIK isavailable from specialist retailers from March 2014, as well as atwww.swarovskioptik.com.

The assembly process is quick and easy – you attach the adapter tothe relevant eyepiece cup. Suitable adapter rings are available for mostSWAROVSKI OPTIK spotting scopes and binoculars. Once the adapterring is removed after digiscoping, the remaining aluminium frameprovides elegant, top-quality, and robust protection for your iPhone* ineveryday use. You can still quite easily slip your iPhone* in any one ofyour pockets.

The RRP is £113.00 including VAT

CorrectionIn the Winter edition a photograph in Johnny Woodlock’s article

‘Blame Europe’ a photograph was incorrectly captioned as a rodcaught spurdog rather than a rod caught bass’. Apologies to allconcerned.

Forthcoming Tournament“Pistols – 10 Years”

An open pistol shooting competition will be hosted on the weekend ofJune 6-8 2104 by Castlebridge Invitational Pistol Club (CIPC)/Irish

Bulls-Eye Sports (IBS) in County Wexford. The shoot will be held on theClub’s indoor range at South Slob, Wexford and is open to target shootersNorth and South who hold a licensed pistol or revolver and currentshooting insurance cover.

This special tournament will mark the 10th anniversary of the return oflicensed handguns in the Republic following Frank Brophy’s landmarkHigh Court win in June 2004, with the support of the NARGC. Entrants willreceive a certificate commemorating their participation in the event -medals will be awarded for the first three places in both small-bore andcentre-fire events. All shooters are invited to what will be an entertainingweekend with an emphasis on fellowship above serious competition.NRA rules will apply; entry fee €15 with all excess proceeds beingdonated to Hospice. A dinner will be held on Saturday night June 7th inthe nearby Farmer’s Kitchen Hotel, where overnight accommodationwill also be available.

Further details available from; [email protected]@gmail.com or [email protected]

Lochindorb Estate grouse moor

BY APPOINTMENT TOHER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

SWAROVSKI OPTIKSUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS

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COUNTRYSIDE NEWS


The menswear collection from JackMurphy this season is handsome, smart

and quintessentially country withcontemporary twist... which is preciselywhat we have come to expect from thisreliable Irish clothing brand. Jack Murphyknow that so often country sports enthusiastshave had to choose comfort over stylewhen it comes to clothing so they strive toensure their range of menswear fusesfashion and function perfectly in each andevery style, every season. And this seasonthey have certainly succeeded on thatscore.

With a long history of producing durable,functional clothing for the outdoors the Irishclothing brand now takes these classiccountry staples and transforms them intosmart, stylish and contemporary garmentswith a host of practical features and a hintof luxury at a surprisingly reasonable price,Suited to all aspects of country living andcountry pursuits whether your day involvesshooting, fishing, riding, a trip to the races orheading for a pint in the local pub JackMurphy menswear is the perfect choice forthose who love life in the country but don’talways want to sacrifice on style.

Whether country pursuits are a way of life

or an occasional weekend hobby JackMurphy provides a range of clothing toensure you look the part yet stand out in thecrowd. Encompassing magnificently fineknits, a host of gorgeous shirts in traditionalcountry checks, understated fleece styles,

striking quilts and classically styled waxes thenew collection is wholesome, reliable andpractical with a dash of debonair... perfectfor the man who wants to be well turnedout, whether rain or shine, no matter whatthe occasion.

The 19th Century Paintings sale made a total just shy of £2million atBonhams in January.First place went to The Fair, a sporting painting by Sir Alfred James

Munnings (1878-1959) which captures the hustle and bustle of a ruralhorse fair. The picture sold for £182,500. It was purchased direct from the

artist pre-1916 for the sum of £35 and has been passed down within thefamily for a century. At the time this picture was painted, Munnings wasa member of the Lamorna Group, a bohemian artist’s colony which hadsprung up near the coastal village of Lamorna in Cornwall. The salefeatured several works by other members of the group including

Stanhope Forbes and Samuel John Lamorna Birch.But there is a darker side to Alfred Munnings’ story. It

was in Cornwall that Munnings met his first wife, fellowartist and horsewoman, Florence Carter Wood. Thecouple were married in January 1912 but Florenceattempted suicide on their honeymoon. A tangled lovetriangle involving Munnings, Florence Carter Wood andMunnings’ friend, Gilbert Evans, was to end in tragedy.Florence succeeded in taking her own life in 1914 as thelooming shadow of the Great War fell upon the country.

A number of other paintings in the sale exceededexpectations. The Mountain Patrol by Alfred vonWierusz-Kowalski (Polish, 1849-1915) sold to a bidder inthe room for £98,500 nearly doubling its pre-saleestimates.

More than one bidder fell in love with Quinterelle II,a nude study in watercolour by Sir William Russell Flint(British, 1880-1969) estimated at £15,000-£20,000, whichwas eventually secured by a bidder on the telephonefor £76,900.

Dreams came true for the sellers of A dream at Dawnby the Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir John Everett Millais(1829-1896) which made £55,000 against £15,000-£20,000 estimates. The work, painted when Millais wasat the height of his fame, depicts a young girl in a whitenight dress standing on her balcony, dreamily gazing atthe sky with head in hand as she waits for morning.

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COUNTRYSIDE NEWS

Firearms Licensing

Republic of IrelandThere is growing concern and uncertainly amongst the Republic’s

firearms certificate holders in respect of firearms licensing and the rumourswhich have been circulating. This has been further exacerbated by theconflicting information that has been flowing amongst the shootingcommunity.

At the time of going to press Department of Justice and Equality issuedthe following statement to CAI:

The Department is currently examining key issues relating to firearmslicensing, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána;

• No proposals have yet been finalised • It is expected recommendations as a result of this process will

be made in due course• No decisions will be made in advance of consideration of

these recommendations• Opportunities for consultation with relevant stakeholders will be

explored when work on the proposals is further advanced

We will continue to monitor this situation in respect of all our membersto ensure that those who partake in country sports and legitimateshooting activities will not be unduly penalised.

Northern IrelandFirearms legislation continues to dominate the agenda in NI and we

regularly engage with the PSNI and Department of Justice in our quest toresolve the ongoing issues. As such, CAI attended a meeting onWednesday 5th February with the Department of Justice, BASC and theGun Trade Guild NI where discussions centred on the banded system,young shots and fees. The meeting was constructive and our continuedengagement will we hope, bring a solution that will be beneficial to allsides while maintaining public safety; on which all parties are agreed is ofparamount importance.

Rathcormac Gun Club’s Game Tasting NightRathcormac Gun Club marked the closing of the 2013/14 season in

fine style with a game tasting night. The event was opened by BarryO’Connell, Club Secretary, who outlined the objectives of the GameTasting Night, which were to introduce game meat to a wider audience;showcase the conservation work that is undertaken by gun clubs thelength and breadth of Ireland; and celebrate what was a momentousyear for the Gun Club.

The conservation projects undertaken during the year were chronicledon display boards around the function room and these included gamecrop plots; pheasant release program and duck pond management;and their youth development programme, all of which were the focus ofdiscussion prior to the meal.

The menu for the Game Night was:• Roast Woodpigeon Breast with

Celeriac Mash and Port Wine Jus• Roasted Wild Rabbit with Bacon

and Lemon Thyme Bread Stuffing• Pheasant Confit with Roast Root

Vegetables and Autumn Berry Jus• Succulent Braised Venison with

Wild Mushrooms and Blackberry JusThe format of the meal was buffet

style and Chef Martin O'Reganprovided a background to each dishand how it was cooked as he served.Each person got an insight and cooking tips before tasting all four dishesand in all, over 230 people enjoyed the fare, with very positive feedbackon each of the menu items. The food critic in all of the guests broke out,with people surprised at how good pigeon tasted, the tenderness of therabbit, the rich taste of the pheasant and the great flavour of venison. Allthe dishes on offer were savoured and this resulted in lively discussion asto which dish was the best and the debate went on (and on) for quite awhile! Rathcormac would like to extend particular thanks to Paul Fletcherof Premier Game and Barry and Bernice Kennedy at Kades KountyGlenville for successfully facilitating such a well run event.

Following the meal, Micheal O'Donovan, (Chairman, Rathcormac GunClub) conducted a raffle, and thanked McDonnell Bros, Lazy DogShooting Ground, Lakeland's Shooting Grounds, Carroll's MountainShooting Ground and Yellow Road Gun Club for the sponsorship of prizes.Music on the night was by a local artist, Whacker, followed DJ DonDorgan. Once the meal was over, the dancing began and the floor wasfull all night; a sure sign that everyone had a great night’s entertainment.

Other Gun Clubs were also well represented with Tallow from CountyWaterford, Broadford from County Limerick, Yellow Road from County

The season closed instyle at Rathcormac GunClub’s Game TastingNight when over 230people enjoyed the fare.


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The Adam Yard is one of six exclusive homes created in the former stableyard of the Castle Upton Estate, Templepatrick. Designed by Robert Adam in 1789 and restored in 2000, with uninterrupted views over parkland to the South Antrim Hills. Templepatrick is 6 miles from Belfast International Airport and under half an hour’s drive from Belfast City centre.

Islay House is one of Scotland’s most magni cent mansion houses with a superb outlook over Indaal Lough and out to sea, within a stunning island setting of 28 acres / 11.3 hectares. The house dates from 1677 and is situated near the village of Bridgend. Islay Airport is 7 miles away.

Islay House, Bridgend, Isle of Islay, Scotland. GUIDE PRICE: in excess of 850,000 GBP.

A magni cent and traditional Highland Estate centred on an historic country house dating from the early 18th Century with exceptional mixed sport. Totalling 6,981 acres / 2,825 hectares, of which 2,219 acres / 898 hectares is commercial forestry, the estate also includes 8 houses / cottages and a farm comprising a range of traditional stone buildings.

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COUNTRYSIDE NEWS


Kilkenny and the majority of Clubs in North and East Cork. Photos from theevent are available to view on www.rathcormacgunclub.ie - gallerysection.

Rathcormac would also like to thank all the landowners who by kindpermission allowed them to shoot over their lands this past season andspecial thanks to those landowners who allow them to plant game cropor install release pens on their land.

The Game Tasting Night has received a great reaction in thecommunity and is still the topic of conversation. This is certainly an eventthat will have an annual presence on Rathcormac’s calendar, and theyare happy to receive suggestions for next year’s event. Please feel freeto contact them on [email protected]

A Busy Spring/Summer in StoreMarch has arrived and the majority of the hunting seasons are over

for another year. Each season appears to be shorter than the last;however that may simply be the increasingly erratic weather giving thisimpression. The time spent in between seasons is often used to debateand for us to resolve issues surrounding Ireland’s country sports activitiesand this year will be no different. The spring and summer of 2014 will inpart be spent negotiating what is best for Ireland’s many areas oflegislation that has the potential to affect our members, and indeed thewider hunting community.

CAI is still actively seeking an exemption to allow prophylactic taildocking and the removal of dew claws in working dogs. We presentedevidence on this matter to the Joint Oireachtas Committee at the endof 2013 and will continue to monitor the issue.

CAI has recently responded to numerous consultations in NorthernIreland in relation to the coastal areas and the finer details of the MarineAct NI. This Act involves the introduction of Marine Conservation Zones,which has the potential to curtail country sports in those areas. Inaddition to the consultations, we have, and will continue to, attendstakeholder meetings to ensure our members are fully represented.

CAI will continue to work tirelessly during the summer months; onlegislative matters, promoting the organisation, country sports and theadmirable work that the country’s field sports enthusiasts undertake.

CAI continues engage closely with other like minded organisations aswe believe it is vital to stand united to strengthen our collective voice inthe face of threats. We realise cooperation can strengthen our lobbyingforce, both in NI and R of I, for the benefit of our members; which is ourultimate goal.

CAI members can feel reassured that we have their best interests atthe core of everything we do and we continuously strive to provide thebest service we can.

Game: A Tasty and Healthy Alternative to Lamb, Chicken, Beef or PorkHopefully, many of you will have enjoyed a bountiful season and this

has seen your freezer well stocked with a wide array of game to beenjoyed in the coming weeks.

Countryside Alliance’s ‘Game-to-Eat’ initiative is dedicated to

promoting the delights of wild gamemeat. A dedicated website is host to lotsof information about the different typesof game, when they are in season andideas for lots of exciting recipes.

Game is wild, natural and free rangewith a distinctive flavour making it agreat alternative to beef, pork, lamband chicken. And, as it's low incholesterol and high in protein game isone of the healthiest meats availabletoday. For example, venison, with itsbrilliant taste and extra lean meat, isperfect for anyone on a low fat diet.

Gone are the days when pheasantsand venison were kept for special dinnerparties. Whether you're cooking for amid week supper, a dinner party or aquiet night in with some-one special, tapinto the fantastic array of recipesavailable and impress! The choice isendless. For further information andrecipe ideas visit www.gametoeat.co.uk

A Day’s Hunting inDifferent Country

As the hunting season closes for another year, one of the CAI teamhad a couple of days out hunting with different packs at the start of thisyear.

The Fermanagh Harriers met near Lisnaskea, on a Saturday in midJanuary with an early starting time of 11am. This was to facilitate thebeautifying of the ladies before the hunt ball that night!

The day started well with, after a brief blank draw near the meet,hounds finding a good fox soon after they started. Hounds huntedfantastically over some lovely country and a good fast run involved anice amount of hedges. The fox then travelled into country apparentlynot often hunted, crossing the main Clones/Lisnaskea Road. After a bitof road work here, hounds were lifted and everyone headed back overto the Donagh side of the main road.

Here, between drawing covers, there were some nice brief hare hunts,which kept hounds and followers alike interested and kept everyonewarm. The last hunt of the day was a good run on a nice large hare thattested some of mounted followers and their swimming abilities! The dayfinished with a nice wash down in the river and an even nicer one in thelocal pub afterwards.

On a Wednesday at the end of January, a few stalwarts headed offto the Westmeath Foxhounds for a day’s hunting. The weather was awfulwith the rain coming sideways for the whole journey down and everyonein the lorry pondering just how wise a decision this was. There was a nicefield out and shortly after 11am, the hunt moved off. Whilst the meethad been dry, the rain didn’t take long in arriving, and soon a steadydrizzle was upon the field.

It didn’t take long for the hounds to find their quarry and, with houndsspeaking well, there was a good run, which after a time took everyoneright back to where the fox was found. There were a few drains andfences in between, which the majority of the field handled well. Therewere plenty of foxes and the day continued with never too long a timebetween finding quarry. The only downside was that with such a greatcountry of cover, foxes didn’t have to run too far before finding morecover. Nevertheless, it was a most enjoyable day and there was greathospitality afterwards with hot food and sandwiches, and maybe theodd hot drink, helping everyone to ignore the wet breeches!

Calor Gas Membership OfferCAI is delighted to announce a special offer to our members in

partnership with Calor Gas. For a limited period only, if you switch toCalor Gas for your home energy supply, you will receive the following:

• 1000 litres of gas free• 24 months interest free• 12 months price freeze promise

Each member will receive a promotional leaflet with their renewalnotice. However, if you would like more information regarding thisfantastic offer then please visit www.caireland.org

Chef Martin O'Regan provided a background to each dish and how it was cooked.

39

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COUNTRYSIDE NEWS

Dalcassian Gun Dog ClubDalcassian Gun Dog Club was

founded in 1993 by two spanielmen Mr Declan Mulcahy and Mr JoeKeane and for seven years ranSection Four (Spaniel) events. It wasre-affiliated in May 2013 and now ispredominately a Section Two(Retriever) Club with The Irish KennelClub and with the new young andvery keen and active committeemembers in the first eight months ofre- affiliation we ran five events.

First was a Working Test in July atDromoland Castle Estate; Mr JohnO’Connor won the Advanced Testwith Hazel of Redbog, Mr JohnO’Brien won the Novice with CorribDubh and Mr John Gaffney won thePreliminary with MillmountTemptation.

Next event was the start of thefield trial season with a 16 DogNovice Stake in September at TheBreska Shoot thanks to The HartyFamily and the winner that day wasMr Donal Donohue with GeorgiasHolystone.

The club’s first 16 Dog Open StakeTrial was held at the Mulberry Shootthanks to the owner Mr John Forde,this trial was run in November andthe winner was Mr Thomas Loughranwith Copperbirch Roosky.

The second Open Stake was run inDecember and it was also a 16 dogStake and was held at Lough CutraCastle Shoot thanks to the ownerSusie Gwyn Jones and the winnerwas Mr John Williamson withGorton’s Gaelic Prince.

The club’s third Open was a 12dog stake on new ground for fieldtrials in Bruff, Co Limerick thanks toBruff Gun Club and the local landowners. Like all of the events so farthis was also a great day out for allinvolved. The winner was Mr MichaelSheehan with Quarrypool Julie.

The committee of Dalcassian GunDog Club would like to congratulateall the award winners from all ourevents and to thank the landownersand Gun Clubs for the permission touse their grounds. They would like tothank all the judges who havejudged so far for us and also want tothank the sponsors Connolly’s RedMills Engage Premium Dog Food forkindly sponsoring all our events.

Thanks to committee membersKeith McNamara (Chairman), KeithHarris (Vice Chairman), Paul O’Brien(Secretary) David Woods (AssistantSecretary), Trevor Howard and ourTreasurer and Photographer for allthe events Ms Jana Scupakova forthe memories of our days in the fieldand the members are all lookingforward to more great days in thebeautiful countryside of the island ofIreland. All photos are courtesy of Jana Scupakova.

Award winners and Judges at the Working Test in DromolandCastle Estate.

Novice Trial Donal Donohuewith Holystone Georgais atthe Breska Shoot.

Judges and Award winners 1st Thomas Loughran with FTWCopperbirch Roosky, 2nd Tom Lowry with Redbog Alice, 3rd IanDavis with FTCH Glenanne Pi and 4th Tom Lowry with FTCHWatergreen Hunter at the Open Stake Trial at Mulberry Shoot inNovember along with the owner John Forde.

Open at Lough Cutra Castle Shoot award winners: 1st JohnWilliamson with Gortan's Gaelic Prince, 2nd Lorenzo Hynes withFTCH Trumpetaker Ash, 3rd Robert Orr with Dunanelly Adder and4th Christy Scott with Watergreen Gladiator.

12 dog open stake trial inBruff, Co Limerick was wonby Michael Sheehan withQuarrypool Julie.

Guns, judges, handlers and beaters at Lough Cutra Castle Shoot December 2013.


NOTICE TO EXHIBITORSThe organisers can only accept

exhibitors who have completed andreturned an Entry Form before the

closing date of TUESDAY 8th APRIL 2014.

Unfortunately we will not be able toaccept any exhibitors who turn up onthe day without having entered and

received the relevant Entry Pass. Entryforms can be obtained by contacting

the following numbers: 028 2564 7938

028 9265 1999 · 028 9446 4648 or byemail: [email protected] or

[email protected]

SUNDAY 4th & MONDAY 5th MAY 2014

A complete family day out! Don’t miss it!ADMISSION: Adults £10.00 Senior Citizens £7.00 Children £5.00 Family ticket £25.00 (2 adults & up to 3 children)

SHANES CASTLE ESTATE, ANTRIMFor further information contact 028 9446 4648 or 07712 769072

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COUNTRYSIDE NEWS


Irish Countrysports and Country Life wasdelighted to attend the launch of Emmett’s

book in the City Hotel, Derry where around 200people gathered to help launch one of thefinest food focused books ever produced inIreland by one of Ireland’s most talented andentrepreneurial chefs. The Great Game Fairs ofIreland owe Emmett a great debt of gratitudeas he was the catalyst for the development ofone of the largest and finest quality Fine FoodFestivals at any Game or Country Fairthroughout Ireland or the UK. This year it isplanned that the Fine Food Festivals at the fairswill be bigger and better than ever and thefood focus at our new event in Ballynahinch willbe the widest ever and of course Emmett will beat the centre of all of these promotions.

Feast or Famine: A CulturalFood Journey of the NorthWest of Ireland £19.95

Emmett McCourtWhen it comes to food and drink, the North

West of Ireland has a heritage second to none.Emigrant farmers from Derry and Donegal

were the first to plant the Americas with seedpotatoes and apple trees. They carried theirrecipes with them, too, and their descendantsfed both sides in the Civil War.

The Scots-Irish from the North West didn’tforget their distilling skills, either – producingwhiskeys, bourbons and moonshine across theSouthern states. And fishermen from Inishowen,who settled on the New England coast, helpedfound some of the finest fishing ports in the NewWorld.

Derry chef Emmett McCourt researched theimportance of his hometown’s contribution toworld cuisine for many years. Through the IrishFood Heritage Project he has recovered age-old recipes, revived traditional cookingtechniques, and rediscovered long-forgottenIrish treasures such as the lumper potato.

Feast or Famine takes you on an historicaltour of Derry and Donegal and explores whatmakes this region such an abundant source offood and drink.

The author recalls the heady days whenLough Swilly was the herring capital of theworld, Magilligan was a world leader in rabbitsand Derry was producing millions of gallons ofwhiskey for the US. But he also records, usingfirst-hand testimonies, the devastation wroughtby the Great Famine in the 1840s.

On his travels, McCourt cooks some brilliant meals, meets some fascinating characters andvisits some of Ireland’s most celebrated food-spots – and a few unsung ones as well.

Discover all this and much more in Feast orFamine, and join Emmett McCourt for a culinaryodyssey not to be missed.

ISBN 978 1 906271 77 0Published December 2013, Casebound with

Dust Jacket, 272pp, Full Colour, 210mm x297mm (tall)

Available direct from www.ghpress.comamazon, waterstones and local book shops

‘Feast or Famine’ an historical andculinary odyssey

from Emmett McCourt chef to the Great Game Fairs of Ireland.

Hair Raising Stunt Nets £2000for NI Cancer Fund

for Children

Well known spaniel field trailer and Shot, William Thompson AKA‘Moneybags,’ has raised a staggering £2000 for the Northern

Ireland Cancer Fund for Children. The popular county sports enthusiast‘used his head’ by getting sponsorship to have all his hair shaved off.

Additional moneywas raised by asporting clay pigeonshoot and draw withprizes that included asuperb gun-slipsponsored by local gundealer C. F. Beattie,Ballycarry. Very specialthanks are due as wellto Larne Wildfowlerswho handed over all ofthe proceeds from theclay-shoot, and also tothe visiting JanuaryGuns at Castle Dobbs,where participants satdown to a fabulousdinner providedafterwards by HeadKeeper Alastair Beattieand his team.

William (front) after the deed was done— also in the picture is best friend Ericwho says he took great delight inwatching a grown man almost cry!

The British Deer Society’s Northern Ireland Branch (BDS-NI) inpartnership with the Ulster Reform Club donated £660 to the Black

Santa Appeal organised by St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. The Gift Aided donation was raised at a festive Gala Game Dinner

organised by the Club along with BDS-NI. The Branch sponsored theevent by providing the sustainably sourced wild venison which formedthe centrepiece of the fine dining occasion.

A very welcome contribution is received for the Black SantaAppeal.

BDS and Ulster Reform ClubBlack Santa Appeal

www.mccloys.ie

COUNTRYSIDE NEWS

(Thursday 23rd January 2014) – Gowran Park Race Courserecorded the biggest turnout in a decade today for a thrillingGoffs Thyestes Chase that marked the start of the Kilkenny racecourse’s centenary year

Over 8,000 attendees witnessed Paul Townend ride theWillie Mullins-trained On His Own to victory to win the GoffsThyestes Chase. The Grade A Race is the biggest national huntrace in the southeast with a prize pool of €100,000 and isregarded as a ‘trial’ for the Aintree and Irish Grand Nationals.The cream of racing attended the event, including jockeysRuby Walsh, Bryan Cooper and Paul Carberry and trainersWillie Mullins, Henry de Bromhead, Tony Martin and EdwardO’Grady.

Complimenting the Goffs Thyestes Chase was the JohnMulhern Galmoy Hurdle, a €40,000 race which was won byMalaBeach, ridden by Robbie Colgan and trained by GordonElliott.

Celebrities such as actor James Nesbitt, John Brennan ofRTE’s At Your Service and Dr. Eva Orsmond mingled withjockeys and trainers at the event which is the highlight of theseason for Gowran Park race course.

Top model and Kilkenny native Karen Fitzpatrick presided over thejudging of the Most Stylish Lady competition, which was won by Liz Maherfrom Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow. Her elegant ensemble comprised a 10-year-old black John Rocha coat, Umit Kutluk fur collar and grey PhilipTreacy hat, which she bought in a half-price sale three years ago. It wasmatched with pearls, red leather gloves and a red broach, black lacetights and Paul Green suede court shoes. She received a luxury €1,500Kilkenny City centre shopping & leisure prize comprising a €500 voucherfor Peaches the boutique, a €500 voucher for Murphy Jewellers and a€500 stay & dine package for the Pembroke Hotel. “Liz looked so elegant.

Her outfit was timeless, very stylish and — an important criteria for today’sjudging — practical and appropriate for a winter race meeting”,commented Karen Fitzpatrick.

Racegoers enjoyed a great day’s entertainment that included all-daycatering, a champagne marquee and live music with Liam Byrne (ChristyMoore Tribute), Marcus Prouse (Garth Brooks Tribute), Shane O’Dwyerand DJs.

Pictured at the Goffs Thyestes Chase race meeting at GowranPark race course are Thyestes Chase winning jockey and trainerPaul Townsend and Willie Mullins with Henry Beeby, CEO Goffs.

(Photo: Pat Moore)

ON HIS OWN’ WINS GOFFS THYESTES CHASERecord Turn Out For Grade A Race Kicks Off 100 Years of Racing at Gowran

The Woodland Trust has received a surge inrecords of birds nesting, shrubs coming into

bud and snowdrops flowering, as MotherNature takes advantage of the mild weather. Insome parts of the UK, the charity has alsoreceived reports of ladybirds and butterflies,which is consistent with a long-term trendidentified through data on its Nature’s Calendarwebsite, suggesting spring is advancing earlier.

Spring is on the move inNorthern Ireland too:• Rooks first nest-building: observed 1 January2014 in Hillsborough, County Down• Snowdrops first flowering: observed 11

January 2014 in Newtownards, County Down• Song thrush singing: observed 3 January 2014in Banbridge, County Down• Hazel catkins: observed 8 January 2014 inCarrickfergus, County Antrim• Daffodils budding: observed 15 January 2014in east Belfast

The early sightings of so many speciesconform to a long-term trend in which springhas gradually arrived earlier in the UK,highlighted by data recorded on Nature’sCalendar since 2001. Research also suggeststhat over the last 25 years flowers havebloomed up to 12 days earlier than previouslytwo. However, species fooled by warmerweather into early activity, whether blossomingor breeding, could be vulnerable to the sort of

freeze not uncommon inFebruary or March.

Dr Kate Lewthwaite,Woodland Trust Nature’sCalendar Project Manager,said: “People may besurprised to see such spring-like activity in January, butWoodland Trust dataconfirms that it has becomemore and more commonover the last decade or so.What this highlights is theimportance of havingdiverse, inter-connectedhabitats that allow species toreact to any changes inclimate and adjustaccordingly. With habitats

coming under ever greater threat andfragmentation the pressure on our native floraand fauna will only increase.”

By recording activity of species found innative woodland and other habitats, thousandsof people have enabled Nature’s Calendar tobecome the leading survey into how climatechange is affecting our plants and wildlife.

The Woodland Trust is appealing for morepeople throughout Northern Ireland to takepart in this UK-wide survey, as records here arecurrently scarce. Find out more atwww.naturescalendar.org.uk/survey.

Mild winter leads to early signs of spring

Snowdrops (photo by Carole Sutton)

Hazel catkins (photo by Margaret Barton)


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Alan C.M. Rountree casting Int FT Ch Waterford Edward of Tasco in the recent IKChamponship. They finished 2nd adding to Alan's illustrious handling record inthe championship - one that is unlikely to be equalled.

Finbar’s O’Sullivan’s IR.FTCH Rommels Mystery

When did you become involved in

country sports and what are your particular

interests/pastimes?

I have been a keen shooting enthusiastfor over 40 years. I am a member ofseveral shooting syndicates and alsoparticipate in rough shooting andwildfowling. Growing up around theLough Neagh basin, as a young boy Ioften accompanied my Grandfather andmy Uncles on rough shooting days andwildfowling on the flooded meadows, andI developed a passion for the sport at anearly age. I also formed a ‘Sporting’ claypigeon club on my home farm back in1980 which ran for about 10 years.Shooting has always been my main hobby,but I take a keen interest in all aspects ofrural life and now that I have retired, I geta bit more time to spend working with thedogs and enjoying the changing seasonsin our beautiful countryside.

What are your interests outside of

country sports?

Country sports as I have said play a bigpart in my life and I don’t participate inother sports such as golf. I enjoywatching most sports, love music andhave quite a few other interests andinvolvement with various organisationsincluding church, schools and housingassociations, serving on various Boardsand committees.

When did you become involved with

CAI and what would you say has been your

major contribution to the organisation to

date?

I have been a member of CAI for over20 years and first joined the Board in2004. The work and contribution that the

Board makes to the organisation is verymuch a team effort and as such I amdelighted to be a part of that.

What particular experience and skills do

you bring to the position of CAI Chairman?

Apart from being directly involved andparticipating in field sports for manyyears, I recently retired as a Director ofone of Northern Ireland’s leading firmsand have extensive experience ofplanning and strategy formation which Ihope will be of use as we go forward. Ihave previously chaired ‘All Ireland’professional institutions, and believe Ihave the skills necessary to effectively leadthe board in decision making whichrecognises all points of view from acrossthe Island.

Country sports continue to be seen by

many as ‘under attack’ - your predecessor

referred to misunderstanding about the

nature and skills required of country sports

and in some cases prejudice. What would

you say is the best way for CAI to deal with

the current situation or is there a new

strategy that you wish to deploy?

A significant part of CAI’s remit is toeducate in respect of the positivecontribution that country sports makes tosociety, the environment and the economy.Amongst others, this includes extensiveliaison with the public, MLAs and localpolitical representatives. I believe this tobe absolutely essential and continuous.What I am saying is that we need to becontinually promoting our rural way oflife; it’s not something we just do in theface of the next threat that comes alongand to which we have to react. That is whyorganisations such as CAI are so

important. I don’t believe there is any newor magic strategy which can be employed,the work is ongoing and vital to ensurethat our members’ standpoint is known,understood and respected.

How do you personally want CAI to

impact on the country sports scene today

and will you be setting a fresh agenda for

your team?

CAI has been and indeed continues tobe effective in representing our membersand their interests. I hope to contributepositively and bring fresh ideas during mytenure as Chair but believe there is littlepoint in reinventing the wheel or changepurely for the sake of it! We have anexcellent team, very ably led by our ChiefExecutive, and I don’t foresee need forany radical change to our agenda.

CAI is one of a number of country

sports bodies in Ireland - is there a

requirement for this proliferation? Each

generally refers to a cohesive and coherent

approach to threats and opportunities to

country sports on behalf of its members so

is duplication of effort and expense really

necessary?

It is not for me to comment on anyorganisation other than that of CAI. Overthe past number of years CAI has been atthe forefront of the public stage (not tomention the political arena) and ourcontinued membership growth speaks foritself; particularly in these difficulteconomic times.

It is a major concern to readers and I

have to say our publisher that, unlike the

NARGC and FISSTA, none of the NI

country sports organisations hold AGMS

where members can vote for


Exclusive Interview with

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The latest in our interview series featuring people of influence in country sports

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representatives, interact with staff and

committee/board members and generally

give feedback to the organisation. We

appreciate that Irish members are entitled

to go to the CA AGM in the UK but that

really isn’t terribly realistic. Could you not

take the lead in initiating a more

democratic process?

It is interesting that this issue has beenraised yet again by ICS&CL nevertheless,I am happy to clarify.

CAI is semi devolved from CountrysideAlliance; however from a financial pointof view CAI’s annual accounts areaudited and included with the Allianceend of year financial report because it is aCompany Limited by Guarantee.

The Alliance calls an annual AGM on

behalf of all regions and each fully paid up

voting member and group leaders receive a

full copy of the audited accounts and an

invitation to attend the annual AGM of the

Alliance.

It is inaccurate to say that ourmembers cannot vote for representativesor interact with us. We actively encourageand welcome feedback. CAIcommunicates directly with its memberson a daily basis and in a variety of ways.Aside from the newsletter, we are readilycontactable by telephone, email andwebsite and many of our members usethese means to communicate regularlyand frequently with the organisation.

We appreciate that CAI is at least more

democratic in that it holds rolling elections

to its board - is holding an AGM

something you would consider

implementing or in what other way would

you seek to make upwards as well as

downwards communication better within

CAI?

At this moment in time a separate AGMis not seen as a priority. As I have said, weactively encourage our members toengage with us on a regular and ongoingbasis and an AGM should not be seen asthe ‘be all and end all’ of communicationwithin an organisation.

Can you explain how members are

currently appointed/elected to the board

and how the chairman is elected?

The Board is comprised of electedmembers and co-opted members so as to

ensure that the organisation can have thebenefit of a full range of field-sports’expertise and experience at this level.Each year a maximum of three positionsbecome available, our membership arenotified in December and a call fornominations for election is made. Oncenominations are received, if there aremore candidates than vacancies, a postalvote is carried out where each member(over the age of 17) has the opportunity tocast their vote. The postal returns are sentto an appointed independent scrutineerfor counting. The Board may appointmembers from other walks of life such asthe Hunting Association of NorthernIreland, IGPA and the Ulster AnglingFederation to assist us in delivering ourobjectives across all country sports andthe rural way of life.

The Chairman of CAI is elected by theBoard of CAI in the normal way thatapplies to this position in mostorganisations. He or she must be amember of CAI.

Have you plans for greater co-operation

with the other bodies without losing what

you would see as CAI’s particular identity

and appeal? Can such co-operation present

problems in some areas (the firearms

licensing review could be seen as a ‘one

size fits all’ approach with some

concessions on the wish list of one

representative body not featuring on

another’s - yet these may become part of a

bargaining process with the authorities

with consequences outwith the concerns of

CAI’s members). Sometimes the ‘all for

one and one for all’ approach can have

disadvantages as well - what are your

views?

CAI engages closely with other likeminded organisations on matters ofmutual interest and we believe that this isvital to strengthen our collective voice.However, if there are certain aspects forexample in relation to legislation wherewe do not agree, we simply defer to ourown agenda.

As both a committed CAI member, a

PR professional and someone who is on

record as praising the heavy all-Ireland

workload carried by your Chief Executive,

I have been a little concerned that the

organisation that I would perceive as being

the largest in NI has been some ways rather

overshadowed in PR terms by BASCNI

(who won’t declare their membership – so

can’t be too large) in both the All Party

Countrysports Group at Stormont and

publicity on the Firearms legislation. Have

you plans for CAI to take the lead on some

issues in NI and/or ROI and what might

these be?

PR is important for any organisationand CAI are happy to publicise ourachievements.

As you say, our Chief Executive has avery heavy workload, but we believe ourmembership support and growth is initself recognition of our endeavours. Ifwe were to worry about column inches wewould lose focus and waste valuable time.

The Firearms legislation negotiations

have dragged on to such a degree that it

could appear as if the BASCNI-led

negotiation team is more interested in the

publicity it is getting, than actually moving

things forward to attain a resolution. We

have felt it necessary to take issue with the

way this has been handled as we feel that

on such an important matter there should

have been much wider consultation and

debate around the issues with ordinary

shooters before submissions were made.

As you are well aware our ChiefExecutive has been fully involved andindeed at the forefront in relation to thefirearms legislative matters. Any questionsin relation to this are for him to answerbut I am happy to say that he has the fullsupport of the CAI Board.

As the new Chairman you will have

personal goals for (a) country sports and

(b) for CAI - what are they and how do you

plan to see them achieved?

I did not take on the Chairmanship ofCAI to attain ‘personal goals’ but ratherto assist the organisation in achieving ouraims and objectives as we continue to facethe challenges that exist currently andindeed lie ahead.

Have you anything else that you would

like to say to our readers?

I would like to reiterate to all countrysports enthusiasts the need to supportorganisations such as CAI who campaignand work tirelessly on their behalf.


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Francesco told me that his wife

Giuseppa has been living in Ireland for

40 years, she’s also Italian and moved

to Ireland when she was 11. He met

Giuseppa in Italy and she was the

reason that he decided to settle

permanently in Ireland 17 years ago: “I

was in Celbridge for a while in the food

business, then we moved to Cashel

where I opened a restaurant and about a

year later I opened the gunshop. I’ve

been involved with guns since I was a

kid. In my adult life I was in the police

where I was fixing guns, fixing the old

Berettas which was skilful work, all

part of my policing duty. My first stint

as a policeman was near Turin in

northern Italy, then I moved to Naples,

then to Rome. While based in Naples it

was the time of the Red Brigades, a

Marxist-Leninist paramilitary

organisation which attained notoriety in

the 1970s and early 1980s with its

violent attempts to destabilise Italy

through acts of sabotage, bank

robberies and kidnappings.”

I asked how he got to know and love

shooting so much: “I was raised in

Casalattico which is a village near

Monte Cassino. My father, my

grandfather, great-grandfather and

brothers were into shooting.I started

shooting at the age of 10 in Italy,

shooting local game such as pheasants

and I was also reloading at that age too.

I still enjoy shooting in Italy, especially

wild boar hunting. Locally, I enjoy rifle

and pistol shooting in the Midlands

Shooting Centre at Blueball near


By Derek Fanning

An Italian Gun Expert SellingBeautiful Guns In Ireland

On a dark, windy evening during January I drove down to the lovely town ofCashel to meet the Italian gun expert and gun shop owner, Francesco Morelli.Cashel is a town which I am very fond of. It is magnificently situated, with thegorgeous and impressive Galty Mountains forming a backdrop, and it boaststhe Rock of Cashel, a picturesque collection of medieval buildings perched ona limestone outcrop. Whenever I drive to the town I am always impressed andcharmed by the sight of the Rock with the Galtees rising behind and Francesco’sgun shop and restaurant is only a couple of hundred yards from this location.As a journalist, one interviews many different characters over the course ofone’s career. Some interviewees are charming, witty, interesting; others aretense, quick to take offence, suspicious, and say little. Francesco (I am happyto say!) fell into the character of charming, witty and interesting. He was goodhumoured, laidback and very passionate about guns and shooting.

Francesco is agenerous sponsor

of eventsincluding Ireland’slargest game and

country fair at BirrCastle. Tom Cahill(Manager Casale),Francesco Morreli

(Proprietor Casale)presents the prize

gun to SeamusPierce and MickSmith from the

DerrinsallowShoot organisers

of the clay pigeonshoot.

Tullamore, Offaly.” A few years ago

the authorities wouldn’t issue

Francesco with a pistol licence but

not deterred he took the case to

Court and won.

The Morellis are famous in

Ireland for food since the 1950s:

“My uncle started working in

Dublin in 1951. In the south of

Ireland they’re famous for food, but

in the North they’re famous for ice

cream! They run restaurants in

Roscommon, Galway and other

towns. I was cooking in the

restaurant until 8 years ago,”

remarked Francesco, “but since then

I haven’t had the time because I am

working in the gun and fishing shop

full time. My wife and daughter

oversee the running of the restaurant

and takeaway beside the gun shop.”

But on to the main reason for the

interview — the gun shop, where he

is expertly assisted by local man

Tom Cahill, who has been working

with him for the past 17 years: “I

started the gun shop 17 years ago

when I saw there was an opening for

going into the wholesale business

and I’ve been doing the wholesale

side for 16 years and it’s going very

well. I sometimes work 15 to 20

hours a day, seven days a week. A

lot of time is spent on the road

visiting customers. I am one of only

five gun equipment wholesalers in

Ireland and sell shooting equipment

to shops throughout the country.”

His shop is very well appointed

and sells a fine collection of Caesar

Guerini and Sabatti guns. These are

noted for their robustness, efficiency

and beautiful craftsmanship. The

Italians love beautiful craftsmanship,

they love artistry and creativity, and

this wonderful instinct finds

expression in their gun-making. The

guns which Francesco showed me

were magnificent weapons, ideal for

either clay-pigeon or game shooting,

but they were also works of art. To

my mind, shooting with one of these

guns would be a pleasure and in

those moments of idleness in the

field, when there’s a lull in the

shooting action, you could enjoy

gazing at the silver engraving and

the woodwork of these guns.

Francesco showed me a number

of his beautifully made Caesar

Guerini shotguns, including the

Challenger Impact Sporting model,

an over and under retailing at

€4,795 and suitable for clay and

game shooting. It is fully adjustable

which means you don’t have to

customise your gun.

“Now this one,” remarked

Francesco, “is the Ellipse Evo. It’s a

12 gauge sporter and is good for

game and clay pigeon shooting. It

has a round action which is very

unusual on a sporting gun and

Caesar Guerini didn’t do rounded

actions prior to this. Some people

prefer round actions because it suits

their hands. As with many of the

Caesar Guerini guns there is

beautiful workmanship and intricate

and artistic engraving. This gun

retails at €4,400 and you are paying

for the craftsmanship, the engraving

plus the wood.”

He extracted another shotgun

from the cabinet: “This is a Caesar

Guerini Tempio Light. It’s €2,250

and is a game gun, very light about

600 grams, with a Prince of Wales

stock. And here’s another, the

Maxum in 20 gauge, very good for

game shooting and is €3,250 and

again it’s beautifully engraved. He

added: “We are importers as well as

wholesalers, importing from China,

Taiwan, India, Germany, UK,

Austria, Spain, USA, Italy, Sweden,

Turkey, Denmark, Netherlands and

Japan.”

As well as a huge selection of

shotguns and rifles, he’s an importer

of Tanfoglio pistols and stocks most

of the accoutrements associated with

shooting as well as archery and

fishing equipment: “We import

clothing, gun-covers, all the

accessories for shooting including

cartridge belts, slings, boots and for

archery we have leather arm-guards

Tom is holding a Caesar Guerini Maxum, 20gauge, a very good gun for game shootingpriced at €3,250.

The Caesar GueriniChallenger Impact,

sporting OU, retailingat €4,795 - fully

adjustable so thebuyer doesn’t have to

customise his gun.

This time it’s theCaesar GueriniEclipse Evo, 12gauge, sporter.

Here we have a Caesar Guerini Timpio Lightretailing at €2,250 and is an excellent gamegun, very light and featuring a Prince of Walesgrip.


and quivers, which I designed and then

commissioned a factory to make. We

buy our archery equipment directly

from Taiwan which means we can offer

better value for money. Archery is

popular in Ireland, there’s a good

market for it and I am going to start an

archery club in Cashel. There are

already a 40 people in the Cashel area

who wish to join the club. Two weeks

ago some disabled people from

Tipperary visited us for some archery

shooting practice with them. They had

an hour’s training and then decided

what equipment they required which

was a very useful way to make an

informed selection.”

Francesco sells very fine fishing rods

too, including Ron Thompson and

Sierra fly rods which are priced from

€40 to €5/600. “There is a big fishing

club here in Cashel, The Suir is a good

local river, known for its brown trout

and from Ardfinnan down it’s good for

salmon too.”

His wife, Giuseppa Borza, helps him

in the business as well and attends gun

shows with him. “We primarily attend

gun shows because we want to check

out the finest shooting products with

the aim of acquiring them on a

wholesale basis and distributing them to

shops throughout Ireland. We are going

to the US for the big shooting show at

Las Vegas in the near future. This is

the second largest gun show in the

world and you’ll find products there

you won’t find anywhere else. Game

shooting is very popular in America so

I go to a lot of gun shows, looking for

something new all the time.”

When he visits Italy he sometimes

spends a few days working in the

Guerini Factory helping with the

manufacturing of the guns. “This

‘hands on’experience means I am very

familiar with the guns. I was there

when Caesar Guerini first started, when

it was founded by the two brothers

Georgio and Antonio. A friend of mine

introduced me to them when they first

set up and I started working for them

from day one. The relationship is not

just between factory and buyer, it is

between friend and friend: that is very

important, that is what I like. If you

work like that it’s good. A few years

ago Caesar Guerini was gun of the year

in America and Caesar Guerini is very

big in England.” Sabatti rifles and

shotguns are also acclaimed and the

rifles are good for game and target

shooting.

Francesco is well known in the

Cashel community for his ‘big

personality’ and also for his generous

sponsorship of many local events as

well as rugby teams and hurling teams.

Having seen his gun shop and chatted

with Tom and the man himself, I could

see why it is a major stop off point for

so many enthusiasts.

For more information about the

products in Francesco’s shop have a

look at www.casale2000ltd.eu or

telephone 062 63106.


Caesar Guerini guns are manufactured in Italy and are noted for theircraftsmanship and style.

Francesco’s gunshop also sells archery equipment.

The Guns for the day were made up

of Mr Gwyn-Jones’ family, friends and

a group of quality guns who have been

part of the journey of the Ballynatray

Driven Shoot.

Host Henry Gwyn-Jones

Many other people were involved in

the trial over the two days including the

markers, stewards, dog stewards, game

carriers, number board carriers and

many more people behind the scenes,

ensuring the 2 days went as smoothly

as possible.

The 2013 IKC RetrieverChampionship

This year’s championship was

judged by Joe McGivern (Senior

Judge), Roy Rankin, Declan McCarthy

and Ronnie Farrelly. Between them

they have a wealth of experience and

extensive backgrounds in gun dogs.

They have judged as well as

participated all

over Ireland, the

UK, Europe and

even further

afield. Their

commitment to

and passion for

gun dogs is

evidenced in what

they have put

back into the field

over the years

and through the successes they have

had with their own dogs.

Following the championship I had

the opportunity to have a chat with Joe

McGivern on his experience of being

the senior judge. Joe has been an A

panel judge in retrievers for

approximately 30 years and has been in

gun dogs for over 40 years, a lifetime


THE IRISH KENNEL CLUBRETRIEVER CHAMPIONSHIP 2013

Photographs by Tom Fox (official photographer)Additional photos by Jana Cupakova

This year’s IKC Retriever Championship was held on 28th and 29thDecember 2013 in the beautiful Ballynatray House and Estate in Youghal,Co Cork by kind permission of Mr Henry Gwyn-Jones and family.

Suspense: Crowd, judges and competitors at the start of the day. (photo Jana Cupakova)

Report by: Shauna McGroarty and Ruby Boyce

Judges : Joe McGivern, Declan Mc Carthy, Ronnie Farrelyand Roy Rankin

Sponsored by

of experience. Joe started his gun dog

career with Golden Retrievers and has a

natural affinity with the breed, however

over the years he has competed on a

bigger scale with his Labradors. Joe

has judged the IKC Retriever

Championships on 5 other occasions

and qualified and ran in the

championships on over 20 occasions

and 3 times with 3 different Golden

Retrievers. Joe said he was delighted to

have been asked to Judge again on this

occasion and thoroughly enjoyed his

appointment and was happy with how

the trial ran.

Over the two days, Joe said he had

seen some very good dog work as

would be expected in a championship,

however went onto say the second day

was much better and the competitors

really got a chance to show their dogs

off. Joe said as good as the ground

was, there was too much open ground

but after talking to the keeper and guns

on the first day, they asked for more

birds to be shot into cover where

possible. The excellent guns duly

obliged and this resulted in a more

exciting trial for the second day.

Joe was very impressed with the dog

work and said those who came through

in the awards where the cream of the

crop and congratulations must go to the

hard work involved in getting there

with their dogs. He said some excellent

dogs and handlers fell by the way side

because of one thing and another,

however there was nothing put forward

in the trial that he wouldn’t have

expected the dogs to handle. One dog

in particular stood out for Joe and that

was Tom Lowry’s FT CH Watergreen

Hunter (awarded COM and Gun’s

choice). He said the dog had an

excellent run, very fast, stylish and

hunted like a demon but fell short on

the last hurdle, and as we all know Joe

said, you are only as good as your last

retrieve.

Joe said judging the championships

this year was most enjoyable but went

onto say he doesn’t think he will judge

another one due to his senior years

creeping up on him. Joe has a passion

for Golden Retrievers and said it was

great to see a Golden running this year

again in the championships. Joe has a

young golden at the moment and he

said he would love to get him qualified

for a Championship before he has to

‘put the auld whistle away for good.’

The Running order:1. Non runner

2. Mr Lorenzo Hynes with FTCH

Trumpetaker Ash (DOB, 24.08.08)

Winner of 2013 IKC RetrieverChampionship

3. Mr Richard Johnstone with FTCH

Shimnavale Excalibur (DOB, 27.05.10)

4. Non runner

5. Mr Michael Corr with FTCH

Astraglen Hardy (DOB, 07.02.11)

6. Mr Eamon Murphy with Luna

aruff (DOB, 14.05.11)

7. Mr Harry Gillanders with FTCH

Ffynongain Razor (DOB, 04.04.10)

8. Mr David Beattie with Alabama

Black (DOB, 1.12.08)

9. Mr Denis O’Grady with FTCH

Tullyah Dasher (DOB, 26.05.09)

10. Thomas Lowry with Redbog

Alice (DOB 16.01.11)

11. Mr Sean Nolan with INT FTCH

Tweedshot Trimble of Lettergreen

(DOB, 12.04.09) 4th in the 2013 IKCRetriever Championship

12. Mr Paul Toal with FTCH

Altiquin Ripple (DOB, 14.04.08)

13. Mr Nigel Carville with FTCH

Waysgreen Apollo (DOB, 18.08.08)

14. Mr David O’Sullivan with

Redbog Andy (DOB, 16.01.11)

15.Mr Declan Boyle with Leadburn

Jamie (DOB, 01.04.09)

16. Mr Danny Behan with

Quarrypool Ainey (DOB, 24.05.07)

17. Mr Nigel Carville with

Apollobay Apocalypse of Astraglen

(DOB, 21.10.10)

18. Mr Michael Cronin with FTCH

Watergreen Gemma of Monsell (DOB,

17.12.08)

19. Mr Sean O’Connor with

Timpany Monty of Coolflough (DOB,

01.10.10)

20. Mr Damian Newman with FTCH

Dunamoria Eve (DOB, 25.03.06)


First Day line up of even numbered dogs under judge Roy Rankin.

21. Mr Alan Leonard with

Barronstown Angel (DOB, 27.04.08)

22. Mr Gerard O’Neill with

Highwalk Storm (DOB, 15.04.07)

23. Mr Damian Newman with

Astraglen Trigger of Fendawood (DOB,

22.09.10)

24. Mr Eddie Finn with Tirgarve

Claire (DOB, 15.07.08)

25. Non runner

26. Mr David Boyce with Dorrets

Dragonfly (DOB, 31.07.10)

27. Mr John Behan with FTCH

Quarrypool Rough Diamond (DOB,

24.05.07)

28. Mr Ian Davis with FTCH

Glenanne Pi (DOB, 29.09.09)

29. Mr Billy Lundy with INT FTCH

The Newcam Boss (DOB, 23.10.10)

30. Mr Andrew Rooney with Baryley

Laddie of Laggengill (DOB, 27.08.07)

31. Mr Thomas Lowry with FTCH

Watergreen Hunter (DOB, 18.02.10)

32. Mr Nigel Carville with INT

FTCH Astraglen Faith (DOB, 24.10.08)

33. Mr Alan Leonard with

Barronstown Dance of Tasco (DOB,

22.06.10)

34. Mr Thomas Loughran with

Copperbirch Roosky (DOB, 19.08.11)

35. Mr Paul O’Brien with Corrib

Warwick (DOB, 13.05.10)

36, Mr John Williamson with

Norden Lights Cherokee (DOB,

23.01.10)

37. Mr Christy Scott with

Watergreen Gladiator (DOB, 17.12.08)

Day 1 Day 1 started off with a 20 minute

heavy pheasant drive in open fields

with birds being shot in front of and

over the competitors, landing in the

field and the wooded area between the

two lines of competitors. Most of the

first retrieves were taken out in open

fields with the dogs carrying them out

without any difficulty with just 1 or 2

dogs falling to very bad luck.

Notable retrieves for one reason or

another were: Dog no. 2 handled by

Lorenzo Hynes who was sent for a

running cock pheasant during the drive

and retrieved nicely back to hand.

Lorenzo won the 2012 Championship

with the same dog. Dog no. 6 Eamon

Murphy was sent for a hen

pheasant, he hunted the fall area very

well, keeping dog tight as there were

several birds in close proximity, but

unfortunately was called up. Dog no. 8

handled by David Beattie was then sent

for same bird, the dog looked fast and

stylish and made good work of the area

but then drifted left and picked a hen

bird. The judges had a brief discussion

and they asked Dog no. 10 handled by

Thomas Lowry to try the same marked

area as the previous two dogs. Tom’s

dog held the area, hunted well and was

eventually called in. The judges

walked out to the fall and made an

extensive search but found no bird. On

their return they approached handler no.

8, David Beattie, and explained that he

wrong birded as the dog drifted out of

the marked area. This was David’s first

Championship and he was disappointed

to be the first dog put out in the

Championships but hopefully there will

be many more Championships for

David to come. Dogs no. 6 and no. 10

were kept in and sent again for another

retrieve.

Andrew Rooney and Nigel Carville

produced some lovely dog work where

the dogs had to take a long cast down

over a bank and then into

cover; clean, swift and back

nicely to hand.

Retrieves were then lifted

from the 2nd and 3rd drives

before progressing onto the

final retrieves of the day

which were taken in a large

green walled field where

handlers stood at the top of

the hill looking down

towards the gallery behind

the wall. Some very nice

retrieves were pulled off in

this round which required

the dogs to cast about 150

yards down the hill then

over a fence, lane and wall

to pick the birds. Eddie

Finn, Alan Leonard, Damian

Newman and David Boyce

all got to showcase their

dogs casting, jumping and

handling in front of a full

gallery. Following this, the


A Stylish Cast (Photo: Jana Cupakova)

A Golden Moment (Photo: Jana Cupakova)

Another stylish cast by Billy Lundy (3rd placed).

And More Style from Alan Leonard(4th place).

handlers were moved to another angle,

this time sending the dogs on a long

cast and over a fence to pick the bird,

and once again Tom Lowry pulled off

another very stylish retrieve and was

closely matched by John Williamson,

Sean Nolan, Ian Davis, Billy Lundy,

Nigel Carville and Paul O’Brien. There

was very little to separate the dogs on

this retrieve.

The judges met once again to discuss

their cards and the cut was made for the

2nd day. 18 Dogs were required for the

following day and they were dogs

numbered: 2, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18,

21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 35, 36

Day 2The second day was another very

fine day, colder than the first and not

even the slightest breeze to help the

dogs. The first drive lasted about 20

minutes and a good number of partridge

were shot falling either into the stubble

field or into a plantation of trees. Dogs

on both sides of the lines would have

been in view of many of the falling

birds. Once the drive had finished both

sides of the line took it in turn to take

retrieves from various areas.

The most demanding retrieves were

at the top of the stubble field up a steep

hill. The difficulty being that the dogs

went out of sight of the handlers once

cast for the bird. The lack of any

breeze also went against some of the

dogs who were not able to pick up a

scent when they got to the area, and

were consequently called up. One such

dog, who was having a nice run until

this point, was John Williamson’s FT

Ch Nordenlights Cherokee. This was

the only Golden Retriever in the

Championship and this was John’s

second time running in the

Championship with the same dog, the

first time being the 2012 Championship

where he was awarded a D.O.M. Those

dogs that did make it, made a very nice

job of the retrieve, much to the handlers

relief when they could see them

returning back down the hill and loaded

with a bird.

The standard of work at this stage

was what you would expect at a

championship; there were many

obstacles and diversions that fully

tested the dogs and handlers’ skills.

Nigel Carville had an eye catching 2

dog eye wipe in this round. Tom

Lowry and Paul O’Brien produced

some stylish clean work casting the

dogs through a gate to pick birds,

straight out and swiftly back to hand

which seemed to be the order of the day

for them. Billy Lundy also pulled off a

lovely retrieve showing off this

exceptional bitch’s natural instinct to

hunt out wounded game ahead of dead

game on the ground.

The top dogs were starting to show

through, Sean Nolan’s dog (winner, Int

FT Ch Tweedshot Trimble of

Lettergreen) produced some lovely

stylish clean work and I am sure it

crossed Sean’s mind at this point that

he could be in the awards again at this

year’s championships, having gained a

3rd last year with the same dog.

Unfortunately some excellent dogs ran36 Spring 2014 Countrysports and Country Life

Micky Corr (Chairman) and Martin O’Riordan (Head Keeper) Secretary Declan Boyle with Haneke Simmons

David Boyce’s dog in action (placed 2nd). (Photo: Jana Cupakova) A Fine Delivery to Hand. (Photo: Jana Cupakova)

into bad luck which meant that their

Championship was over for another

year. Once the required birds were

lifted and all remaining handlers took

their 4th retrieve, the judges came

together to look at their books, 12

handlers made the cut and were called

back for the next round.

The handlers who made the cut were

numbers: 10, 11, 12, 15, 21, 22, 24, 26,

27, 29, 31 and 35.

At this point the trial moved towards

a wooded lane. The gallery were able

to stand behind while competitors

where called one by one down towards

the judges to take retrieves, either off

the lane or into a deep excavated area

of about 80 yards which had grown

over with cover and bracken.

Once the judges had finished with

the handlers in this location and all

useable birds were picked, the trial

moved towards the duck pond where

ducks had been laying from the

previous drive. The gallery was asked

to stand at the entrance of the field

while the handlers, dogs and judges and

helpers moved into the middle of the

field. Towards the bottom of the field

there was a duck pond where ducks lay

and to the left of the line there was a

wooded area where ducks had also

fallen.

Tensions were high as the trial was

almost coming to an end, 7 handlers

remained and the judges put the

handlers through their paces sending

them from the middle of the field either

towards the duck pond or into the

wood. The handlers had two retrieves

here and each time the retrieve was

rotated which meant dogs were not

following one another in subsequent

retrieves.

The 7 handlers completed their

retrieves, the judges gathered again to

look at their books and it was then

announced that all 7 handlers needed to

go to the duck pond for their water

Competitors at the start of Day 2. (Photo: Jana Cupakova)

Winner with Championship Committee and Head keeper Martin O’Riordan .


retrieve. All handlers completed

this final retrieve of the day

without any difficulty, sighed a

sigh of relief and congratulations

were offered for those competitors

who had completed the trial. The

trial made their way back to

Ballynatray House where

refreshments were provided and the

awards were announced.

Results:

1st Place Int FT Ch Tweedshot

Trimble of Lettergreen

handled/owned by Mr Sean Nolan

Labrador Dog DOB: 12.04.09

Sire: Tasco Brimstone Dam:

Tweedshot Mango Breeder: Mr S.

Tweedy

Sean qualified his dog for the

2013 Championship 3 times over

by winning the Irish Gundog Field

and Show Society Open Stake on

26th January 2013, coming 2nd in

the Ulster Golden Retriever Club’s

Open Stake on 20th September and

also by winning the Labrador

Retriever Club of Northern

Ireland’s 2 day Open Stake on 31st

October and 1st November 2013

making him up to an International

Field Trial Champion. Sean

competed in the 2012 IKC

Retriever Championship with the

same dog and was awarded 4th

place, showing this dogs ability to

compete consistently at the top of

his field.

Sean was very lucky to have

finished the season in style

considering he had been out of

commission for 6 weeks following

a knee operation, this possibly

made his win all the more

rewarding considering he would

have had to endure a couple of

days of pain, all in the pursuit of

his passion for gun dogs.

2nd Place Dorrets Dragonfly

handled/owned and bred by Mr

David Boyce Labrador Bitch DOB:

31.07.10 Sire: FT Ch Copperbirch

Zeus of Glenanne Dam: FT Ch

Rockenhart Ontario Breeder: Mr

David Boyce

David qualified his dog by

winning the Clonakilty Field Trial

Assoication’s Open Stake on 22nd

December 2012 and also at the

Cobh Field Trial Association’s

Open Stake on 7th September

2013. This was David’s first award

at the IKC Retriever Championship

and a day he will not forget.

David’s daughter Ruby reported on

the other side of the line and was

just as delighted to watch her father

achieve this award.

3rd Place Int FT Ch The

Newcam Boss handled/owned by


John Geoghan from sponsors Red Mills and Harry Gillanders applaudthe winners.

Championship Treasurer Lady WaterfordPresenting Prizes to 2nd placed David Boyce,

Championship Treasurer Lady WaterfordPresenting COM to Thomas Lowry who also wonthe Irish Countrysports and Country life Tropy for‘Guns Choice’.

Championship Treasurer Lady WaterfordPresenting COM to Eddie Finn.

Championship Treasurer Lady WaterfordPresenting COM to John Behan.

Mr Billy Lundy Labrador Bitch DOB:

23.10.10 Sire: FT Ch Marranscar

Blackcap Dam: Smirnoff Teal Breeder:

Mr Billy Lundy

Billy qualified his dog for the 2013

championship on 5 different occasions

which has to be a record. Firstly by

winning the Clodagh Valley Field Trial

Association’s Open Stake on 5th

December 2012, followed by winning

the Labrador Retriever Club of

Ireland’s Open Stake on 6th September

2013, winning the Ulster Golden

Retriever Club’s Open Stake on 20th

September 2013 and the winning the

N.I.G.F.S.S’s 2 day Open stake on 18th

and 19th October 2013 making his

bitch up to an International Field Trial

Champion. Billy was awarded the Fred

McGuirk Cup at the 2012

Championships for the most stylish

yellow bitch, with the same dog.

4th Place

Barronstown Angel handled / owned

by Mr Alan Leonard DOB: 27.04.08

Sire: Int FT Ch Waterford Edward of

Tasco Dam: FT Ch Ffynongain Graphic

Breeder: Mr Alan Leonard

Alan qualified and ran two dogs at

the 2013 championship qualifying his

dog in the awards by wining Craigavon

Gun Dog Club’s 2 day open stake in

October 2013 and also the Clones Open

Stake on 16th November 2013. Alan

has qualified for the championships on

many previous occasions and is not a

stranger to the awards.

Diploma’s of Honour

Tirgarve Claire handled/owned and

bred by Mr Eddie Finn

FT Ch Quarrypool Rough Diamond

handled/owned by John Behan

FT CH Watergreen Hunter

handled/owned by Thomas Lowry (and

also Gun’s Choice)

The Winner of the IKC

Championship 2013 – Sean Nolan.

Following Sean Nolan’s success at

this year’s championship I was

interested to find out a bit more

information about his passion for gun

dogs and how it lead him to where he is

today with his dogs.

Sean’s introduction to gundogs came

approximately 16 years ago while he

was out walking a springer spaniel and

he came across a working test on the

Black Mountain organised by Mr Larry

Lee SNR. That day at the test Paddy

Magee, a friend from Sean’s youth who

was taking part in the working test

explained what was happening to Sean.

They got talking throughout the day

and consequently Sean ended up totally

hooked on the sport. Weeks went by

and Paddy had advised Sean to get a

Labrador and maybe do a few working

tests. Sean said he has a lot of good

memories of training at every

opportunity, working tests in the

summer, picking up in the winter and

eventually trialling.

The first dog Sean ever had was a

bitch called Rosie that he got from Sam

Polley who lived in Cloughey in

County Down. Rosie proved too much

for Sean, which he put down to her

being too hot and not having the

experience to train her. Sean said

around this time a friend of Paddy

Magee’s, Bobby Robertson, had

returned from England and Paddy

suggested they both go training with

Bobby on a Sunday. This was the first

proper lesson in gundog training Sean

had received and he enjoyed every

minute of it, and he said the icing on

the cake was that Bobby didn’t charge

them a penny. Sean said Rosie did not

work out in the field so he got another

bitch from Sam Polley from the same

sire and dam, however this time he had

a little bit more experience and he also

had Bobby Robertson to turn to for

advice. Sean said this bitch was called

Mist, she was very clever, could find

game and Mist was the first dog he ran

in a trial.

The trial was at Shane’s Castle in

County Antrim and Sean said he was

eye wiped on his first retrieve by the

late Jim Barr, a gentleman in the sport

who won the Irish Retriever

Championship three times. Jim told

Sean to keep training and that Mist was

a good bitch. Two weeks later he got

another run in Dundarave, County

Antrim and Mist won the trial, she had

just turned 17 months. Sean said he was

over the moon and this was the start of


The Winner Sean Nolan INT FT CH Tweedshot Trimble of Lettergreen.

a partnership that lasted five or more

years on the trial field. Sean said Mist

received lots of awards in both the

English and Irish Kennel Clubs, being

placed twice in Two Day Stakes, lots of

2nds, 3rds and 4ths but could never get

over the line to get first. Sean said he

had some good times and some great

laughs with different characters in the

Gundog world. Sean retired Mist when

she was 7 and gave her to his friend’s

father Mr Harry McGutcheon, to shoot

over and use for picking up. Mist sadly

passed away in 2013 at the age of 13.

Sean said after Mist he found it hard

getting another dog capable of running

in open trials. He went through four or

five dogs but none were suitable after

winning their novice trials. Sean said

he remembers having a conversation

with the late Sam Jennett and telling

Sam he was finding it hard to get an

open dog (something special) and Sam

told him “You may only get one good

dog in your lifetime, something special,

and when it happens keep the dog with

you as much as possible and enjoy

every minute they’re with you.” Sean

said in previous years he enjoyed

picking up and trialling but didn’t put

in the amount of time needed to have

success. He said he now trains mostly

on his own and also meets with his

friend Gary McGutcheon once or twice

a week who has a similar way of

training and it works well for them

both.

The person who has influenced Sean

the most, first and foremost in the gun

dog world, is Bobby Robertson. Sean

said Bobby shared his experience with

him and gave him the right foundation

from which to build and expand his

knowledge of gundogs.

Sean said without a doubt the best

dog he has had is Quinn, the dog that

he won the recent IKC Retriever

Championship with and that he’s that

‘something special’ dog that Sam

Jennett spoke of. Sean said he is a

pleasure to have in the kennel, has been

easy to train and always wants to

please. Quinn has won many awards

and is the most consistent dog Sean has

ever had, a great partner and long may

it last said Sean.

Quinn’s full title is INT FT CH

Tweedshot Trimble of Lettergreen.

Sean acquired Quinn from his good

friend Jim Swindlehurst when Quinn

was 16 months old. Jim Swindlehurst

who has won both the IGL Retriever

Championship and the IKC Retriever

Championship, had three dogs in and

around the same age in his kennel and

Sean said he ended up with the worst

one, in Jim’s eyes. Sean said he tells

people that Quinn was a rescue dog and

that he rescued him from Jim

Swindlehurst.

Sean said he feels honoured to have

won the IKC Retriever Championship

and that it’s something that everyone

starting off in gundogs aspires to do,

and he is no exception. Sean plans to

continue enjoying his partnership with

Quinn and maybe even win the

championship again one day.

Sponsors:Overall sponsor Red Mills

Albert Titterington (Sponsor of the

Winner’s Tophy and Guns Choice

Perpetual Trophy) and subscriptions

to Irish Countrysports and Country

Life magazine for judges, first four

placed handlers and hosts.

FinallyCongratulations must go to the new

IKC Championship Committee for

organising such an excellent, well run

event. Handlers train all year for this

event and put a huge amount of time,

money and effort into getting there in

the first place. The committee did an

excellent job of trying to ensure

everything ran to plan, and that

circumstances were as stress free as

possible for the handlers on the day.

Instructions were clear from the outset,

the accommodation was excellent and

the Estate is one of the nicest well kept

Estates in Ireland, which all add to the

atmosphere of the IKC Championship

and makes for a very memorable

weekend.


Winner Sean Nolan chats to the guns to find out whether they got any good photos of him!

1. Introduction of all competitors & judges2. DAY 1 - Competitors & dog work with spectators3. DAY 2 - Competitors & dog work with spectators4. The Presentation

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This Photo Album is being produced not only as a record of theChampionships but also as a fund raiser with ALL proceedsgoing to Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children

The album will have 250 plus photos of the Irish RetrieverChampionship 2013 divided into 4 folders:

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Question: Can I take you right

back to the start and ask you what

was your first dog and when and how

you acquired it?

A Springer called Musket from a

field trailer called Victor Gwellyn. I was

at the Saw Mill at Clandeboye and in the

course of conversation we talked about

his chat with my Father who’s told him

of his two sons who were both mad keen

on shooting, but one had developed

leukaemia; that was my brother Walter

the other was me. I mentioned that I was

keen to buy a dog for shooting and he

told me about Musket who had started

to give tongue on game so putting out of

trials but would be ideal for a shooting

man. He was just the job and in fact his

‘fault’ put many a rabbit in the bag for

my brother Walter and me over the

years. A brilliant dog bred by Keith

Erlandsson, out of his champion bitch

Dinas Dewi Sele, Musket stayed with us

until he died.

Question: When did you purchase

your first for trialling and what was

their breeding and name?

Marshely Mist was bought from a

person called McMurtry from

Ballyclare 1971. The sire was a very

well known dog, Sliguy of Ardoon a

FTCh owned by Jimmy Magee. Misty

as I called her was the first dog which I

trialled - I ran her in an Open at

Clandeboye getting a Certificate of

Merit under the late George Drummond

from Scotland. A terrific first run, she

entered bracken, pushed a rabbit, rock

steady, the rabbit was shot some forty

yards away. I simply said fetch, back

and she took the line and retrieved the

rabbit, no handing required. The second

run was a disaster, in a field of cows.

She definitely did not like cows. She

became very subdued and that was that,

our first trial with a COM.

Question: What is your prefix and

why did you choose it?

I don’t have a prefix.

Question: Where and when was the

first trial you ran in and how did you

get on?

In 1972 at Clandeboye as I

mentioned earlier.

Question: With which dog did you

win your first Trial and what ground

and what quarry?

Henbury Park Hussar, a dog I

brought in from Chris Burbridge in

England and the trial was at Shanes

Castle on pheasants.

Question: What breeds of dog have

you (a) Trained (b) Trialled

Springers, Cocker Spaniels and

Labradors, which I found interesting

and not as much trouble compared to

Spaniels where I think there’s much

more involved. I’ve trialled Springers

and Cockers.

Question: How many Trials have

you won?

I really have no idea whatsoever. As I

said a moment ago I really do have no

idea. It never seemed important to me to

keep records like that. I suppose quite a

few over the past 40 years or so.

Records haven’t been important as I

train dogs principally for shooting not

necessarily for trialling. Even dogs I

trained that went to other homes gave

me pleasure as I could see the

enjoyment that they got from them too

Question: Which of your dogs to

date would you rate as your best

dog(s) and why?

A difficult question; I rated them all

very highly. I’m a typical shooting man

so if a dog gives me good sport I’m

satisfied. I suppose if I was to pick one,

going back nine or ten years, it would be

a Springer dog called Glancarw Beda.

Built like a tank, some might say an old

fashioned type, broad headed, he won a

number of trials, could hunt very hard in

a trial on game and, by the same token,

run in an international test on green

fields going just as hard. Beda could

possibly have gone on to greater things

but at that time I suffered from an illness

that prevented me from taking him

further. Typically we don’t have a great

head of game on which to train our dogs

and as I always say to newcomers here,

train your dog to hunt FOR game not

just ON game, it stands you and the dog

in good stead.

Question: Through your career

you must have met, seen and been

influenced by many handlers. Can I

ask you which of these handlers most

influenced and impressed you?

I could list many handers, but John

Agnew with Braehill Apollo for

example immediately springs to mind.

Others such as Johnny Burrowes, Jack

and Frank Orr, very reserved gentlemen

with their quiet handling; Jack went on

to win the British Championship with

Inlers Harryslin. Bob Fettis is another.

Today of course Willie Edgar is

someone who can compete with the

best, trains on ground which is devoid of

all game, yet can take his dogs out win

Open Trial Stakes and then on to win at

the CLA.

Question: Other than your own

dogs, which (a) Springers have you

seen that you would rate as some of

the best you have seen or judged?

What impressed you about these

dogs? (b) cockers have you seen that

you would rate as some of the best you

have seen or judged.

Many years ago I judged a trial in

Gortin, when Ivan Wilson came under

me with a dog called Rytex Ruffer. I

remember talking to Ivan later and told

him how much pleasure I had got

watching Ruffer giving an exhibition of

how to work heather. Great drive, style,

everything. The ironic thing was


The Nigel Carville with Ken Lindsay

Interview

towards the end of the run he passed a

rabbit! But - what a dog!

In Cockers, everyone thinks

immediately of Keith Erlandsson and

Gwibbernant Snake, and of course the

bitch Speckle of Ardoon bred by Will

Sloan that won the Championship three

times. That was a time when writer

Peter Moxon was known by some as the

‘Cocker knocker’ and it was people like

Erlandsson, Peter Jones and Mike

Shefford who kept the working breed

going. Nowadays we have many

working cockers, with some exceptional

dogs which can hold their own with

Springers. Northern Ireland has its own

Cocker Club which gained its Open

status this year so things are looking

very good, meaning that its possible to

compete in the British Championship.

But back to the greats, so of course I

have to mention Ian Openshaw, who’s

dogs irrespective of breed, all go

superbly well. The man is simply a

gifted trainer.

Question: What do you look for

when judging a dog?

I always look first at the handler and

dog coming into line. Quite often you

can spot someone coming into trials for

the first time by the body language,

nerves showing. I try to put them at ease

and I look at the dog — fidgeting, sitting

still, or whatever — but when I give the

command to go I expect the dog to open

up, hunt with drive and style. I’m

looking for a dog that will hunt with

hustle - bustle, thrash the cover and

when it fonds game sit still and then

retrieve on command. One handlers are

gifted in running but not so gifted in

judging. I recall judging at the CLA a

few years ago with Jeremy Organ. The

first dog under me was a Welsh team

dog, and one of the first retrieves was a

long, difficult one over a wooden fence.

The dog went out all right but

unfortunately it was not going over the

fence, running up and down, up and

down and the handler got frustrated.

Normally people would say ‘that’s it,

call your dog in’ but I always will give a

handler every opportunity to pick it. So

I walked him up to within about forty

yards and he managed it. I told him:

“Look, you’ve got that retrieve the other

work will be that much easier now.”

And I must say it was very gratifying

when the Welsh captain came over and

thanked me for allowing the handler

every opportunity. That’s what it’s all

about: trying not to make dogs fail. The

easiest thing when judging is to

eliminate dogs - I always try to keep the

16 or 18 dogs in a trial, dogs will only

be put out for an eliminating fault.

Question: What changes have you

seen over the years when judging and

running trials that you think are

positive and most negative.

Judges of today are in the main very

positive. They always try to give the dog

the benefit of the doubt. I hate to see

people judging with a negative

approach. Some have the

misapprehension that if a dog moves

from inside cover when game is flushed

that the dog should be eliminated, they

think it is chasing game. I would not do

that, in my mind the dog is showing

sense by coming out of cover to the edge

to mark the game, provided it doesn’t

move any further. Unfortunately things

today have become very

commercialised, it can be lucrative to

own a FTCh and some handlers become

very protective over bloodlines simply

because with their dog they are virtually

guaranteed a number of services. I think

the money aspect creeping in can spoil

the sport.

Question: How important is

nutrition in conditioning your dogs

for trials?

Very important, it’s paramount to a

dog’s well being. A friend took his dogs

to Scotland shooting and complained to

me that he only got half a day’s work

from this two springers. Quite simply he

was feeding cheap, inferior dog food. I

knew their breeding well, they were

bred to work so I simply asked him how

he would have felt in Scotland, shooting

every day on a diet of bread and water.

Gundogs must be well looked after, kept

warm and fed well. He took my point.

Question: What food do you use

and why?

I feed natural feeding, tripe and

chicken and I’ve never had any

problems with their coats, teeth, etc.,

and virtually never need to attend a vet

for problems.

Question: As well as a handler you

have established a reputation as a

breeder of good dogs and these dogs

are in demand throughout the world.

Can you tell us which KC

recommended screening tests you

use? Why you think it is important

that breeders should use KC

screening tests?

Every breeder should avail of

whatever is available, no one wants to

breed from a dog with a hereditary fault.

Question: What do you look for in

a dog and bitch that you are going to

breed?

Conformation, a good sized stamp of

a dog or bitch with the right

conformation as I don’t like small,

snipey dogs. I think breeders have got to

a standard now where Spaniel

confirmation is good. You have to see

what way a dog is working - drive, style

and marking ability, making no noise

and a tender mouth.

I want to keep my own line so like a

number of successful breeders I line

breed. If I had a soft bitch I would

possibly want to mate her to a dog with

a more forward nature, trying to put that

stamp onto the pups.

Question: You must have had

many highlights as a trainer and

handler as well as some

disappointments. Can you share with

us your highlights? And your biggest

disappointment.

One dog which I remember well, was

Inlers Royal, which I won Novices and

Opens with. I was in an Open in

Clandeboye, Tim Healey and Derek

Weir were judging and I had a terrific

run under Tim, finding and retrieving

three pheasants. I came under Derek

next and hunted for a long time,

couldn’t find game for a long time,

came across a rabbit in thick brambles

and pushed it to be shot by a forward

gun about 40 or more yards out. Derek

said to send the dog. Royal took a


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magnificent line to it and retrieved to

hand. That led to a run off for first place.

I had a superb run, Royal pushed his

head into cover, produced a pheasant

which was shot. He popped his head out

of cover, marked the bird, turned his

head and looked at me. The judge said

to fetch it and I told the dog ‘fetch’ and

Royal bounded out in completely the

wrong direction in the opposite

direction. That knocked us down to third

and was a big highlight as well as a

disappointment all in one.

Albert Titterington ran an

International Test in Punchestown and

invited teams from England, and Wales to

complete with the northern and southern

Irish teams and I was captain for about

seven or eight years and we won each

time. Those were very big highlights.

Question: You have been mainly

associated with training Springers

and Cockers what qualities do you

look for in your own dogs?

Conformation, a good sized stamp of a

dog or bitch with the right conformation.

I don’t like small, snipey dogs. I think we

have got to a standard now where

confirmation is good. You have to see

what way a dog is working so I look for

drive, style and marking ability, making

no noise and a tender mouth.

Question: Do you prefer handling

dogs or bitches?

No preference at all.

Question : Have you trained any

other breeds?

As I mentioned already

Question: Why do you think

Springers are the breed most suited to

your training methods for overall

trial success.

I think Spaniels are best suited to me

as the form of shooting I enjoy most is

rough shooting. I like to get a dog out and

march after it and as I said before I really

train primarily with shooting in mind.

Question: If you didn’t have

Springers which breed would you

have?

Cockers

Question: On what grounds do you

train and what do you like about

them?

I’m lucky enough to train in

Clandeboye Estate, natural holding

ground for game with rushes, etc.

Bearing in mind my dogs have been

trained on ground which is devoid of

game first of all, because if you take

them to gamey ground too early you end

up with a pulling dog.

Question: What is your favourite

Trial grounds and why?

Having judged all over I have to say

it is undoubtably Clandeboye Estate.

Many others in the trial world would

also say Clandeboye is the Mecca for

Spaniel trials.

Question: What sort of quarry do

you prefer trialling on?

No preference. I train dogs to be

competent on all sorts of game.

Question: What would your advice

be to anyone who wanted to get into

trialling spaniels?

Come along to trials, join clubs and,

if you want to acquire a pup, then do so

from a reputable breeder.

Question: Apart from your

involvement in training dogs and

judging you are well known for

having given a lot back through an

involvement in clubs and events.

Please list of the highlights in this

for you and some of the low points.

I was voted in as Chairman of the

Spaniel Championship Committee

having competed in several

Championships, I was approached by

someone who said what he would like

when he competed again in the next

championship was to actually find game.

His dog had competed in three

championships and had never found

game. At that stage the events were by

invitation onto ground, and there not

having to pay anything to the landowner.

I thought that was not right with every

estate becoming commercialised and that

if we wanted to hold an event such as the

Championship we must pay for it. In

other words pay and play. I was

Chairman for eight or nine years and we

had terrific events at places such as

Clandeboye, Glenarm and other all over

the place.

A low point was the apparently

orchestrated ‘boycott’ of the Irish

Spaniel Championship for 2013 by

several well known spaniel handlers

from the South and North of the country.

The decision by several well known

spaniel handlers from the South and

North of the country not to run

effectively stopped proceedings. The

reasons that were put forward for their

decision not to run their dogs in the event

were objections to the quality of the

judges. It should be made clear that both

of the officially appointed judges are

members of the A panel of judges of the

Irish Spaniel Championship and are well

qualified to officiate at the event. Some

of those involved in boycotting the

championships had previously competed

under those judges and accepted wins

and points to make their spaniels FTChs.

What I find extraordinary is that other

handlers accepted the motivation of

those people and apparently joined with

them and this in itself poses questions to

those handlers. The people involved

appeared unconcerned with the serious

damage they could do to the Spaniel

fraternity in the long term. The wider

implications that these individuals have

not taken into account are those affected

such as the very generous hosts and the

sponsor who has for years maintained an

extremely generous and supportive role

of the Spaniel Championship these

effects have, in this debacle, been

deemed irrelevant. This is a very sad

state of affairs that our sport finds itself

in this present day — and the regulating

body stands silent.

Question: How important is it for

people to get involved positively in the

administration of gundog events and

clubs?

Very important.

Question: When not judging,

training or breeding, what do you like

to do outside country sports?

I am involved in a number of different

voluntary bodies, one of which provides

accommodation for elderly people

requiring sheltered accommodation.

Other than that I enjoy reading,

gardening and nowadays grandchildren

occupy plenty of my time.


2014 Retriever Working TestsThese dates are accurate at the time of going to press

Date Venue Organisers Contact Telephone8 March TBA Ulster Select Johnny Rea 028 2589 842822 March Larchfield BASC Amanda Greer 028 9260 5050

5 April Ballydugan Estate NIGF&SS Philip Turner 028 9261 1845

12 April Delamont, Killyleagh Killyleagh W/S John Wilson 028 4482 8697

19 April tbc Craigavon Noel Doran 028 3832 5272

7 April Aughentaine Estate, Fivemiletown Fermanagh Gundog G Wilson 0777979218626 April Shanes Castle. All entrants get a FREE Prelim, Novice and Open Tests. UGRC URGC

ticket to the Game Fair at Shanes Selection test for Shanes Castle Int. Team Thomas Brady 07788 927014Castle sponsored by FEEDWELL. Joe Johnston 028 8673 6432

3rd May Cleggan Lodge Moyola R Kane 028 7946 858507900180005

10 May Rademon UGL E. McIlwaine 0283755254907799718963

17 May Greyabbey Estate, ROSEMOUNT Comber W/S William Harpur 028 9187 3534

24 May TBC NIGF&SS Philip Turner 028 9261 1845

31May Moira Demesne NCF Noel Doran 028 3832 52721 June Moira Demesne NCF Noel Doran 028 3832 5272

7 June Dobbs Estate Lab Club Joe Morrison 07739 515200

14 June Castlewellan Meningitis Charity Eddie Moore 028 9062 7664

21 June Clandeboye - All entrants get a FREE Ticket to the Game Fair at Shanes Castle. Lab Club Joe Morrison 07739 515200

28 June Irish Game Fair Shanes Castle FEEDWELL Dog & GunPreliminary & Novice Retriever Thomas Brady 07788 927014Tests: RED Mills Spaniel Tests & Joe Johnston 028 8673 6432Spaniel International

Feedwell International Retrievers team event/Open Test and Run Off for

29 June Irish Game Fair Shanes Castle the Game Fair RedmillsTop Dog R. McGregor 028 77729690between top 2 spaniels and top 2 retrievers

2 August Gosford Castle Inter Club Test Noel Doran 028 3832 5272

9 August Craigavon lakes NIGFSS Philip Turner 028 9261 1845

16 August tbc URC G Murdoch 0776867002223 Aug Irish Game & Country Fair Birr Castle International Spaniel Team Event/

Spaniel Tests Albert Titterington 028 44839167

24 Aug Irish Game & Country Fair Birr Castle International team event/Open Retriever Tests. Run Off for the Game Fair Top Dog between top two spaniels Albert Titterington 028 44839167and top two retrievers

27 Sept Ballynahinch Harvest & Country Living *Novice and Open Handler of the YearFestival, Montalto Estate, Ballynahinch. see qualifications. Joe Johnston 028 8673 6432

28 Sept Ballynahinch Harvest & Country Living Albert Titterington 028 44839167Festival

*The New Red Mills Top Working Test Handler of the Year Competition to be staged at Ireland’s latest and arguably moststylish Country Sports Event in the beautiful grounds of Montalto Estate will have qualifications as follows:

Novice Handler of the Year : All dogs placed 1st or 2nd in a preliminary test in Ireland and those placed 1st to 3rd in a NoviceTest are eligible to compete.

Open handler of the Year: All dogs placed 1st to 3rd in any Open test in Ireland are eligible to compete.

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The Irish representation was unusually high this

year and the following had qualified to run:

Aidan Carr lab b Mizzen Milly, Nigel Carville lab d

Waysgreen Apollo, Lorenzo Hynes lab d Ir Ftch

Trumpetaker Ash, Alan Leonard lab b Baronstown

Angel, Billy Lundy lab b Int Ftch The Newcam Boss,

Gary McCutcheon lab b Ftch Altiquin Rain of

Camgart, Damien Newman lab d Astraglen Trigger of

Fendawood, Sean Nolan lab d Tweedshot Trimble of

Lettergreen, Nigel Carville did not run because he was

judging. Aidan Carr and Sean Nolan chose not to

compete.

The first morning, November 25th, dawned bright

but frosty and there was the usual excited chatter as

everyone assembled at the meet on Lylestane Estate.

Part of the joy of attending these events is the renewal

of old acquaintances and the wonderful camaraderie

that exists between serious trial folk. Speeches, video

clips and registration over we made our way to an

innocuous looking strip of game crop (turnip and kale),

which measured approx. 250 metres by 120 metres.

Well-stopped and under shot, this strip held an

enormous number of birds, sufficient for the judges,

Mark Bettinson and Nigel Carville on the right and

John Castle and Guy Bennett on the left, to complete

the first round of two retrieves for all 54 competitors.

The holding power of such a crop never ceases to

amaze at these Championships, as, even after shots,

subsequent retrieves, Judge’s deliberations, and the

disturbance of competitors moving up and down the

line, once reassembled we only moved a matter of

metres before fresh birds flushed and competition

resumed.

These conditions proved problematic for some

competitors, particularly the Irish, but those dogs

accustomed to such hotbeds of scent and distraction


From Peter Smith

The IGL RetrieverChampionship 2013

There is always a great feeling of excitement and apprehension as one aproachesanother IGL Championship, and this year was no exception. The venue was Lauderin the Scottish Borders, and the ground had been prepared to perfection by our hostsWilson Young Snr, Wilson Young Jnr and Eskdale Shooting Services. The judgesrepresented the four home nations with Guy Bennett (England), Mark Bettinson(Wales), John Castle (Scotland), and Nigel Carville (Ireland).The Championshipwas generously sponsored by Skinner’s, and there were 54 competitors, allLabradors except for two Golden Retrievers, and there were 30 dogs and 24 bitches.

Photography by David Hudson

The winner: Leigh Jackson and FTCh Ellijas Danny.

1. Sally Richardson makes her way through the frosty coverwith golden retriever FTCh Castlemans Mkussi.

2. Mr P Dixon’s Waysgreen Barracuda retrieving a cock pheasant.

3. Winner Leigh Jackson receiving a hen pheasant with Judge Mark Bettinson ready to take it from him.

4. Judges Nigel Carville, Mark Bettinson, Guy Bennett andJohn Castle.

5. Pheasants over the line at the drive on the final day.

6. Judge John Castle sums up the trial in front of the winners, Judges and officials.

1

2

3

4

5

6


soon proved their worth and started to

fill the game bag. Among those to shine

early were Sandra Halstead with

Drakeshead Vodka, Leigh Jackson with

Ellijas Danny and last year’s winner

David Latham with Delfleet Neon of

Fendawood, who was given two very

difficult blinds into a sea of kale,

heaving with scent from departing

birds. The judges did their work with

ruthless efficiency, as one would expect

at the Championship, and picked a bird,

shot and marked 30 metres in front,

which three dogs, all FTChs, had failed

to locate.

Still in our initial strip of game cover

the first round was completed at

2.45pm, and we moved to slightly

higher ground of small trees and white

grass. Again game was plentiful, but

marking was made difficult by the

height of the cover. But as usual, the

good coped and the inferior quickly

eliminated themselves. At stumps on

the first day 25 dogs remained in

contention, and only Lorenzo Hynes

and Damien Newman of the Irish had

managed to retrieve a bird.

The Irish challenge fadesDay two was damp and cold,

especially as we gained height at the

meet at Tollishill Estate where initially

the cover was again turnip and kale.

Scenting conditions initially proved

difficult but eased as the day

progressed. Very good work was seen

from Nathan Laffy with Abbotsleigh

Emu, and Mike Tallamy with Garrathall

Quinn of Bridlebay. Also demonstrating

good marking skills and the ability to

hold a tight area were Billy Steele Jnr

with Leadburn Mist. The lady handlers

were also well in contention with Laura

Hill and Stauntonvale Fastnet and

Kirsty Cousins with Jagdens Gander

(owned and part qualified by Tess

Lawrence) still to the fore with no

obvious detrimental work. Birds

throughout this second day were

spectacularly presented, the shooting

being of the highest order especially

when pheasants were driven off the

high hill. Having concluded the fourth

round in some gathering rain, the

judges called a halt and 14 dogs

remained having completed five

retrieves each.

The Irish challenge for honours at

this stage had ended with Lorenzo

Hynes being eliminated on his third

retrieve, Damien Newman on his

fourth.

Back in the coverDay three saw us back in the cover

at Lylestane on a bright day with a

breeze which augured well for scent.

Cross retrieving was now the order of

the day and quickly the dogs were

tested and we had some high profile

casualties with Jane Coley and

Waterford Ganton , and Billy Steele Snr

with Copperbirch Paddy of Leadburn

being eliminated. After the completion

of round five the judges moved out of

the game crop for a final drive. Nine

dogs were lined up at the top of a hill

about 120 metres from birds which

were shot as a small copse produced

enough birds, scattered over a 100

metre arc, to allow for two retrieves for

each of the remaining dogs.

Straightforward it may have seemed,

but the judges call for specific birds to

be picked by each dog caused final

drama. Keith Bedford and Rayteens

Cruise were eliminated for blinking, an

inconsolable Kirsty Cousins and

Jagdens Gander fell for picking the

wrong bird, and in a final ironic twist

on the very last retrieve of the

Championship, Laura Hill and

Stauntonvale Fastnet were put out for

switching. Six remained out of 54 at

11.00am on the third day, but it was a

close run thing, and there were many

permutations to consider before the

results were announced after a suitably

polished and amusing speech from

Chairman of the IGL, Richard Parker.

ResultsThe host, and Chairman of The

Kennel Club Field Trial Committee

Wilson Young Snr announced the

results as follows:

1st Leigh Jackson lab d FTCh

Ellijas Danny

2nd Nathan Laffy lab b FTCh

Abbotsleigh Emu

3rd Sandra Halstead lab d FTCh

Drakeshead Vodka

4th Richard King lab d FTCh

Saxaphone Brown Ale of Lincswolds

Diplomas of Merit

David Latham lab d FTCh Delfleet

Neon of Fedawood

Billy Steele Jnr lab d FTCh

Leadburn Mist

This was a very fine Championship

superbly orchestrated by Phil

Wainwright and his team at the IGL.

Great ground, superb shooting, and

excellent dog work with a worthy

winner. Windsor 2014 – bring it on!


Award winners: Sandra Halstead, Leigh Jackson, Nathan Laffy, Richard King,David Latham and Billy Steel.

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Getting everyone organised took some

time, but with the weather wet and the

day overcast Head Keeper Rab Clark was

content for the pheasants to have time to

settle before the first dogs were set off to

run. The first few yards of the wood

consisted mainly of rhododendron bushes

and an initial flush of pheasants took to

the air almost at once scattering to all four

points of the compass. Once past the

bushes though the cover was more suited

to dog work and the cockers settled down

to hunting through undergrowth that

varied from sparse to thick, with

windblown trees offering a bit of shelter

from the drizzle and rain and proving

particularly likely to harbour a pheasant

or two.

Because of the way the cover varied

the line zigged and zagged through the

wood in order to give the dogs the best

chance of finding game. There was no

lack of pheasants and Head Keeper Rab

Clark and his fellow Guns quietly

advised the runners and Judges of the

best route to take in order to find them.

The birds tended to sit quite tightly in the

wet requiring the dogs to make good

every inch of cover to ensure that game

wasn’t left behind. One fallen tree

produced four or five pheasants for two

different dogs, with a retrieve in between,

and even the smallest bit of bracken or

bramble was often good for a bird or two.

Rab Clark was shooting in the centre of

the line, aided by Ray Casey, John Palmer,

Bobby Renwick and Billy Steel Jnr and all

five shot to a high standard. Walked up

pheasants are not the most challenging of

targets, but to shoot at a field trial in front

of a gallery of a hundred or more

spectators, runner and officials must add

considerably to the pressure of shooting

allied to the need to drop game cleanly and

safely. There was the occasional

woodcock for variety and a single rabbit

but it was pheasants that made up the bulk

of the bag throughout the trial.

Head on and flat outDespite the wet, the cockers set about

their work with all the drive, bustle and

enthusiasm that characterises this tough

little breed. There were some patches of

bramble but much of the cover on this

first day was bracken and scrub

interspersed with the odd pile of

brashings and the trunks and tops of

windblown trees. Most of the dog work

was thus on view as the 33 bitches and 7

dogs went about their task in typical

cocker fashion: head-on and flat-out.

Discipline though was generally

excellent and, by the time the first round

was completed in the gloom of late

afternoon, there were still 26 of the

original 40 runners in contention.

The second day promised to be a little

brighter and a lot drier than the first but

sadly was not to last very long. Almost as

soon as the trial had started it was

brought to a stop with the news that one

of the spectators had collapsed. A doctor


From David Hudson

The Cocker SpanielChampionship 2014

Judges Andrew Cunningham and Steve Bolton with Ian Openshaw.

Hot on the heels of the English Springer Championship at Comrie, came the Cocker SpanielChampionship held on the Duke of Buccleuch’s Queensberry Estate near Dumfries.Drumlanrig Castle was the meeting place for the trial and there can be few better spots for suchan event: ample parking, first class facilities and some superb woodlands that had been leftundisturbed for the whole season specifically for the championship. A record field of 40 cockerswere running in the trial with a further couple that had qualified but were not competing.Chairman of the Kennel Club Cocker Spaniel Championship Working Party Jon Keanwelcomed everyone to the trial and introduced the Judges: Steve Bolton, Andrew Cunningham,David Rayner and Steve Russell before we all set off in a long convoy to the beat for the firstday, a mile or so from the castle.


1. Will Clulee with FTCh Poolgreen Farlow Ben.

2. FTCh Winhocklin Single Star of Tiptopjack in calmer mood.

3. Judge Steve Bolton and Wendy Openshaw.

4. FTCh Trochry Ceili Mor of Howesyke retrieves a pheasant to Jamie Luxford.

5. FTCh Trochry Ceili Mor of Howesyke.

6. The Guns on the final day were Billy Steel Jnr, Russell Cano, Rab Clark, David Lissett and John Bailey.

7. Ready for the run off: Ian English, Ian Openshaw and Will Clulee.

8. Judges : David Rayner, Steve Russell, Steve Bolton and Andrew Cunningham.

43

1 2

5 6

7 8

and two nurses from the gallery were

quickly on hand to render assistance and

a local ambulance was soon in attendance

backed up by a helicopter from the

Scottish Air Ambulance Service but

despite everyone’s efforts they were

unable to resuscitate the unfortunate

gentleman. Under the circumstances it

would have been unthinkable to continue

with the trial and a sad and subdued field

made their way back to the castle where

the organisers, Judges, estate staff and the

Duke of Buccleuch himself considered

the options that were available to them.

Jon Kean called for a minute’s silence

and expressed his condolences to the

family of the deceased, then gave us the

news that it had been decided that the trial

would recommence the following

morning. This was obviously going to

involve a great deal of reorganising on

the part of both the trialers and the

Queensberry Estate, who were hosting a

driven shoot the next day, but to

everyone’s great credit the event was

able to continue on the Friday morning

with practically the whole field in

attendance. Rab Clark and Billy Steel Jnr

were shooting again, this time with David

Lissett, John Bailey and John Cano

drafted in to make up the team. We were

once again on keeper Keith Cottle’s

Laird’s Rigg beat, starting out along a

steep bank where a wood had been clear-

felled and replanted with young larch

trees.

Harder going than the first dayThe going here was a lot harder than

on the first day with thick brambles to

test the dogs’ courage and to snag the legs

of the handlers, Guns and Judges. At

times simply walking through the briars

and over the branches and ditches was

difficult for humans but the cockers made

light of the it all, battering their way

through with every sign of enjoyment.

Again, there was plenty of game for those

dogs that were prepared to work for it and

the shooting was first class. Retrieving

those big cock pheasants in places where

the little dogs literally had to force them

through the brambles called for strength

and courage and I saw no lack of it

throughout a long and entertaining

morning. By the time the last dog had run

it was past midday and the Judges held a

long conference before calling back three

dogs to run off for the top honours.

The run off was by no means a token

affair and all three runners: Ian

Openshaw with FTCh Brookfurlong of

Tiptopjack; Ian English with

Broadmeafarm Beau and Will Clulee

with FTCh Rowston Snooty managed a

clean run leaving the Judges to make up

their minds as to who was first, second

and third before we all returned to the

castle for lunch and the awards ceremony.

This began with a special prize for picker

up Cammy Watts for ‘The Best Retrieve

by a Labrador at the Cocker Spaniel

Championship’: an honour he will not be

allowed to forget in a hurry. Then it was

down to the serious business and Kennel

Club Chairman Professor Steve Dean

presented the prizes.

Prizegiving and resultsFirst place went to Nigel Partiss’s

FTCh Brookfurlong of Tiptopjack

handled by Ian Openshaw. Runner up

was Ian English with Broadmeafarm

Beau and third and fourth spots went to

Will Clulee with FTCh Rowston Snooty

and Wendy Openshaw with FTCh

Tiptopjack Sixpence respectively.

There were also 13 Diplomas of Merit:

Carl Colclough handling Mr H Kirby’s

Chyknell Eagle, Nick Gregory’s FTCh

Tudorbriar Moonstar, Andy Skinner’s

Glenugie’s Heather of Murrayeden,

Richard Preest’s FTCh Centrewalk

Moonshell, Nick Thomas’s FTCh Jess of

Misty Valley, Ron James’s Rowston

Spikey Aderyngi, Ben Randall’s FTCh

Heolybwich Fatty, Ian Openshaw handling

Nigel Partiss’s Mallowdale Music of

Tiptopjack, Nick Gregory handling Mr O

Philips’s FTCh Voodoo Black Widow, Ian

Openshaw handling Nigel Partiss’s FTCh

Winhocklin Single Star of Tiptopjack,

Jason Atkinson’s Naxshivan’s Honesty,

Jeremy Davies’s FTCh Nantsannan

Calpurnia of Dolbrenin, Wendy

Openshaw’s Chyknell Dove.

Steve Bolton came forward to speak

on behalf of the Judges and thanked

everyone involved, especially the

Drumlanrig staff, the organising

committee and Rab Clark and his keepers

for all their efforts over the three days. Of

the trial he said that they had enjoyed

watching some super dogs. Some had

slipped up after doing great work; others

had impressed under one set of Judges

only to do less well under the others,

Overall though, despite testing ground

and some hard retrieves the little dogs

had handled it fantastically.

There is no doubt that we had been

treated to some first class dog work over

the three days that the trial ran and while

the sad events of Thursday cast an

inevitable cloud over the proceedings this

was a Cocker Championship to

remember for all the right reasons as

well.


Handler Ian Openshaw, owner Nigel Partiss holding FTCh Brookfurlong ofTiptopjack with Wendy Openshaw.

Something for everyone...

The trial was held on the Enggaard

family’s lovely Dunira Estate near

Comrie in Perthshire from January 9th

to 11th 2014. We met on all three days

a few miles north of Comrie on the

Kingarth beat where a thousand or so

acres of undulating ground had been

deer-fenced in order to let the cover

grow up sufficiently to hold game for

rough shooting. The beat was rocky and

uneven, covered in white grass,

bracken, rushes, a few stands of young

trees and a number of little ponds.

There were the remains of several old

tumbledown crofters cottages scattered

about and a line of scrubby trees

marking the course of the little river in

the bottom of the valley. In order to

ensure the best possible conditions for

the trial the ground had not been shot

during the past season and Head Keeper

Doug Stewart was rightly confident that

there would be ample game for the

competitors.

The first day was bright and cold

with a skim of ice on the road as we

walked from the meet to where the trial

was to begin. The Judges: Jim Clark,

Bill Leonard, Simon Tyers and Garry

Veasey split into pairs; the Guns John

Bailey, Richard Claydon, Matt

Armstrong, James Grainger and Martin

O’Riordan spread across the line, the

first two dogs were set off in front of

big gallery and almost at once the first

pheasant took to the wing and was

promptly dropped into the rushes for

the first retrieve.

There were 54 runners in the

championship: 22 dogs and 32 bitches,

but this bias towards the ladies did not

extend to the other end of the lead with

only three female handlers taking part.

This was a very full card for the Judges

and with the standard of work being

extremely high there were few runs cut

short by dogs misbehaving. Not

everything was perfect of course:

several dogs were lost when they

moved as a bird was flushed and there

was an occasional eye-wipe but in

general it was a real pleasure to watch a

series of really good dogs doing their

stuff in front of the gallery. The Guns

shot well throughout the three days and

it was rare for a dog to work hard to get

a pheasant on the wing only to see it

escape unscathed.

Despite the number and quality of

the runners the Judges made excellent

progress through the card and by the

time the light was staring to fade in the

late afternoon 51 of the 54 entries had

been seen and the Guns had accounted

for 69 pheasants, 3 woodcock and 2

ducks. Spaniel Club Chairman Anne


From David Hudson

The English Springer SpanielChampionship 2014

It takes a tremendous amount of work to organise an event such as the EnglishSpringer Spaniel Championship. Firstly there must be sufficient ground to test afield of fifty plus dogs over three days and enough — but not too much — gameon the ground. There is all the personnel to arrange from Judges and stewards toGuns and game carriers. There must be car parking for a crowd that will probablynumber several hundreds, toilet facilities, refreshments for the spectators, publicaddress systems, transport, programmes, sponsors, lunches for the competitors,judges, keepers and stewards plus all the small details such as armbandsidentifying competitors, the press, the sponsors and others with responsibilities inthe field. When the championship is scheduled to take place in the ScottishHighlands in the middle of January there must be a nagging doubt that badweather could jeopardise the whole thing, but luck was with the organisingcommittee and conditions were almost perfect.

Andrew Cunningham with Kilhopemoss Minder.

1. Cock pheasant retrieved by Aidan Patterson’s FTCh Buccleuch Dawn by Freecrow.

2. Alec Coutts’s FTCh Wyndhill Brett of Stagsden retrieving a cock pheasant.

3. Peter Avery’s Moonreed Bandit delivers a woodcock.

4. Judges Jim Clark, Garry Veasey, Bill Leonard and Simon Tyers.

5. The Guns were John Bailey, Richard Claydon, MartinO’Riordan, Matt Armstrong and James Grainger.

6. Runner-up FTCh Broomfield Annie retrieving a hen pheasant

7. Gallery third day.


1

3

5

2

4

6

7

Greeves announced that 31 dogs would

be required for the second day: 28 that

had successfully completed the first

round plus the 3 that had not yet been

down in front of the Judges.

Slightly thicker cover withmore bracken

The next morning was overcast with

a feel of rain in the air that never

amounted to much more than a drizzle

while the trial was in progress. The

cover today was slighter thicker with

more bracken to encourage the

pheasants to sit tightly and the

numerous little rocky hillocks that

sometimes made it hard for the gallery

to follow all the action. Progress

through the card was quite rapid with a

few dogs spoiling good work by

moving to flush or shot, or failing on a

retrieve. We stopped for an early lunch

with 16 of the 31 runners still to be

seen, the Judges announced that the

trial was over for the day, and we then

had a long walk back to the vehicles

just as the rain began to fall in earnest.

There had been a light fall of snow

overnight and the final day began with

a sharp frost that made the single track

road out to the meet at Easter

Ballindalloch somewhat tricky both

driving in and then walking out to the

beat. Proceedings were quickly under

way with the early dogs running

through quite boggy ground where

game was at times quite hard to find

giving the early runners plenty of

opportunity to show how well they

could hunt. Though at times they had to

work hard for it there was game for

every dog and with the Guns

maintaining their excellent form of the

first two days a bird found and flushed

nearly always resulted in the chance of

a retrieve.

Of the 5 Irish competitors 2 had

made it through from the first round:

Aidan Patterson’s FTCh Buccleuch

Down by Freecrow and Willy Edgar’s

Int FTCh McGwyn Dealus and both

performed well. I was particularly

impressed with Aidan Patterson’s run in

the first round but was unable to see

enough of his second round run to see

why he was not to feature in the awards

later. With two dogs running

simultaneously it is inevitable that

spectators and the press will not be able

to see everything that happens in a

spaniel trial, though as events at the

very end proved, sometimes the gallery

can see more than those who are right

in the line.

The run offThe second round had been

completed and the Judges called two

dogs back to run off for the top

honours: Andy Bennett’s dog FTCh

Helsmway Heath and Eddie Scott’s

bitch FTCh Broomfield Annie. They

started off on a flat area of grass and

rushes and the bitch quickly flushed a

cock pheasant that was shot and fell

into some long rushes thirty yards

ahead of the line. As she went for the

retrieve the gallery, standing on a low

hill perhaps thirty feet above the

Judges, could clearly see the pheasant

running, but at ground level the bird

would have been hidden by the rushes.

Annie emerged from the rushes and

took the line but was distracted by a

fresh pheasant that flushed as she

tracked the runner. She sat to the flush

and was then called back to the fall

where she was obviously unable to find

the bird. Helmsway Heath was then

sent forward but crucially was also

asked to hunt the area where the cock

had been seen to fall and when he too

was inevitably unsuccessful the Judges

went forward to conduct their own

search. With no pheasant to find the

bird was discounted and after a few

more casts the trial was over. We made

our way back to the meet and lunch

after which the results were announced.

ResultsThe winner was Andy Bennett with

FTCh Helmsway Heath while second

place went to Eddie Scott with FTCh

Broomfield Annie: a result that might

possibly have been reversed had Annie

been allowed to follow the line of that

running pheasant. Third and fourth

places went to Richard Wells’s FTCh

Downslee Domino and Ian English’s

FTCh Helmsway Hope and there were

seven Diplomas of Merit for: David

Lissett handling the Duke of

Buccleuch’s FTCh Buccleuch Jazz,

Eddie Scott’s FTCh Broomfield Rosetta,

Ian Openshaw’s FTCh Hollydrive Kurt,

Willie Edgar’s Int FTCh McGwyn

Dealus, Jim O’Neill’s FTCh Wyndhill

Lena, Peter Avery’s Moonreed Bandit

and Tom Phillips’s FTCh Cowarnecourt

Gaffer of Edgegrove.

We had enjoyed three great days of

top quality spaniel work amidst

beautiful Highland scenery. Head

Keeper Doug Stewart and his staff went

to tremendous lengths to ensure that the

trial was a success, and Chief Steward

Paddy Morley and Stuart Waugh in

charge of the line always tried to ensure

that the gallery could see as much of

the action as possible without

compromising the work of the dogs.


Winner Andy Bennett and FTCh Helmsway Heath.

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January was full of activity; the last

week was very busy on pheasant shoots

as a photographer and a Gun. I also

enjoyed a morning on a farm in

Auchterarder with James Kirkcaldy, of

JK Country Sports and his guests

shooting geese. We spent a number of

hours huddled in hides in the pouring

rain waiting for the geese, we chatted,

we laughed and a couple of geese were

shot.

My day with a shooting syndicate on

Haltree Farm, Heriot, south of

Edinburgh, really stood out though. The

syndicate has 11 full Guns and two half

Guns and shoot over 1,000 acres. Scott

Thomson runs the shoot with the help

of his wife Melanie and 16 year old

daughter, Rebecca, who has been

beating since she was 9 years old.

Melanie is a top clay shooter and

shoots for Scotland and she certainly

showed the boys how to bring down the

high flying pheasants! It was a cold day


By Linda Mellor

Sporting friendshipsand the year aheadThe shooting season came to an end so quickly; it seems like only yesterday when I was outshooting grouse in the warm August sunshine in the Scottish Highlands. Without doubt itwas one of my best shooting seasons to date, I enjoyed many varied sporting days inScotland and further afield. We have not had any challenging weather like snow to hamperthe season. The birds thrived and provided good sport.

Taking a shot as the geese show up.

with an icy wind and intermittent sleet,

but it didn’t dampen the fun and the

laughter.

Scott and his small team of beaters

presented great birds on each of the six

scenic drives. We shot through then sat

down to a delicious four course meal in

the bothy, prepared by Melanie. It was a

heart-warming feeling driving home

having shared a highly enjoyable day in

the company of good friends and I look

forward to shooting with them next

season.

I think friendships and laughter are

two of the many reasons we look

forward to our shooting dates.

Sometimes you don’t see one another

outside the shooting season but you

always look forward to the next time

you shoot together, because you know it

will be a fun filled day. At my local

shoot on the Balbirnie Estate, I always

look forward to November when a small

group of shooters come over from

Northern Ireland to enjoy two day’s

shooting.

Seasoned shooter Michael Henry

says friendship and trust go together:

“Friendships built up over many years

ensure a degree of trust which greatly

lessens the chance of disappointment.

Scotland also has a lot to offer in terms

of opportunities not generally available

in Ireland in regard to grouse, goose and


Melanie Thomson going for high birds.

Seasoned shooter Michael Henry.

Shooting partridge: note the shot pattern.

even pigeon shooting. Having

established that trust and rapport with

your host, there is less to worry about

and you can get on and enjoy your days

away. I find you know you are winning

when the conversation takes on where it

left off the year before!” Michael told

me his first year shooting in Scotland

was 1976 and it cost him £56 for a

week’s shooting and accommodation.

It won’t be long before daylight

extends and the countryside springs to

life. The springtime light is great for me

getting out on a few local roe doe stalks

and perhaps a hind on the hills in

Perthshire. The available light is

something we photographers watch with

great interest, as it can turn a normal

scene into a something rather magical.

You could be out fishing when the sun

lights up the river like a mirror, or out

stalking when the sun appears and

bathes the landscape in fiery oranges

and pinks. I find it very uplifting to be

out at dawn; it is an incredible sensation

when the sun appears over the horizon

and you experience a change in

temperature; it takes me back deep into

the past when ancient hunters lived of

the land and worshipped the seasons.

The warmer months also signal the

start of the game fair season and I hope

we have a repeat of last year’s warm dry

weather. I enjoy driving around the UK

to attend the game fairs as there is

always so much to see and do but, for

me, one of the most enjoyable parts of

my travels is catching up with friends

and meeting new ones.

I love the social side of fieldsports

and many of us use social media like

Facebook and Twitter to stay in contact

- but you can’t beat a game fair for

proper face to face networking

opportunities, not to mention a good

excuse to spend some money! This year

I hope to be booking a ferry ticket for a

trip across to Shane’s Castle for the

Irish Game Fair in June.

Shooting is going to play an even

bigger part in my life throughout 2014

and, hopefully, beyond. I started

shooting clays last year and became

interested in trap shooting.


Game Fairs offer ideal opportunities to catch up with friends.

Iain MacGregor checking for eye dominance with students.

Phil Coley.

As a photographer and writer I felt it

was important to document my progress

and share my experiences. So, in

January, I created a Facebook page (the

Diary of a Lady Trap Shooter) when I

started my journey into trap shooting.

Each week I go to Auchterhouse

Country Sports, a few miles NW of

Dundee, to shoot. I am being coached

by Iain MacGregor, a Commonwealth

games coach with a considerable

pedigree in shotgun coaching.

Iain coaches game and clay shooters

and is a regular deer stalker, last year he

shot a gold medal feral goat in Ireland.

Working with Iain is enjoyable and very

interesting; it is exciting learning a new

skill and I enjoy the challenges each

session brings. At this time of year, one

of the biggest challenges to shooting

clays is the cold temperatures and

staying warm, so after each session we

have our debrief in the Clubhouse close

to the fire with a mug of hot tea. Each

week I update my Facebook page ‘The

diary of a Lady Trap Shooter’ with my

progress. In March I will be working on

the mental skills for trap shooting with

Phil Coley of Clay Shooting Success.

Phil Coley works with many clay

shooters, beginners through to

International shots and is able to

concentrate on the mental skills side to

help improve your shooting.

My 2014 started on a fine sporting

note and looking at my diary it is set to

continue, not only as a photographer

and writer, but also as a shooter. I look

forward to each step of my trap

shooting journey and I also intend to

get to grips with a rifle. I have had

numerous invitations to shoot during

this coming year; one of the most

northerly invites is to shoot geese on

Orkney.

During the game fair season I hope

to catch up with old friends and make

some new ones over the forthcoming

months. The first game fair date in my

diary is the Deer Stalking Fair in Kelso;

this will be the fair’s second year and

they plan on building on the huge

success of the first year. If you are a

keen stalker this dedicated fair is highly

recommended. If you are planning a

trip over to Scotland to visit the fair or

any others, do get in contact with me to

say hello.


DiningA cosy restaurant offering an a la carte menu with a

selection of Scottish dishes fine local ingredients wherepossible. Fresh Fish, Seafood and Scottish Steaks arealways available together with an extensive wine list

Public BarOver 50 Malt Whiskies and two quality Real Ales

are always availableLarge flat Screen TV showing SKY.

Heated outside smoking area.

Leisure Centre• Swimming Pool • Jacuzzi • Sauna • Gymnasium •

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High Street, Freuchie, Cupar, Fife, Scotland, KY15 7EY

Tel: 01337 857329 Fax: 01337 858180Email: [email protected]

Ideal Base for Field Sports

Lomond Hills Hotel

& Leisure CentreWorking in conjunction with various guides in Fife

Dessie Mackin’s ChristmasDog Show Saturday 22ndDecember

Halls Mill Inn is a beautiful ‘old

world’ pub which sits off the main road

between Gilford and Banbridge. This

was the venue for Dessie Mackin’s

annual Christmas Dog show.

Although there was not much

Christmas cheer in the weather, the

heavy rain and wind did not dampen

the spirits of the good men and women

of the canine world. And what a day of

festivities that was with a large turnout

and support for this event. From mid

morning cars, vans, and trailers were

arriving, all loaded up with their prized

Lurchers, Terriers, and Whippets.

People like Damien Kelly, Damien

Kelly Junior, Owen Barnes and Alan

Coyne all travelled from Dublin to the

show. This day out was a welcome

break from the trials and tribulations of

Christmas shopping, and all the

razzmatazz that goes with the festive

season.

Dessie’s Christmas show brings

cheer in abundance and helps us leave

our cares behind.

Results:

Champion Puppy Tracy Gill with

Scarlett

Champion Whippet Kirsty Fyffe and

Ricky Mc Elwaine with Oliie

Champion Lurcher Mickey Quinn

with Lady

Champion Terrier Damien Kelly

with Sheldon

Champion Strong Dog Tom Barry

with Tyson

Overall Show Champion of

Champions Mickey Quinn with Lady

Congratulations to Mickey, Lady is

one lovely dog, and may she go on to

win many more shows and game

fairs and congratulations to all the

other winners.

Dessie always has surprise

presentations up his sleeve on

Christmas show day, and this year was

no exception. The first on Dessie’s list

was Field Sports Personality 2013. As I

was the first recipient of this accolade

in 2012, I had the privilege of

relinquishing my crown in 2013 to a

well deserved winner Mrs Janet Duke.

Janet received a beautiful Christmas

Hamper as her prize, so well done

Janet.

The second accolade went to myself

for my contribution to country sports,


From Margaret McStay

Dog Show Reports

Lurcher Judge Glen Doherty with Mickey Quinn who wonChampion Lurcher and overall Champion with Lady.

Whippet Judge Chontelle Mcmeekin with Overall WhippetWinner Kirsty Fyffe and Ricky McElwaine with Ollie.

with photographs by Deirdre McCoy

Albert Titterington presents Dessie with a Barbour Tweed Shooting Suit forwinning Supreme Champion at the 26th All Ireland Terrier, Whippet andLurcher Championships at the Irish Game Fair Shanes Castle.

shows and game fairs up and down the

country in my write-ups, show

advertisements, and generally helping

shows and game fairs by providing

show information on the Hunting Life,

Facebook, and Irish Country Sports and

Country Life Magazine. I received a

very large bottle of Champagne

and thanks to Dessie for that. The third

accolade went to ‘Bluebell’ Deirdre Mc

Coy for her beautiful photographs of

our shows and game fairs during the

year. Deidre, your show photographs

gives all show goers such pleasure,

seeing our photographs on screen with

our winning prized canine friends.

Deirdre is not only a good

photographer, but also a very good

friend and another well deserved bottle

of Champagne went to the McCoy

household.

The biggest and final accolade of the

day went to none other than Dessie

Mackin himself. Dessie won the

Overall Champion of Champions at the

Irish Game and Country Fair, Shanes

Castle 2013 with his Champion

winning Terrier Soda. What a win that

was! Part of Dessie’s prize was a

beautiful Country Sports Barbour

Shooting suit to the value of £400 and

Albert Titterington, Director of the

Great Game Fairs of Ireland and his

wife Irene were on hand at Halls Mills

Christmas show to make the

presentation. Congratulations Dessie on

your big win, and also thanks to Albert

and Irene Titterington for joining in the

festive cheer and making the

presentation to Dessie.

Barry Hollands 32 CountiesRaceday Sunday 29th December

The rain was pouring down and the

wind was icy cold as we arrived at

Artigarvan for the 32 Counties

Champion of Champions race day on

Sunday 29th December. But the

weather and the cold could not get in

the way of a great day’s enjoyment and

fresh air, after all the food and

beverages over Christmas. There was a

good crowd of Canine men and women

in attendance, despite the adverse

weather conditions, with their winning

Whippets and Lurchers strolling

alongside their charges. The

racing started at approximately 1.30pm.

Some great and worthy winners at

this race day. You could see the pride

on John Humphries’ face, when his

canine babies won the unders and overs

- his beautiful dogs China and Rebel.

This was a lovely end to a brilliant year

for John and his winning dogs.

Charlene Rafferty won the Whippets

with her prize Whippet Lush.

Charlene’s face lit up when the lovely

Lush passed the winning post. Jed

Donagh went home to Drogheda with

an armful of trophies, as did Stephen

Dummigan and Mickey Quinn from

Lurgan. What a showing and racing

year these three men have had with

their prized Canine friends!

Congratulations to all the winners of

the 32 Counties race day.

And finally, a big thank you to Barry

Holland and your two daughters, Joe

Boggs, and the NILRC for a great days

racing in terrible weather conditions.

Barry’s mother, Mrs Holland was there

on site, keeping everybody warm with

her hot soup, tea and coffee. A great

day’s racing was had by all, and I look

forward to more of the same in 2014.


A Tribute To Collette Gannon 17/01/1973 – 20/11/2013

The people of Ballymartin and

the wider community came to a

standstill when this small

community lost one of its most loved

and popular ladies. Deep shock and

sadness swept quickly in when the

news broke of the untimely passing

on Wednesday 20th November 2013

of their esteemed neighbour, mother,

partner and friend Collette Gannon.

Born on the 17th January 1973 in

Brackney at the foot of Big Binnian on

the Mournes to parents John and

Roisin Gannon, Collette’s schooldays

were spent at St Joseph’s Primary

School Ballymartin and St Columban’s

College, Kilkeel.

Collette was one of the most loving,

kind people that this community and

further afield had the privilege of

knowing. She always had a smile and

time for a chat with everyone she

came in contact with. Nothing was

ever too much trouble, always putting

others first and her caring and

gentleness shone through her like a

beacon of love. Along with her partner

Kieran, and daughters Alex and

Joanne, Collette’s other love was her

dog shows and the canine world and

with Kieran, Alex and Joanne by her

side, they formed the now famous

Stonemartin Dog Kennels.

Collette was a very active lady: she

was a member of Ballymartin Band,

served on the committee of St.

Joseph’s Primary School and was

treasurer of the Mourne Lurcher and

Terrier Club. Her contribution to

country sports knew no bounds and

Collette was one of the most selfless

people we could have known and we

have been enriched by knowing her.

Collette was brought to her place of

rest on Saturday 23rd November 2013

in nearby Ballymartin Churchyard.

There was a very large crowd in

attendance and if Ballymartin

community had been a screenplay on

that cold winters day, Collette would

certainly have been its leading lady. A

huge void has been left in the Young

and Gannon household, where Collette

will be sadly missed as the devoted

partner of Kieran, and a loving mother

to daughters Alex and Joanne.

‘Happy were the Precious years

In the Canine world, we all spent

together

Lovely are the memories

They will stay with us forever.’

The late Collette Gannon.

Terrier, Lurcher & Whippet Shows and Racing – all Champions qualify for the NewWhippet, Lurcher, Terrier & Pup of the Year competition at the

Ballynahinch Harvest & Country Living Festival Saturday 27th September.

Date Event Organisers Venue Qualifers

15th MarchRace Day Des Mackin /Tom Barry Laurencetown Master McGrath at Shanes Castle

30th March Baltinglass Lurcher, Terrier Baltinglass Qualifiers for Five Nations Terrier/Lurcher Ch & Whippet Show/Raceday County Wicklow at Birr Castle and the Master McGrath at Shanes

Castle. Also a Five Nations Whippet Ch qualifier at Shanes Castle.

12th April N Greer The Field of Deams Gulladuff, RacingSchooling Track Maghera,

Co Derry

13th April N Greer The Field of Deams Gulladuff, ShowSchooling Track Maghera,

Co Derry

27th April The Sporting Whippet Club NI Dunsilly, Co Antrim

3rd May Des Mackin TBC

4th May Rockview Harriers Annual SevenhousesHound, Lurcher and Working Coursing GroundTerrier Show Danesfort

10th May The Mourne Show, showgrounds, will be the venue Mourne,for the IWP/NEBR Weightpull Ballymartin Master McGrath Qualifiersand Bulldog show – AlsoLurcher Racing both days

11th May Mourne Lurcher, Terrier and Mourne, Qualifiers for Five Nations Terrier/Lurcher Ch at BirrWhippet Show & Lurcher Ballymartin Castle and the Master McGrath at Shanes Castle. Racing. Also a Five Nations Whippet Ch qualifier at Shanes

Castle and Digging Championships.

18th May The Sporting Whippet Club Dunsilly, NI Co Antrim

25th May Breandan Colemans Show. This show will be qualifier for the Master McGrath. Also on the day there will be Over and Under 23" with a money prize for both. Thisa heavily contested digging Armagh show is a qualifier for the Five Nations for Terriers, competition with a prize Lurchers and Whippet with a money prize for best Breandan is putting up himself. in show.

25th May Florencecourt Dog Show - Co FermanaghIan Greer

31st May NI Countryside Festival Moira, Co Down

1st June Minerock Harriers Hunt Club Wexford Qualifiers for Five Nations Terrier/Lurcher Ch at Birr(Matt Slevin) Castle. Also a Five Nations Whippet Ch qualifier at

Shanes Castle

7th June Fiona Devlin’s Show, all Qualifiers for Five Nations Terrier/Lurcher Ch at Birr proceeds to Yellow Ribbon Castle and the Master McGrath at Shanes Castle. AlsoCharity a Five Nations Whippet Ch qualifier at Shanes Castle

15th June Shannagh Working Terrier, Downpatrick Qualifiers for Five Nations Terrier/Lurcher Ch at Birr Lurcher, and Whippet Dog Castle. Also a Five Nations Whippet Ch qualifier at Show – Paddy Gilmore Shanes Castle and the Master McGrath Racing

Championships and Digging Championships.

22nd June Sporting Whippet Club NI Dunsilly, Final qualifier for the Five Nations Whippet Championships at the Irish Game Fair Shanes Castle

Terrier, Lurcher & Whippet Shows and Racing – allChampions qualify for the New Whippet, Lurcher, Terrier &

Pup of the Year competition.

Date Event Organisers Venue Qualifers

28th June Irish Game & Country fair 27th All Ireland Shanes Castle, Master McGrath Final and the All IrelandChampionships – organiser Antrim Championship RacingKieran Young

29th June Irish Game & Country fair Shanes Castle, Five nations Whippet Championship Final. All Ireland 27th All Ireland Antrim Championships Showing Championships. Qualifiers forChampionships the Five Nations Terrier & Lurcher Championships at

Birr Castle.

6th July Man O War Dog Show Keady

20th July Sporting Whippet Club NI Dunsilly,Co Antrim

20th July The Westmeath Working Moate Qualifiers for the Five Nations Terrier & Lurcher Terrier Club Co.Westmeath Championships at Birr Castle & DiggingProceeds to IWTF Kevin M,Pat Lynam Championships

27th July Tom Barrys Show Flapping Track, Qualifiers for the Five Nations Terrier & Feaghbridge, Lurcher Championships at Birr CastleCoalisland

27th July Kilkenny Foxhounds Hound, The Kennels Qualifiers for the Five Nations Terrier & Lurcher Terrier & Lurcher Show Thomastown, Championships & digging championships at Birr

Co. Kilkenny Castle Fair

2nd Aug Tullylish Working Terrier Club Tullylish Qualifiers for the Five Nations Terrier & Lurcher Show Championships at Birr Castle

3rd Aug The North West Terrier Killynaght Rd,Lurcher and Whippet Club Artigarvan

Strabane Co. Tyrone

10th Aug Sporting Whippet Club NI Dunsilly, Co Antrim

17th Aug Barrontop Dog Show and DonemanaRaceday Barrontop Fun Fair Strabane Co Tyrone

23rd August Dessie Mackin Dog Show only at This show will be the final Northern qualifier for theHalls Mills Pub Five Nations Terrier/Lurcher Championships at BirrLawrenctown Castle on Sunday 24th August.

23rd Aug ROI Racing Championships Birr Castle Gameorganised by Roscrea Fair, Co OffalyWorking Dog Club

24th August ROI Terrier, Whippet & Lurcher Championships & Birr Castle Game Final qualifier & Finals of Five Nations Terrier & LurcherFive Nations Lurcher & Fair,Co Offaly ChampionshipsTerrier Championships.

14th Sept The Sporting Whippet Club NI, Dunsilly, Co Antrim

27th Sept Lurcher of the Year Ballynahinch New Event from the Great Game Fairs of Ireland team.Whippet of the Year Harvest & Country All Champions from all shows North & South qualifyTerrier of the Year Living Festival, for this competition. Finals only no open show or & Working Pup of the Year Montalto Estate, racing this year.Ballynahinch, Co Down

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As I searched around the familiar

scent hung in the air and as it filled my

nose it stirred my mind. Pipe tobacco

mixed with waxed cotton, damp

wellingtons and soil with a hint of

freshly caught salmon on the finish.

All the usual things sat in all the

usual places. Shelves to my left and

right were lined with old Golden

Virginia tins, the insides of these lined

with thick yellow sponge to protect the

contents, the delicate bodies of very old

wooden Devon Minnows. I really liked

these, I think the small torpedo shape,

bright colours and painted eyes

attracted my interest. Further along sat

various other plastic hinged boxes

which from the exterior looked drab

and dull, but opening the same box

would reveal a much starker contrast,

with the bright orange tippets of Ally’s

shrimps, striking yellows on Silver

Wilkinsons, and the Teal on several

Blue Charms. A Jock Scott sat among

them, with that mysterious little sprig of

Jungle cock peering out from his left

side. That was only the beginning;

those were the big flies in big boxes.

Hundreds more abounded in boxes the

size of biscuit tins to the little chrome

pocket sized cases that would easily

slip into a pocket for a morning on the

river, packed full of little black buzzers

and nymphs.

Then there were lures, cases and

cases of them, many of which had


By Steven McGonigal

A fieldsportseducation

I quietly undid the lock, slipped through the door and pulled it gently behind me. As thefloorboards groaned beneath me, I walked carefully so as not to make too much noise.Little shafts of light pierced through here and there and I looked around quickly to findwhat I was after. I had to be quick: I daren't get caught now after getting so far. All I hadto do was get what I wanted, get out and get away before anyone found me.

A photo of my father with a pike at the Pontoon Bridge in 2010.

never even hit the water. Lined in their

boxes were Toby spoons, Mepps and

the famous Flying Cs in the various

colours. These different lures in

different types and colours, I was told

worked better in different conditions, at

least that was the justification for

owning so many.

In the corner sat several fishing rods,

lines and hooks still attached. A large

fold up landing net sat among the rods

with water dripping from the mesh into

a small puddle below, revealing that

someone had made use of it, probably

earlier that morning. In the other corner

sat a large steel cupboard, which I had

to open very carefully least I gave

myself away and alerted someone to

what I was up to.

As I eased open the door, it creaked

and groaned with age and wear and as

the light spilled inside the contents

appeared. Centre pin reels, split cane

rods and spools of old lines among old

leather cases and cloth slips. This was

the vintage, ‘gran reserve’ collection.

The reels, rods and lines looked like, if

they could talk, they would tell great

stories from days gone by. Looking at

them you could almost reach out and

touch some old hand on a bank

somewhere, landing his fly ever so

carefully on the water with that great

relaxed concentration only a fly angler

has.

As I looked on the shelf on top of

the cabinet, something just above my

eye caught my attention, a short shaft of

wood, with a large pirate looking hook

on the end topped up with a wine bottle

cork. A vicious looking article it was

and I reached up, took it down and

inspected with a cautious eye. I knew it

as a gaff, and I knew the hook was

covered because, not only was it a

dangerous object to have in a shed

frequented by young curious boys, but

it wasn't ever used and was merely a

showpiece in what had almost become

an angling museum. I replaced it and

looked towards the floor when the

booty I was after caught my eye.

I had committed a serious crimeas his worms were looked aftermore than anything

There, a long flat tray covered with a

damp hessian sack sat in the shade just

to the side of the steel cupboard. I

crouched down and peeled back the

sack to reveal several inches of damp

soil mixed with red brick dust. I put my

hand into the middle and scooped a

large handful of damp, gritty earth

worms that snaked their way through

my fingers. No ordinary worms were

these. They were known as blackheads

and were cut from a better cloth than

the old lobworm or redhead worm.

They were — and still are — the prized

currency in my home district and the

price to buy them from a digger

increases year on year. That’s what I

was in here for, and I had found them.

This was my father’s shed, they were

his worms and I was going fishing!

What the reader won’t understand is

that I had committed a serious crime.

Being a fanatical salmon angler, his

worms were looked after more than

anything; they were kept in the best soil

and brick dust to keep them tough. Not

only that but they were fed sugar to

fatten them and watered and checked

daily. Digging a hundred or so worms is

tough going, good spots are very hard

to find and so a young boy coming

along and filling a jam jar with them to

‘waste’ on the river was always

frowned upon.

Before leaving I worked my way

through the tobacco tins, filling my


Net pulling at the Point Beach in the 70s.

The WW2 DUKW was used for hauling fish to the shore.

pockets with Devon Minnows, Toby

Spoons and bait hooks to see me

through the day on the bank.

As quick as I was in the shed, I was

back out. I hopped on my bike and

peddled up the road to the river. I had

visions on the way of returning home

with a large shining silver salmon

hanging by the tail from the handle

bars. I imagined how proud I would be

to show my Dad and how my crimes

against his worms would be forgotten

when he saw the fantastic fish I banked

while he was at work.

I parked up near the bridge, got my

tackle ready and made the short walk to

the bank through a very rough little

field which always had rabbits in it, but

is now a clean-cut sterile picnic area

devoid of anything but rubbish in the

summer. I sat down and carefully

threaded on a large pilfered worm, bit

on some lead shot and cast my line into

the water.

As I watched the rod carefully for a

bite, a sharp figure caught my eye in

the distance on the far side of the bridge

on a racing bike. Wearing a trade mark

leather jacket and arched over the bike

like a Tour De France competitor, it

was local angler, shooting man and

friend of my father’s, Vincent Kealy.

He spotted me, and braked up sharp

with a loud squeak as he smiled,

jumped the fence and joined me on the

bank. “Good wee spot, you have a good

chance of a trout at least.” As he talked

he reeled in my line and gave the worm

a once over, before sitting down and

casting it back in. “Has your father

been getting any fish, it's been a few

days since I saw him?” He then rhymed

off the location, weight and story of

every fish caught within five miles of

where we sat, and went on to tell me

every hole, bend and spot along that

same stretch of bank he had caught

anything over the years.

He then bid me farewell and waved

as he went round the bend and out of

sight.

He talked to me as a boy the same

way he talked with my father, I always

remembered that Vincent was not only

a very enthusiastic angler, but a brilliant

one and loved nothing more than

spending a day or an evening on the

river and it’s only now that he has gone

that I realise how privileged we all were

to have shared his company on the bank

over the years. Just like that old black

stone bridge which has been replaced

with an ugly modern affair created by

some city slicker architect, Vincent is

gone, but I smile and remember him

stopping with me that day every time I

cross it. What stood out most was that

he talked to me as a boy the same way

he talked with my father, I always

remembered that. It was like we were

likeminded because we were fishermen.

It may have been that same summer,

or more likely a year or two before. But

another character who took me under

his wing would set me on a path that

would dictate the rest of my life. A

lifelong friend of my father’s, Liam

Mullan, is also a salmon angler,

shooting man and someone who I

consider as one of the best men I ever

had the privilege to be involved with.

Liam often called at our house when I

was a child and I was always in awe of

him. He owned rifles, shotguns and

large military binoculars which could

see for miles! I used to listen to his

stories of pheasant shooting and salmon

catching, thinking I wanted to be just

like him when I grew up.

Some time later my aunt moved in

on the same road as him and I wasted

no time in calling over for a visit. The

first day was exhilarating; I stood on a

chair and peered into an incubator,

where pheasants were hatching out as I

watched. “What do you do with them

Liam”? I asked. “Rear them up, let

them out and then shoot them in the


My father was also a fanatical salmon angler.

winter.” Brilliant, I thought.

Later that day we drove out with his

dogs to his shoot where the release pen

was, had a look around and fed the

older pheasants. We took the rifle and

shot grey crows on the hillside, checked

the snares and looked across to the

Donegal hills with the massive

binoculars; it was a huge day for a

small boy obsessed with all things

countryside.

By now, I was very keen to visit my

aunt as often as I could, but only so that

I could take a visit down to Liam. I

remember very well he owned a rather

peculiar pigeon called Woody. The bird

lived free in a small box at the rear of

the house but was unbelievably tame

and if you raised your hand and called

him he would land either on you or

beside you. I delighted in taking Woody

down the road and back again every

time I visited.

One day, Liam took me fishing to a

spot called The Plum and I firmly

believe this was the day that sparked

my lifelong interest in running dogs.

Down in a small allotment type area at

The Plum, a man called Hugh kept and

trained a pair of greyhounds for Liam’s

brother and still keeps a pair for him to

this day. I had seen them before, but

only from a distance as we passed him

in the car now and again, as he walked

them. This day however, I was in their

company and stroked them as they ate

raw meat from large aluminium bowls.

Their shiny black coats, firm backs and

long legs intrigued me. I remember

thinking how fantastic they looked.

What use was a Springer spaniel, these

were real dogs. I quizzed Liam on the

way home. “They’re only racing dogs”

he said, “lurchers are much better, they

can catch anything at night under a

spotlight.”

My mind was spinning all the way

home, as I pondered these dogs Liam

had told me of that could catch things at

night. They sounded amazing; surely I

would have to have one of my own.

What good was a Spaniel, you had to

shoot something before they got it and I

was too small for a gun. I needed one

of these lurcher dogs for myself. I

begged, pleaded, fought and cried with

my parents so I could have a lurcher but

they would not hear of it. A local

greyhound trainer offered me a retired

racing whippet and that too was

banned. The closest I came was a

Springer puppy called Duke and, as

much as I liked him, he just wasn’t a

lurcher. He didn’t look like one, move

like one and least of all he could not

catch anything at all! Sadly as I grew

older I saw less and less of these

childhood influences and some of them

passed on. I only see Liam occasionally

now but always enjoy it thoroughly

when I do.

It was ten at night before weheaded for home

Last but not least is my father. A

salmon angler, shooting enthusiast and

thoroughbred countryman, who else

better placed to give a young lad a

lesson or two in rural matters. I spent

many happy hours with my father on

the riverbank as a child, and many more

as I grew older duck flighting, pheasant

shooting or a bit of rough shooting. I

have been in his company during the

banking of many salmon and trout and I

used to get on his nerves badly when I

threw stones in the river out of

boredom after standing on the bank for

ten hours. Such was my father’s

enthusiasm for salmon fishing when I

was a child, I sometimes used to avoid

going. If we went for a half a day and

he caught a fish, we were doomed

because it was ten at night before we

got home; one fish only encouraged

him further … and then a second was

tried. We fished in probably every river

in Ireland, but his favourite was always

the Moy in Ballina. I have been there

with him many times and he has been

so much that the local anglers and shop

owners know him.

I think his interest in salmon was

sparked at a similar influential time in

his life as was mine in running dogs. As

a child, he rode his bicycle to the shore.

At this time a great industry in salmon

took place annually and many hundreds

were commercially netted from the

shores near our home. My father hung

about so long they gave him a job at ten

or eleven years old and it was one he

kept up each season until into his

thirties until the industry faded away. It

became for the men more a hobby than

anything, and it was the craic of living

for a few weeks in the fishing hut and

spending time on the Lough they

enjoyed most.

I couldn’t have been more than six

or seven the first time I tasted it for

myself and I can understand now the

enjoyment they had from it. Imagine an

old black stone cottage with an open

fire, half a dozen fishermen making

toast and drinking tea and telling some

great stories. Not only that, imagine the

pride of a young boy on his fathers

knee steering a WW2 DUKW landing

craft deep into the Lough and helping

to haul the fish to the shore.

There was always something going

on in our house and sometimes my

friends must have found it quite

peculiar. Countless times we woke early

on a Saturday morning to find an ice

covered salmon in the kitchen and my

Dad long gone to work, the salmon no

doubt banked during the small hours

while we were fast asleep. It wouldn’t

have been unusual to find a brace of

hares hanging out the back all those

years ago and my first memory of him

is coming through the back door on a

wild wet night with just that.

All the things I do now go back to

when I was a child and when I

discovered these things, my passion for

lurchers, ferrets, duck shooting,

pheasant shooting, fishing and a love

for the outdoors and countryside. Those

people, my father, Liam, Vincent, Hugh

and others I haven’t mentioned have

been a great influence on me. I firmly

believe that what I saw as a child, what

I experienced and the men it was with,

made a better person of me and kept me

on the right path when a few others

strayed off it. I owe a lot to them all,

and someday I may get to repay the

debt I owe them individually for my

field sports education.


Ian Whyte, Managing Director of the

prestigious Dublin-based WHYTE’S

gave me his thoughts on the scene and

his hopes for the months ahead: “We

think that the improvement in prices

achieved for Irish art in 2013 will

continue, and, more importantly for

auctioneers, that the improved prices will

tempt owners to sell more in 2014,” he

says. “The actual volume of good Irish

paintings at auction is still only 35% of

what was offered in 2007. If deposit

interest rates remain below 5% — they

are around 1% at best at present — art

will still represent a better investment

than cash in the bank, with the added

bonus of the pleasure in owning it. The

past year saw a resurgence of interest in

Gerard Dillon and Dan O’Neill whose

prices were well down on 2006-7 levels.

We expect the demand for the ‘old Irish

masters’ – Yeats, Orpen, Lavery and

Osborne – as well as the great landscape

painters – Henry, McKelvey, Craig and

Wilks – to continue. Works by the more

contemporary artists have not gained

much in price in 2013 but that may

change in 2014 as savvy collectors begin

to compete more for the likes of le

Brocquy, O’Malley, Crozier and similar

painters, whose works are grossly

undervalued in comparison to the

previous generation of artists.

“This year sees the centenary of

World War I – the Great War. We should

see good interest in our specialised

History, Literature and Collectibles sales

as a result. There is hardly a family in

Ireland which doesn’t have a relation that

took part in that war. We have found a

much renewed interest among those

whose great grandfathers or great great

grandfathers fought in Irish regiments in

1914-18 with a resultant increase in

prices of medals awarded to Irish

soldiers. Badges and uniforms of Irish

regiments such as the Connaught

Rangers, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, The

Munster Fusiliers and The Leinster

Regiment, are also much in demand. The

anniversary publications, television

programmes and special websites will

further the interest and demand.”

Whyte’s will hold a special free

valuation day for World War I

memorabilia in 2014 – details will be

announced later. A specialised auction of

World War I militaria is planned for the

autumn. Other events in Whyte’s 2014

auction calendar include a dedicated one-

owner Film Poster Collection sale and a

Pop & Rock Memorabilia auction, both

in the Spring.

WHYTES SALES RESULTSDuring the autumn WHYTES sold a

Paul Henry, The Lake for €93,000 and a

Sir John Lavery, The Lady Parmoor for

€50,000. Earlier in the year another Paul

Henry, Keel Village, Achill Island

realised €49,000 while another sold for

€42,000 and a Daniel O’Neill for

€46,000.

Other important lots over several

sales, included: Walter Frederick

Osborne, €38,000; Sir William Orpen,

€34,000; Colin Middleton, €32,000;

Mainie Jellett, €32,000; Roderic

O’Conor, €30,000; William Broces,

€29,000; Edwin Hayes, €28,000; Gerard

Dillon, €25,000; William J Leech,

€24,000; Aloysius C O’Kelly,

€22,000; William Conor, €21,000;

Charles Burton Barber, €19,500.


By Michael Drake

Art and AntiquesMoving quickly through another sales year many are wondering what it will bring. Will it bebetter than last year or will it bring even stronger hammer prices. Green sprouts of economicrecovery in Ireland and throughout the United Kingdom are welcome, but will they continueto grow and mature.Who knows? We can only keep living and buying and selling in hope.

John Skelton oil sold by Adams for €1600

An extensiveElkington silver plates service ofHanoverian rattailpattern (€1600 at Adams).

There was strong interest too in

collectables ,as was seen at the Pop and

Rock sale last spring when an Elvis

Presley ‘That’s all right mama,’ a unique

acetate played and broadcast by Dewey

Phillips in 1954, went at €65,000 while

in the autumn a ‘Ploughman’ Northern

Bank ten pounds notes sold for €14,000.

A 1998 Final Good Friday Agreement

paper signed by the participants in the

talks was snapped up at €9,000, while a

1910 Ardagh Chalice Celtic revival

replica in silver by Mappin & Webb,

London, made €8,000. Other

collectables: Elvis Presley Mathey-Tissot

gift watch, owned and worn by the

singer, €8,000 euros; 1948 Dunvilles

Three Crowns Whiskey full bottles(6)

€7,000 euros; 1833 Irish languauge

manuscript by Peader O’ Longain,

€6,000.

ADAMS ATTICThe ADAM’S ATTIC sale in Dublin

at the end of January saw a John Skelton

oil sell for €1600 while an extensive

Elkington silver plates service of

Hanoverian rattail pattern made a

similar amount. An ebonised walnut side

cabinet, late 19th century went for

€1,250 followed by a Victorian credenza

at €1,200 and a George III bookcase at

€860.

In their fine jewellery and watches

sale in December ADAM’S had big

prices with a ruby and diamond ring

going at €40,000, a diamond single stone

ring at €15,000 and a pair of Art Deco

diamond and jade earnings at €10,000. A

gentleman’s Golden ellipse wristwatch

by Patek Phillipe, circa 1975 made

€9,400 while another a Reverso

wristwatch by Jaeger Le Coultre made

€5,500.

UP NORTHAt leading Northern Ireland auction

house ROSS’S, auctioneer Daniel Clarke

says their first two online sales of the

year had been buoyant: “We sold 75% of

our paintings in one sale which had 600

lots and I think that was a fairly good

result while in our jewellery on-line sale

we sold about 60pc of the lots on offer.

The prices for art have realigned in

recent years and that has probably

encouraged some people to come back

into the market again and also brought in

new ones as well. A change in the

housing market would, of course, help

things to improve.”

ROSS’S most recent Irish art sale saw

a William Percy French, watercolour,

Boglands, Connemara going for £6,000

followed by a Romeo Toogood oil at

£4,400 and a William Conor at £4,200.

Other Conor works made £3,300, £3,300

and £2,000 while a Graham Knuttel oil

realised £2,500. A Charles McAuley, oil,

Gathering Corn went at £2,00 while a

Martin Mooney flower study, oil on

board came under the hammer at £1,300.

Among other lots were: Anne Primrose


An ebonised walnut side cabinet, late 19th century went for €1,250 (Adams).

Superb ruby and diamond ring sold byAdams for €40,000.

This pair of Art Deco diamond andjade earnings sold by Adams for€10,000.

Golden ellipse wristwatch by PatekPhillipe, circa 1975 made €9,400(Adams).

A pair of mid 18th century Chelsea porcelain plates, c. 1755 (Addisons).

Jury, £1,300; Joseph W Carey, £1,100;

Gladys Maccabe, £1,100; John

McAtamney, £800; and Frank Egginton,

£800.

Oliver Gormley of Gormley Fine Art

which have galleries in Omagh, Belfast,

and Dublin says: “Prices are all down by

about 40% over the past two years, so if

you have a few pounds to spent now is a

good time to buy: “Auctions are doing

well on works of art priced between £200

and £700 for first time buyers who are

the collectors of the future. In the gallery

the market is still good for good quality

pieces of art. Artists realise only good

work will sell. We also find now that

around 70% of our business is internet

related.”

OUTSIDE IRELANDLooking for some guidelines

concerning the sales scene on the other

side of the Irish Sea, I decided to contact

leading North of England sales house,

ADDISONS of Barnard Castle, Durham.

Richard W. M Edwards, Senior Valuer

and Auctioneer has been giving me his

views on how things stand: “For us 2013

was a strong year for ‘vintage’ - fashion,

textiles and furnishings from the 1950's-

70s. We had two specialist sales during

the year in this area which did very well

indeed and attracted wide interest via the

net. Arts and Crafts furniture and

decorative arts also remained a strong

collecting interest and for the first time in

many years we saw a slight improvement

in prices for more traditional antique

furniture and ceramics - particularly 18th

century pieces. The market for 19th

century furniture and decorative arts

remained extremely weak but silver and

gold did very well indeed during the first

half of the year reflecting strong scrap

prices in a weak economic climate.

“Values for everything but specialist

and high quality silver and gold slid

badly towards the end of the year.

Pictures are not unlike other areas with

20th century being the strongest area.

Traditional 19th century watercolours are

still at a nadir in value terms.The

Chinese market, still fuelled by live

internet bidding, continued strong. This

year, we anticipate a slowing down of

interest from Chinese bidders who

definitely are becoming more

discriminating in what they are bidding

on. I also think that good quality 18th

century European furniture, ceramics and

glass will continue to gradually improve.

I see no prospect of improvement in the

traditional watercolours/oils market. We

have been seeing good prices in recent

months for reasonably rare/good quality

European ceramics, again particularly

18th century and I anticipate that may

continue.”


(Left) A rareWorcester porcelaincoffee can, c.1760,in the creeper printpattern (Addisons).

(Right) Chelseaporcelain ‘Hans

Sloane’ botanicalsoup plate, c1755

(Addisons).

Pair of Meissen Malabar musicians, 19th century (Addisons).

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Today, still tucked away in the

Leicestershire countryside is a gem of a

factory where time honoured skills still

produce quality products at affordable

prices. Ibstock was once a busy

industrialised town primarily based

around coal mining and brick making.

Bricks are still made but mainly by

machines whilst the pit fell silent many

years ago.

Cedric Simmons still presides over

production, ably assisted by Jayne and a

small number of operatives and

machinists. They produce jackets,

gilets, waistcoats, trousers, breeks,

gaiters, leggings and over trousers in

breathable materials such as moleskin,

loden, tweed and ventile plus others to

ensure that whatever the weather you

will stay ‘Duck Dri.’

Indeed, Duck Dri claims to be one

the first UK manufacturer’s to

introduce a breathable country sports

jacket. This was back in 1995 and

continues to be featured in the

production of the range of jackets

currently on offer. No one can deny

that this was an inspired development

which has been adopted by many of

the mainstream manufacturers

supplying the UK market today. It was

however originally produced in

Ibstock.

You cannot help but admire the

skills of the Duck Dri workforce as

they measure, cut and sew a confusing

array of materials into the finished

item. Other manufacturing skills that

were once common in this area

originate from the textile trade based in

around Hinckley and Leicester. These

are still used today to produce a

quality, UK made garment which will

outlast many other well known brands.

Customers are encouraged to visit

the factory where there is always a

range of clothing on display so that a

good fit can be guaranteed. Indeed

those of us with unusual size

requirements can be accommodated

with an individual measuring service

available to those that call in to the

Hall Street premises. Many customers

are keen to recount stories about

experiences with other brands such as

a tweed suit costing well over £500.00

lasting only three outings before being

reduced to threads by the odd bramble

or two. The Duck Dri tweed suit,

bought as a replacement, is now in its


DUCK DRI STILL GOING STRONGBack in 1989 a brave decision was taken which pitted the skill of localLeicestershire craftspeople against the might of better known brands. DuckDri was born out of the passion and belief of Cedric Simmons that it waspossible to produce a range of country clothing to keep field sportsmen andwomen warm and dry during their outdoor pursuits.

Duck Dri proprietor Cedric Simmons (right of picture) is a familiar figure at TheGreat Game Fairs of Ireland.

Manufacturing skills - ‘proven outdoors - not in the lab!’

third season still going strong at a cost

of just over £200.00.

Cedric commented on the Duck Dri

philosophy: “We try to cater for the

genuine sportsman who needs a

comfortable, durable garment at a

sensible price. Yes, this includes

shooters, fishermen, dog trainers,

falconers, coursers and those that just

love to be out in the countryside. It is

possible to be presentable and

comfortable without having to pay a

lot of money and remember the Duck

Dri motto - Proven Outdoors, Not In

The Lab - which offers further peace

of mind.

This message is taken out across the

land during the Game Fair Season as

Duck Dri meets and greets its new and

long standing customers at various

locations across the UK. Cedric

comments again: “We have been seeing

some of the same faces for years and

they do introduce new customers to us

which I suppose is the best

recommendation we can get. Indeed

some of our happiest memories have

been our visits to Ireland which

continue to be part of our Game Fair

programme.”

Duck Dri can look forward to the

future as it continues to introduce new

items into its range. The latest addition

is a reinforced version of breathable leg

wear designed to offer even more

durability. When matched with an

action backed jacket made in the same

material you can be ‘Duck Dri in the

most adverse weather conditions for

under £200.00.


Quality, cut and value for money with Duck Dri.

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23RD & 24TH AUGUST

In September of that year, after the

annual hunt, I returned to Johannesburg

along with the lads and my wife who had

also accompanied us on the safari. The

guys flew home while we stayed for a

few nights with friends in Jo’burg, and

then picked up a hired car to drive all the

way to the Indian Ocean via Durban, to

a resort roughly two hour’s further south

of that city. A South African colleague

residing in Ireland had said when he

heard the plan ‘careful now, lots of bad

guys out that way.’ With experience

gained over the decades from twenty-

eight hunting safaris, I was always

acutely aware of the hidden dangers for

tourists on the Dark Continent, so the

warning didn’t go unheeded. My

colleagues and I have had one or two

near misses in our time, but nothing that

we took too seriously. Robbery with

violence or murder is an everyday

occurrence that usually merits a minor

mention in news bulletins or newspaper

columns. Taking precautions not to be a

victim is a way of life!

Before commencing the journey to

the east coast our luggage was

distributed between the boot and rear-

seat floor area of the rented car - the rifle

case and ammunition took up quite an

amount of space - both had to be locked

out of sight. As usual I wore loose


Frank Brophy recounts

A Close Encounter In Africa

Can you imagine lunchtime in a motorway restaurant, sitting at a table overlooking a largelyempty car park and filling station? The smiling waitress sets the plates down while thescorching African sun blazes unmercifully outside. Almost idyllic, except that the sole topic ofconversation revolves around the distinct possibility of being car-jacked, on leaving thepremises by an armed gang. The outcome for victims of this form of holdup is usually robberyand murder. No, it’s not part of the script for an action movie – unfortunately it was the realthing. This is exactly the situation I found myself in when driving across South Africa in 2010.

Round table safari meeting with the Author seated third from the right.

Afrikaner-style shorts and bush shirt,

topped with a baseball cap advertising a

gun-shop in Nylstroom. Individuals

similarly dressed are deemed likely to be

carrying a concealed personal protection

weapon and are not bothered by

troublemakers. I use this mode of dress

for obvious reasons. The first leg of the

scenic journey was uneventful and by

lunchtime we were close to Harrismith,

not quite the halfway point yet, and

running low on fuel. Having hunted in

nearby Sterkfontein National Park in the

1990s, I remembered that a decent

motorway rest area lay ahead and

decided to stop there for lunch. Driving

into the service station, it was agreed

that we would eat first, filling the petrol

tank later because the large number of

attendants at the pumps invariably have

sight of luggage etc, so it is always better

to wait until departure time to re-fuel the

car. That decision may well have saved

our lives.

Leaving the almost deserted car park

and mounting the restaurant steps, the

only individual in sight was an African

man walking towards us. Unfortunately,

we were speaking at the time and I saw

his head turn sharply as he passed; he

appeared to be straining, perhaps to

listen to our accents. Suspecting a

possible problem, I waited until we

reached the restaurant door, then

suddenly looked back and saw him

watching us, while speaking on a

mobile phone. This was not a good sign,

but I didn’t want to broach the subject

just yet. Selecting a window table from

which the car could be kept under

observation, the expected wait for

further developments didn’t take long.

Within five - ten minutes a white van

with darkened windscreen and door

windows drove in and parked very

close to the car, too close, and no one

got out which was ominous. At this

point I reckoned that we were being

targeted for a hold-up. On reflection it’s

likely that the fellow who had picked up

our accents was among the van’s

occupants. Parking closely to our car

indicated that they hadn’t realised that I

had become suspicious. It also indicated

that we were definitely the intended

victims of robbery and possibly murder,

although I refrained from mentioning

the latter to my wife. My first thought

was for the rifle in the car and how I

could access it. On second thoughts that

didn’t appear to be a good idea, not

knowing what their firepower might be

- and hadn’t I read somewhere that the

number one rule of a gunfight is not to

get into one in the first place. This

problem required time to work out what

course of action would save our skins,

and that’s how we came to be in this

surreal situation, discussing our

predicament over lunch in a restaurant.

Even today I can’t recall what we had to

eat!

We immediately eliminated the idea

of asking the staff for help or even

phoning the Police – these were not

viable options, so we were on our own.

The only way to handle the problem was

to outsmart the bad guys – and that was

easier said than done. I knew that they

would be armed, putting us at a colossal

disadvantage. However, the proximity of

the van to our car gave me an idea which

we decided to try out, keeping fingers

crossed that our luck would hold. On

leaving the restaurant I walked rapidly to

the car, sat into the driver’s seat, started

the engine, engaged reverse gear and

opened the passenger door which in turn

prevented the van’s door being opened.

My wife ran down the steps, around the

back of the car and jumped into her seat

whereupon I reversed smartly across the

car park to the relative safety of the

petrol pumps. That move had to be

unexpected by the ungodly! Allowing

the multitude of staff to fiddle with the

wipers, windscreen, oil level etc used up

more time while the car was being

refuelled, giving me further time to

think. Then I paid the attendant and told

him to keep the change, hoping that his

walking back to the cashier’s office


At the Indian Ocean.

would momentarily distract the van’s

occupants who must have started their

motor because the reversing lights were

on. My car was an automatic, so with the

engine restarted and in gear, I rammed

my foot to the floor and took off across

the car park like the proverbial scalded

cat. The tactic worked and we literally

flashed past the would-be hijackers at a

speed that the van could never match or

indeed overtake in the event of pursuit.

Our troubles were over – or so we

thought!

Keeping the accelerator flat to the

floor we raced down a slip road that

would bring us out onto the motorway,

hurtling around a bend into an area that

was outside CCTV coverage. Ahead on

the left, a grey car was stopped with all

doors open and the occupants clearly

waiting for us to come around the bend.

This was the main hit team, the van and

its occupants were probably only there

to monitor our movements and

eventually carry the booty from

whatever lonely spot that we would have

been brought to. Our speed caught them

by surprise. I recall noticing that the

front passenger seat was unoccupied,

and the driver who already had his feet

on the ground immediately jumped up

and ran to try and get in front of our car,

followed by the two in the back. To

brake would have been fatal; the missing

front seat occupant was probably

coming from our right to smash my side

window, so if the driver managed to get

in front we were doomed – all these

thoughts flashed through my mind,

probably in a split second – as the

running driver reached for the bulge that

I clearly saw under his flimsy shirt and

knew full well it was a handgun. His

other hand was waving frantically at us

indicating that I should stop. We flashed

through the diminishing space and

without looking back exited the slip

road. I drove like a maniac down the

motorway for many miles until finally

we felt safe enough to slow down and

breathe a sigh of relief.

It’s not an unreasonable assumption

that the decision to refuel the car later

rather than sooner, plus the rate of knots

at which we left the petrol pumps, saved

us. Knowing the ground and taking

reasonable precautions did not give us

immunity from the armed gangs that

roam South Africa’s motorways – roads

that tourists regularly use. Unfortunately

no one in authority has yet seen fit to

warn visitors of the danger, although later

in Johannesburg, a senior Police Officer

expressed surprised that we actually

managed to get away. The experience

was quite unsettling and our week by the

Indian Ocean was uneasy even though we

were staying in a secure area with high

fences, guards etc. Even the beach was

fenced off and patrolled. The drive back

to Jo’burg was not pleasant either and

eventually it came as a relief to hand back

the car and fly home.

That incident didn’t prevent us from

returning to South Africa in subsequent

years and hopefully in the future – but

hiring a car and taking off on our own?

Never again!


AROUND THE MEETSIveagh Foxhounds

A dry, clear, even bright day greeted a

twenty-one strong mounted field at the

Iveagh Foxhounds’ meet hosted by joint

master Bob Wilson at his home near

Hillsborough, Co Down. Kennel

huntsman Neil Keery brought forward a

13½ couple mixed pack for joint master

and huntsman John Porter and I saw that

this once Scarteen type pack has

changed by about 100% with Modern

English, Old English and some Welsh

blood on view.

Hounds put a brace afoot from the

first draw on Wallace Clarke’s land and

they settled on one pilot who took them

right across Clarke’s, then Alistair

McClory’s before coming onto our

host’s lands. They then pushed across

the land of the late Millar Bell, a noted

general surgeon and very keen hunting

enthusiast, picking up speed as they did

so.

This hunt continued into Roly

Cunningham’s who, like his late father,

was a joint master of the Co Down

Staghounds. Roly’s sister, Anna

McIlveen, also a former joint master of

the Staghounds, who lives locally and

knows every blade of grass here, was

among the car followers and was well

able to keep everyone else among the

car followers informed of our fox’s

likely progress.

From Roly Cunningham’s matters

moved through Eric Hall’s and into

Ronnie Abbott’s from where our fox went

across Anna McIlveen’s and back

towards the meet. Here hounds lost him

in increasingly patchy scent allowing

everyone to return to the meet and further

enjoy Bob Wilson’s generous hospitality.

Tara HarriersThe now annual side-saddle meet in

Co Meath was this year hosted by the

Tara Harriers and took place at Brittas

House, Nobber. Host Oinri Jackson

welcomed some sixty side-saddle and

the same number of “astride” riders with

people from France, Sweden, Italy, the

UK and beyond riding.


From Tom Fulton

Hunting Roundup

Elizabeth Oakes with some of the side saddle riders at Brittas, Co Meath.

Imelda O’Donnell, MH Tara Harriers (centre) who was to the fore all day at theside saddle meet at Brittas.

Tara joint master and huntsman

Henry Smith had on a 12½ couple bitch

pack (the Tara hunt only bitches) and

was assisted by kennel huntsman and

first whipper-in Sabine Dowdall and by

Peter King. As well as Henry Smith the

other joint masters George Briscoe in

office, incredibly, since 1942, his

daughter Lorraine McDowell, Harry

Kellett, Henry Corbally and Imelda

O’Donnell were all “on parade” with

only George Briscoe not mounted.

Imelda O’Donnell was central to the

day’s events and her style belied the fact

that she is a very recent convert to side-

saddle riding.

The entire event included two side-

saddle meets, today’s meet was followed

by the Tara Hunt Ball that night and a

day’s hunting the next day in Galway

with the Grallagh Harriers. Their joint

master and huntsman David Burke and

his sister Lorraine were among the car

followers and taking very careful stock

of events as was John Caddy, chairman

of the Ballymacad Foxhounds, who will

be responsible for staging the 2014 side-

saddle meet. All three were assimilating

the logistics involved in staging this

event.

Having posed for photographs,

seemingly interminably, Henry Smith

led everyone away from the house to

draw the woods. I was fascinated to hear

that, on being confronted with the first,

huge, fence the same swear word

escaped so many lips irrespective of the

nationality of the lips’ owners!

A fast day’s hunting then ensued

moving through the Orchard, the

Kitchen Garden then the Plantation and

Cherbourg Wood. Cassidy’s and Mead’s

were also covered and they went as far

as the main road and on to Rowntree’s

and Kathleen Sheridan’s.

After some liquid refreshments at the

pub in Nobber, where the amazed locals

could scarcely take in the sight of the

mounted field who, thirst slaked, moved

on across Clarke’s and Condra’s then to

Owenses where home was blown to

enable everyone to prepare for the Hunt

Ball. Many of those participating had

never hunted in Ireland before and are to

be applauded for acquitting themselves

so well over some testing country. Such

was the nature of the soft going that no

injuries were sustained in any of the

falls recorded. Without exception

everyone seemed anxious to put next

year’s side-saddle meet in their diary.

Like them I can’t wait!

County Down Hounds Boxing Day saw the County Down

Hounds stage their traditional meet in

Ballynahinch. Huntsman Steve Collins

had on a 10½ couple mixed pack and

was assisted by Mr Ross McCandless

while a fifty-five strong mounted field

was rather down on recent years but was

no less keen for that. Having paraded the

town Steve Collins drew country off the

Crossgar Road and matters were

immediately afoot to open the day with

a fast run towards Raleagh.

At Raleagh House, the home of Terry

Steele who was in the mounted field,

everyone paused for breath before Steve

Collins drew behind the House and

hounds pushed on towards Craigyargon

and then Raleagh itself. In the very

heavy going everyone who stayed

aboard deserved great credit as Steve

Collins’s hounds are not easy to stay

with. At the end of this ultimately blank


TF4 Three ladies from the Galway Blazers ready for ‘the off’ at Brittas for the sidesaddle meet (l-r) Amy McMahon, Grace Murphy and Maeve Carty.

Martens de Possesse (r) and Hubert Coispel two French visitors showing theirhorn blowing skills at the side saddle meet at Brittas

day, which came as light started to fade,

there were many broad smiles at having

seen things through to the end.

We only needed scent to make this a

completely good day.

Louth FoxhoundsThe Louth Foxhounds’ meet at

Tallanstown, just down from their

Lisrenny kennels, on the last Saturday

in December took place on a bright,

sunny but cool day.

Huntsman Alan Reilly had on a 14½

couple mixed pack with whippers-in

Oisin Duffy, Chris Rodgers and

professional Cahal Tuite to assist him

while the fifty plus mounted field

included joint masters Dr Ralph Hoey,

Edmund Mahony, Gerry Boylan and Joe

Callan.

John Savage and I had the supreme

good fortune to be able to follow

Michael McKeever, who hunted these

hounds until 2006 having been with the

Hunt since 1956. One of nature’s

gentlemen Michael and two of his

grandsons were among the car followers

enabling us to keep up with events.

The first draw, on Gerard Sweeney’s

land, was blank so matters moved on to

Black Thorns covert which produced our

first pilot. He gave a hunt to Springhill

over some soft and watery going. This

good hunt ended with hounds losing

their fox in patchy scent.

Alan Reilly then drew Dornan’s just

off the main N2 Dublin to Londonderry

Road and then moved on to Kevin

Lynch’s. Here, a second fox gave a hunt,

in continuing patchy scent, into Yew

Tree’s, over Nicholstown Road and on

towards Wild Goose Lodge crossing the

road ahead of us before going unsighted

to us and being lost in now poor

scenting conditions.

The next draw, at Bothwell’s, was

followed by one at McCartney’s before

home was blown, in fading light, to

leave the depleted field with a good

hack back to the meet.

North Down FoxhoundsA wet New Year’s reduced the North

Down Foxhounds’ mounted field at their

meet at the Old Inn Crawfordsburn to

thirty, though it did not seem to reduce

the number of well wishers there to see

them off.

Hotelier Danny Rice, his sons and

staff, put on an excellent hunt breakfast

and a stirrup cup before huntsman Tom

Haddock took a 15½ couple mixed pack

through the village, assisted by

whippers-in Charlie McPoland, Barry

Jones and Stephen Weston. Joint masters

Raymond Mitchell and Lesley Webb

carefully briefed everyone about the wet

and very soft going before the off.

A series of draws across David

Jackson’s and McCann’s, then down as

far as Johnston’s, proved blank so Tom

Haddock moved on to Henderson’s then

Hughes’s. He fared no better here, with

wind and rain proving seemingly

insurmountable barriers. Ian McFarland

and then also his brother Alan had no

one at home and the day finished at John

Ritchie’s with no one at home there

either.

The Hunt and the police then rejoined

forces to get everyone back across the

main Bangor to Belfast Road to the meet

where Danny Rice had an excellent stew

awaiting everyone. Seldom has it been

so welcome!

Tynan and Armagh HuntA meet of the Tynan and Armagh

Hunt is usually a convivial affair and the

meet hosted by whipper-in Andy Philips

and his wife Denise, at their home near

Richhill, was even more convivial than

usual with having fun being the order of

the day.


East Down Foxhounds Huntsman Declan Feeney with his son Conor at theiropening meeting at Ballynoe, Downpatrick.

Once everyone had left Denise

Philips’s kitchen joint master Stephen

Watson presented a cheque for £400 to

Marian Nugent, of Craigavon Area

Hospital, for use in its special baby unit.

This sum had been collected at the

children’s meet in Richhill, on New

Year’s Day and was gratefully received

by Mrs Nugent.

The formalities over, huntsman Keith

McCall took a 12½ couple mixed pack

of mainly Old English Hounds, assisted

by whippers-in Andy Philips and Philip

Singleton, to the first draw at

McVitties’s in Mullaghbane.

A mounted field of thirty-two and

five children on lead reins were under

field master John Smart and included the

three joint masters, Brian Dougan,

Stephen Watson and Wilson Faloon.

Everyone watched as hounds drew blank

here then tensed visibly as they drew the

host’s orchard and put a fox afoot. This

presaged a fast, circular hunt which

involved the field in some fast riding to

keep up. Keith McCall now has some

hounds of his own breeding to hunt and

he has injected some pace into the pack.

Hounds pushed their fox as far as

Mullnasillagh where he eventually

ended this good hunt by going to ground

in Stevenson’s, after seeming to cover

this entire townland.

At Hutchinson’s, hounds put a second

fox afoot which ran through the property

then across Jenkinson’s Bog and into

Robinson’s. From there he doubled back

into Jenkinson’s where he, too, went to

ground after a fast figure of eight hunt.

The old railway at Hamilton’s

produced our third fox which crossed

into McCall’s then ran through Pillow’s

and out onto Altaturk Road where he

was hallooed by your correspondent at

Brown’s coach business. This good sized

fox turned there and ran back across the

road to eventually go to ground in

Lowry’s.

Keith McCall then drew Nicholl’s

where he put a fox afoot in the farmyard

and he took them across Moffet’s then

McClure’s and Carson’s. He then

crossed into Jackson’s before running

back through McClure’s and Pillow’s.

Here he was lost, while still very hard

pressed by 1½ couple of hounds in

rapidly deteriorating scent near

Knockmaraney Orange Hall. Home was

blown at Jackson’s in still good light and

we put Denise Philips’s hospitality to the

test back at the meet. Here it must be

said that everyone seemed to bring

something edible or drinkable to the

table at this family friendly Hunt.

This was my ninth visit to a Hunt this

season and it seemed to be the best

scenting day among those visits and it

was also a day mercifully free of rain.

Around the puppy showsJames Armstrong MFH welcomed a

large crowd, on a lovely sunny day, to

the East Down Foxhounds’ kennels, at

Seaforde, where judges Roddy Bailey

from Co Wexford and Townley Angel,

from the Louth Foxhounds, had three

couple of doghounds and four couple of

bitches from two litters to consider.

Huntsman Declan Feeney and

whipper-in Ian Donoghue had put in a

lot of work to make the day go well and

the judges played their part before

giving James Armstrong the following

decisions to announce.

Doghounds

1. Malton Middleton Gunner 07

Marigold 06

2. Malvern Sibling of Malton

3. Marshall Sibling of Malton

Bitches

1. Sago Bailey 10 Stable 05

2. Salary Sibling of Sago

3. Marion Sibling of Malton

Not only has the East Down

Foxhounds gained a new

professional whipper-in but James

Armstrong has been joined in the

mastership by local businessman Brian

McConville, whose first public

appearance in his new role this was.

Heard it on the grapevineTom Haddock is returning to his

native Wales, after six seasons as

huntsman of the North Down Foxhounds,

having been appointed joint master and

huntsman of the Herefordshire based

Clifton-on-Teme Foxhounds.

Death of Andy Hamilton MHAndy Hamilton, in his second spell

in the mastership of the Mid Antrim

Hunt, has died after a long and heroic

battle with cancer. Having been

diagnosed in February 2007 Andy’s

courage in facing this awful disease

became legendary.

A busy farmer, consummate

horseman and passionate hunting

enthusiast Andy met his illness with, in

the nicest possible way, a sheer bloody

minded determination that the illness

would interfere as little as possible with

that busy life.

His involvement with horses spanned

breeding, breaking, schooling, showing,

point to point riding and training, team

chasing, working hunter classes and, of

course, hunting. Having been master of

this, his local, Hunt from 2003-2006

Andy returned to the mastership a few

years ago. He was, by then, under

constant and draining treatment, but this

did not lessen his energy, commitment

or effectiveness. Andy’s wife Judith and

their sons Joe and Bob, of whom Andy

was so proud, supported him every step

of the way but always under his

watchful and knowledgeable eye. They

produced horses which were then sold

on to the great benefit of the many

buyers at home or in Britain. As for his

contribution to hunting this was massive

whether it was erecting fences,

involvement with the point to point,

fund raising or giving meets – he hosted

his last meet exactly one week before he

died. Andy only lived for fifty-two years

but, just as horses produced by him had

a very wide based amount of experience

at a young age, so too did he achieve so

much in that tragically curtailed life.

Described by Hunt Treasurer Patsy

MacCarthy –Morrogh as “a courageous,

helpful and generous man” Andy

Hamilton is already very much missed

and he will not be forgotten.

Every sympathy is extended to

Judith, their two boys Joe, who is now

to Andy’s great pride whipping-in to the

Hunt and Bob, as well as to Andy’s

parents and sister in their very sad and

untimely loss.


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The hotel boasts 39 ensuite roomsand all include amenities such as:Digital TV, Direct Dial Telephone,Hair Dryer, Tea/Coffee MakingFacilities, Free Wifi, Dry RoomFacilities, Secure Police ApprovedStorage for guns & LeisureFacilities. The hotel is surroundedby some of the most sought afterexclusive fishing to be hadanywhere, and our team can createunique packages to suit therequirements of each individualparty. With professional gillies/guides, years of experience and theever essential local knowledge wecreate the recipe for our promise. …“We Will Deliver”

Game Fishing / Course FishingThe Bushtown is situated on thebanks the river Bann, a river thatoffers anglers almost everythingfrom game species to the very bestin coarse fishing, The Bann haslong enjoyed one of the largestsalmon runs in the UK, with springfish regularly caught and weighingwell into the late teens (lbs) andbeyond. Also on offer is somesuperb brown trout fishing, on theBann or in some of the other riversthat attribute like the Moyola or theAgivey. This Magnificent riversystem offers it all…..

Shooting BreaksThe Hotel is on the doorstep to thelargest commercial shoot in Irelandand we can also offer deer stalking,woodcock (walked up or driven)and snipe (walked up or driven).The hotel owners (who are avidconservationists) have beensupporting and promoting field andcountry sports for years. Facilitiesat the Bushtown are constantlyupgraded to meet the ever growingrequirements of the travellingshooter, with facilities such as;secure police approved storage forguns, ammunition and a fantasticdry room.

283 Drumcroone Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland BT51 3QT

Tel +44(0)28 7035 8367 Fax +44(0)28 7032 0909 For All Enquiries email: [email protected]

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Many of the ancient skills and crafts

that had survived eternal generations

are disappearing. Our sense of wonder

and curiosity has been replaced with a

diminishing sense of concentration fed

by whimsical gratification through

more efficient technologies and the

frenetic pace of life. The arts of turf

cutting by hand, thatching and spinning,

that in many ways, helped define Irish

heritage has survived only in pockets.

The Irish Heritage Council has

supported culturally important activities

through its grants system. The Irish

language, whose practical use as the

native tongue has vastly reduced in the

last century, has survived through

incentives for Gaelscoils, the

curriculum on the education system and

even a state supported television

channel. Gaelic games and in particular

the ancient sport of hurling has

flourished and the Gaelic Athletic

Association receives generous support

from the exchequer.

But what of the Irish working

setter? Readers of Irish Countrysports

and Country Life will be familiar with

the work of pointers and setters.

However when explaining this sport to

the uninitiated it seems a rather fanciful

idea. It sounds far fetched when

explaining that a dog runs exceptionally

fast over uneven moorland often in

mountainous terrain covering distances

of up to 300 metres each side of a

handler. The dog, whilst seemingly free,

is running in straight lines passing the

handler and is under control turning on

a whistle and abruptly dropping to

command at great distance despite the

dog’s momentum of pace. The dog can

maintain this speed and intensity for up

to twenty or thirty minutes in often very

warm autumnal weather. Then, imagine

this dog stopping abruptly, statue-like,

when he has located a single bird by

smell in long heather up to thirty metres

away. The breeze is minimal. His

frozen countenance contrasts to the

former frenetic gallop. The dog with

high head, takes air scent, walks in on

command and has the ability to

pinpoint precisely the bird’s location

disregarding all of the former trails left

by previous movements of the bird. On

command, the dog flushes the bird in

the air but does not try to catch the bird

and drops to the bird’s flight. The last

act is hard to reconcile with the

“freedom and abandon” of the search

earlier in the performance.

This performance is akin to a magic

or sorcery that still captures the

imagination of those today in this fast

paced world. In Ireland, there has not

been much emphasis on this cultural

tradition and thus it remains in many

ways a hidden world. We have

indigenous setting dogs in Ireland

called Irish setters- the split between

Irish red and white setters and Irish

setters occurred over a century ago.

While the Irish Draft horse and the

Connemara pony have deservedly

received funding to ensure its relevance

and survival however to date, the

working Irish setter has been relatively

By Hugh Brady

The Irish WorkingSetter

The words of Palmerstown, The Blacksmith, Portown Romeo, Slievebawn Minnie and Garry of Burtown were namesthat echoed from the walls of the sitting room as a child. The sounds were evocative, interesting and pleasant topronounce. They always provided a resonance for me. Long summer evenings when the light began to dim and thewest facing sitting room tinged blood red evoke stories of great dogs. Perhaps it is the western sunset that provokesthe love of the Irish setters as the gundog of choice across the Shannon, where the breed still thrives.

Irish setters were developed originally mainly as grouse dogs for the soft moors in Ireland. They have proved to be versatileon all types of game.


ignored. A similar promotion of Irish

setters could take the form of patronage

of breeding and training of these dogs.

While the sport of field trials and

rough shooting keeps the working

strains alive there is a huge personal

sacrifice to those involved in terms of

costs and time commitment. Because of

this, the ability to attract younger

people is more difficult.

In Ireland, we are blessed with

having some of the most skilled trainers

in the long history of the sport. They

are pioneers often making huge

personal sacrifices to support their

particular breed. The time and devotion

required to compete at the top level is

daunting. Not alone does the dog to

have the innate ability but also the

fitness levels required. With moorland

in most of the country disappearing

through cultivation, facilities to train

these wide ranging dogs are becoming

increasingly rare.

There is a rationale to encourage the

survival of the working strains as no

more than the Irish Wolfhound- once

these lines disappear, they are difficult

to reclaim. With the increasing

popularity of dual purpose gundogs in

Ireland, the setter is not as popular as it

once was with the shooting fraternity.

However as setters are natural

retrievers, the development of working

tests to demonstrate this ability could

encourage the increased use of setters

as gundogs.

Throughout the history of the Irish

setters in Ireland, the breed has always

been patronised by a number of large

kennels. Today there are probably two

kennels that produce over three litters

of working setters per year. Perhaps

support for breeders to encourage

maintenance of the bloodlines of these

dogs. To establish cultural significance,

there must be history and tradition of

the breed in Ireland. In the Public

Records Office of Dublin documents

show dog training was practised in

Ireland as far back as 1698. A setting

“dogg” belonging to the seventeenth

century appears in the Public Record

Office at the Four Courts in Dublin.

One of the passages is as follows, “itbeing represented unto us that oneMichael Flynn of New Road, OrmondGate, Dublin has a setting dog on thesame for use of His Grace the Duke ofOrmond and we therefore hereby directand require the chief ranger or masterof the game, the under keeper and allofficers and other persons whom it mayconcern to permit the said MichaelFlynn to keep, carry and teach the doggwithout any hindrance or molestation.Given May 1698.”

A little earlier a contract signed X by

John Harris that he would “sufficiently

mayntayne and keepe a spanill bitchnamed Quaid this day delivered by saidHenry Herbert and I will before thesaid first day of March next, fully andeffectually train up and teach the saidbitch to sitt partridges, pheasants andother game as well and exactly as thebest sitting dogges usually sett thesame.”

The setter was of considerable value

both in Ireland and Great Britain. It is

said that John Dudley, Duke of

Northumberland was the first that broke

a setting dog to the net in 1555. In the

above contract the spaniel is called a


Painting of Int. FTCh Remkilens T-Ebba retrieving a pheasant. In most parts ofEurope, the Irish setters are dual purpose and field trials test both pointing andretrieving.

setter. This was a time of transition for

spaniels; a time between hawking and

the practise of shooting birds on the

wing. The shooting of birds on the wing

only came into practise in the latter half

of the 18th century; before that the

game was shot on the ground.

Setter training has altered therefore

since 1750. Before this time the setter

was used to locate game for the gun to

get a pot shot but when shooting flying

birds was the practise, the setter had to

follow the running birds as well so as to

slowly bring the gun within shot. The

setter had to travel a lot of ground to

find the scattered game.

In the 18th century the red spaniel

really improved. For over a 100 years

Irishmen had nothing to interfere with

their sporting pursuits. From the period

of William III to the rising of 1798 rural

Ireland was said to provide the best

sport in the civilised world and whether

rich or poor the inhabitants they

enjoyed fervently their country pursuits.

Pedigrees of dogs were rarely kept

before the advent of shows so

consequently pedigrees before the

Rising are difficult to find.

Mr. Arthur French boasted a fine

brace of setters in 1793. He was the

father of the first Lord de Freyne of the

celebrated French Park strain. In a letter

written much later in 1879 it speaks of

the strain through many generations of

the family. “The 2nd Lord de Freyne


A field trial inLimerick in 1923.

Bronze statue of Int.Ballydavid Airforce bySiobhan Bulfin (1/9).

prided himself on their wonderfulsteadiness and good looks. There wasno white on any of them excepting onthe breast.”

Another celebrated early strain of red

setters was in Kings County (now

county Offaly) called the O’Connor

setters. In 1779 O’Connor was one of

the first Irishmen to rent a grouse moor

in Scotland. These setters were “redwith a touch of white”. This strain was

taken up by the La Touches of

Harristown in the county of Kildare.

These setters were described as “notbeing very big and of a rich, dark redcolour with well-feathered tarsus andperhaps rather light of bone” Percy La

Touche in his letter sets out to describe

the predominant sire of the

contemporary breed for Irish Setters-

the celebrated Palmerstown. He was

“too coarse and heavy a dog.”Palmerstown’s head was preserved for

many years in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel

in New York. The legendary English

setter man Mr. Laverack said that “as

far as his researches and observationswent the La Touches of Harristownpossessed the Irish setter breed in itsgreatest purity.”

These bloodlines still coarse through

the working setters of today.

Colonel J.K. Millner in his book

“The Irish Setter: Its History andTraining.” written in 1924, said he had

often tried to find out which the red and

whites or the reds were the older breed.

The oldest breeders of that time said

that while the two breeds were distinct

in their time, they all agreed in the early

days the reds (as they are today) are

inclined to throw pups with white on

the face, chest and feet. Colonel Millner

deduced that while breeds were distinct

they were sometimes crossed or the

original breed was red and white

setters. By selective breeding the reds

became fixed over time. This made

eminent sense as we know that the

setter evolved from the spaniel and that

white predominated the colour of the

early spaniels. The retrieval instinct that

pertains in most Irish setters also points

in this direction. The Irish Setter club,

one of the oldest clubs in Ireland was

formed in 1882 and ran field trials

earlier than this in Cloghran in county

Tipperary.

The Irish setter, the national gun dog

of Ireland, has stamina in all weathers,

hunts continuously covering a great

deal of ground when there is a scarcity

of game. Its fiery personality suits the

Irish psyche as the setter has been

crafted here. The promoters of these

dogs exist now as they have done for

centuries shaping and improving the

breed. A major idiosyncrasy of the sport

is that dog’s names are remembered

while their handlers and trainers are

usually not. You could mention such

names as Garryowen, Ballymac Eagle,

Red Revolution of Fallows, Slievebawn

Minnie, Knockmore Red Molly and

Rustic Minstrel which are so legendary

to the breed but the ultimate sacrifice is

that their breeders and trainers are not

always remembered as clearly.


Hips: 3 & 3 • Elbows: 0Clear eye certificate • PRA, CNM and EIC clear

For further information contact Richard on07715 039 956 or [email protected]

or visit www.shimnavalegundogs.wordpress.com

FTCH Shimnavale Excaliburat stud

Winner of 5 trials and member ofwinning UK team at Chatsworth

and Irish CLA team in 2013.


and Irish Countrysports and Country Life sponsor

The Northern Ireland Gundog of Yearcompetition organised by the Northern

Ireland Gundog Field & Show Society

1. McKiernan, Mr BUSHBANE

CELTIC TUNE b. 8.7.12 Br.Exh Sire:

Harsett Snowstorm at Bushbane Dam:

Bushbane Celtic Spirit (English Setter)

2. Moran Messrs, SHINEHILL

SUMMER JAZZ d. 30.8.13 Br. Keene

Sire: GbShCh Zampanzar Say it Again

Dam: Shinehill Summer Sonnet (Golden

Retriever)

3. McLarnon Mrs, GWENDARIFF

PADDY POWER GLENAVNA d.

1.3.13. Br. Stewart-Ritchie Sire: ShCh

IrShCh NorthamberJust Cause for

Glenavna JW Dam: ShCh IrShCh

Gwenda riff Fizzy PopJW (Irish Setter)

4. Hough Mrs, Miss, ALAYGLOW

OLABI b. 20.2.13 Br.

Galloway/Anderson Sire: Isara

Kurzhaar Quick Lerner at Merganser

Dam: IrShCh Alayglow Soma ShCM

(German Shorthaired Pointer)

The NIGF&SS organised their

annual Northern Ireland Gundog

of the Year; NI Gundog Puppy of

the Year; and NI Veteran Gundog

of the Year at Oakfield

Community Development

Centre, Carrickfergus on

Saturday 25th January 2014.

The Event was sponsored by

Feedwell Animal Feeds and the

Irish Country Sports and Country

Life magazine, which sponsored

Galway Crystal for winner and

runner up in each category.

The Judge for the event was

Ms Irene Glen (Withome).

Photos by Alec Douglas.

NORTHERN IRELAND GUNDOG PUPPY OF THE YEAR


NORTHERN IRELAND VETERAN GUNDOG OF THE YEAR

1. Filksov Mrs Ir DK INT SH CH

ABINVALE TRAGUARDO D Br

Archibalds 16.03.08

Sire: ShCh Shandanell Talk O'The

Town at Ipcress Dam: Gunhills Blue

Secret at Abinvale (Ret Golden)

2. Mc Kiernan Mr, ShCh IntCh

IRShCh RICHECCA REACH FOR

THESKYE D. 10.04.05 Br. Kelly Sire:

ShCh Upperwood Summer Escapade

Dam: ShCh Richecca Bedazzled

(English Setter)

3. McLarnon Mrs, GLENAVNA

JOURNEY SOUTH JW d. 28.1.09

Br.Exh Sire: ShCh Caskeys Concept at

Aoibheanne JW Dam: ShCh Kerry fair

United with Northamber (Irish Setter)

4. Brennan Ms, IrShCh

ASQUANNE GINNIFER AT

KERRIJOY (cwlO) B. 26.11.07 Br.

Webster Sire: GbShCH Lochranza For

Your Eyes Only Dam: GBShCh

Asquanne Gizanne JW (Cocker

Spaniel)

1. McKelvey Mrs, IrShCh

EDENAVEYS HOLLY'S PRIDE b.

1.3.05 Br.Exh Sire: Lurgavon Connor

Dam: Edenaveys Shannon Belle (Irish

Setter)

2. Loughlin Mr, ShCh WALDHEIM

CYNAN d. 12.11.05 Br.Exh Sire: Ch

Waldheim Morien Dam: Waldheim

Gwyn Adargi (Welsh Sp Sp)

3. Hanvey Mr/McAllister Ms.

IrShCh IntCh TASARLA SHOW

SHOWER AT DREAMRIVER d.

23.1.07 Br. Watton Sire: Paiadr Yuletide

Present for Erikachen Dam: Paluaz

Fancy Woman at Tasarla (NSDTR)

NORTHERN IRELAND GUNDOG OF THE YEAR

Another year has passed and we are

up and off again. It would seem that

these days, the gap is ever widening for

those that are sitting comfortably and

those that are not. Vehicle breakdown

services sent me a letter at the start of

last year for, would you Adam and Eve

it, a five pound increase! I told them

that they have only two options, either

to keep it as it is, or take their services

elsewhere; they opted to keep it as it

was. When I was still at school, the

older generation kept telling me that I

didn’t know how lucky I was, today,

most of the lucky ones are the older

generation. Mark Twain once remarked

along the lines that, when he was

fifteen, he always thought that his

parents knew nothing, but when he

reached twenty he was amazed at how

much they had picked up in the last

five years. Maybe the aforementioned

services should have looked at my date

of birth more closely.

One morning when I was walking

my dogs up the back road from the

house, I stopped the church warden

who was passing at the time, to discuss

a burial plot for the Lewis family. At

my next visit to the church, he was

kind enough to point out a selected spot

that may be suitable, under the

branches of a huge oak tree. It was no

more than two trees away from the

very spot where I once wrote in this

magazine I had a successful day’s

pigeon shooting with my cousin.

That was over two decades ago and,

such is life I never pursued the matter

any further, until December last year.

At a time when the majority of people

would be rejoicing of life and birth,

Billy being Billy, decided once again to

chase up the church warden, and

discuss the aftermath of death.

The church warden from the past is

sadly no longer with us, for the two of

us could have talked for hours on

country matters. But the plot was never

paid for and, as in most aspects of life,

the church being no different, no cash,

no ash. So, with cap in hand and within

a week to Christmas, I decided to pay a

visit to the new church warden who, at

the time I arrived, was stretched out in

front of a roaring fire.

When out and about checking the

pheasant hoppers the next day, I got a

phone call: “Billy it’s Malcolm, are you

in the area, I am up at the church

now?” Ironically at the same time, I

could actually see the church from the

hopper I was standing beside. Five

minutes later I was up at the little

parish church, which sits nestled

amongst the trees on the hill. “I will


From Billy Lewis

Country ChatA ‘grave’ encounter is remarkable never mind thedog with mascara and the time a neighbour set fireto the gorse while sitting in it says Billy.

The three pointers on a find during the July grouse counts.

show you where I think it is,” said

Malcolm. I followed behind him with

my fingers crossed. We went around

the left hand side of the church to the

northern side and then passing the

graves of neighbours and friends, he

went straight over to the same wee spot

I was shown over twenty years ago,

under the protection of that majestic

king of trees, the oak. Now that’s what

I call a real strange coincidence.

A young friend use to rebuke me,

whenever I said, that I can’t wait until

‘such and such’ a day. “You shouldn’t

wish your life away,” he would always

say. He was forever the joker though

and was very artistic to boot. He once

dressed his father’s red setter dog up in

a blouse and neck scarf, mini skirt and

two furry bootees, completing the

picture with mascara and lipstick. I

swear it was the funniest sight ever,

bearing in mind, it was long before the

idea ever caught on as ‘regular dog

fashion.’ But his real work of art - and

again, long before DustyBin came to

the fore (Billy you are showing your

age here!) was the lifelike appearance

of the family litter bin, smiling face,

two wee arms with the sleeves rolled

up leading from the handles, jacket,

scarf etc, all painted on. He put one of

those little microphone transmitters,

that was all the rage in those days,

inside the bin, the lead running a short

distance back to the kitchen window,

dad watching on from the upstairs

window. Any poor sod unfortunate

enough to be passing at the time, would

be subjected to a lot of squealing and

squawking from what appeared to be

coming from the little figure made of

tin. Hilarious!

His Dad had his moments as well of

course. I remember being told that

something furry was inside our

pheasant pen and I went tearing in with

guns blazing, believing it to be a fox,

but unknown to me, both Dad and

brother-in-law, both of them well into

their fifties, had tied a dead rat by the

tail to the top of the pen gate, the rat

resting on the top ledge of the

framework and, because the pen gate

open outwards, I was hit in the face as

I tore into the pen. Even my frightened

screams couldn’t outdo their roars of

laughter.

Getting bored, Dad set fire to the

gorse bushes surrounding him

On another occasion, as we stood

around our small flight pond in the

fading light of day, Dad got bored and

set the gorse bushes alight that

concealed him. Dear only knows what

the duck must have made of it, the

pond lit up like Gatwick airport.

Unfortunately both father and son are

no longer with us, but it is more than

probable the pair are causing mayhem

with the team upstairs.

Billy and Lawrence at the Glennoo

Shoot.

I had an interesting 2013/14 season,

starting with the usual Scottish visits,

grouse counting in July and grouse

shooting in September. I even went

back in October with two friends, who

were there to shoot grouse over their

own dogs, setters and German pointers.

An odd little trip for me, in as much

that I only went over to watch, walking

behind each of them in turn, without

my dogs or my gun. Although I did

play guide for one of them on one such

moor that I would have been more

familiar with, having shot over it for

several years. The keeper took one of

the duo with him, while I did my best

to entertain the other, pointing out the

more ‘fruitful spots’. Back in

November, LB and myself brought a

little business to our own local talent,

Tom Woods of the ‘Glennoo shoot’

taking two days walked-up, staying at

the Corrick Inn just up the road, rather

than driving home on the first day. LB

is still singing the praises of Tom,

myself, the game, the Inn, in fact, just

about everyone who played a part. We

went back on the 23rd of December,

for one day only, just to get a more

Christmasy feeling, staying at the

Corrick again that night and LB wanted

a Christmassy drink.

Throughout the season I walked the

hedges, sometimes with the pointers,

other times with the cockers, with club

outings falling somewhere in between.

Dog of the season - nay, sports star of

the year, has got to go to Tia, the

Hungarian Vizsla. She got a star many

times, not only from me, but also by

others including Mr TW himself.

Heidi the three-year-old German

pointer, got the wooden spoon last

year as usual. She is fully trained,

stopping and dropping, taking

directions on land and in water and

yes, she even excelled during grouse

counts and grouse shooting. The

problem is, she is forever torturing the

two wee cockers, the two youngsters

have now started to get annoyed with

her. When they were all let out of the

kennels, Heidi would automatically

grab one of the cockers by the ear and

continue in whatever direction she was

running in. The unfortunate wee runt

at the receiving end had learnt to

adjust her direction and her speed in

order to keep her ear intact. She

wasn’t hurting them, for believe you

me if she did, they themselves would

let her know. No, she was just being

her usual boisterous self. The two little

cockers have now started to stand up

for themselves and with hackles raised

they join forces and fight back. Heidi

being Heidi just sidesteps them and

tries to annoy them from a different

angle. But the ‘cratur’ has a good

temperament, she is ‘over-friendly’ in

fact. But if anything goes missing,

Heidi’s to blame, broken water bucket,

strewn bedding - Heidi, chewed or

destroyed - Heidi.

But times have changed, lifestyles,

like our personalities, change too and

regrettably one has to part company

and move on. A good friend had now


gone to pastures new. The two of us

travelled to Scotland many times, and

many a night she looked after my dogs

whilst I rested in a hotel bar. She was

best described as a stylish lady,

although she required high

maintenance and was starting to show

her age, but I was starting to spend

more time with the other one. Even as I

write this, I am still having withdrawal

symptoms and still a trifle sad at

having to let her go, but I know she is

away to a very good home. Yes, the

poor old Landrover Discovery and I

have parted company; her number plate

told you not only my date of birth, but

hers as well, incredible, only because it

was unintentional. However, she can’t

hold a candle to the suitability,

flexibility and lifeline of the Landrover

Defender, and I am, if nothing else, a

pragmatic soul, so sadly the Discovery

had to go. And, re-enforcing my

opening paragraph on the fortunes of

the elderly, a couple in their seventies

bought it!

His hand was caught in a vice-like grip

And finally: handshakes. Now there

are weak handshakes, medium ones

and the friendly strong ones which,

quite frankly, are dropping into the

rarity category. Then there are the

five-star hand-pumping jobbies

normally supported by the other hand,

should the receiver lose his hand in the

process, a type of handshake usually

reserved for American Presidents, etc.,

surrounded by a posse of journalists

and cameras. Now I would never

claim to be in the latter, but truly, there

is nothing more annoying than

someone offering you three fingers on

the end of a limp hand. A gamekeeper

I know, who keepered on a Scottish

grouse moor, would have the most

powerful handshake I have ever

encountered. I once caught my hand in

the old type gin trap, and believe you

me, the screaming really does follow

after a thirty second pause, his hand

shake was similar. He grabs your

hand, but it isn’t a gin trap going off,

his works more like a vice. “Good

morning Billy, how are you?” Slowly

the vice-like handshake starts to

register, ten-seconds later, your mouth

drops open and you’re standing on one

foot.

We were accustomed to taking

childish delight in introducing

newcomers to him, whilst at the same

time studying their facial expression,

for by the time the keeper had finished

saying good morning and how are

you, they were practically on their

knees. I remember once at a filling

station taking it upon myself and

without invitation to introduce myself

to a work colleague’s brother, who at

the time was sitting in a pick-up truck.

Wishing to install a good impression, I

was not found wanting when it came

to giving him a good hearty ‘you will

remember me’ handshake. Strewth, I

can still hear him screaming yet, for

he had cut his middle finger and had it

in plaster!


I have been f ishing the rivers of the Foyle system for almost 40years. In this time I have gained afair knowledge of the riversMourne, Finn, Derg, and Strule.

Tel: 07785 958680Email: [email protected]

Also on Gerard McAleera

Fully qualified fly casting instructor, holdingadvanced professional game angling

instructor certificate (APGAI)Also a qualified guide and hold level 3 Irish

angling skills certificate (IASC) and amember of the Scott Mackenzie pro-team

Gerard McAleer Casting Instructor & Guide

In 2013 the Ballywalter Game

Fair was seamlessly combined with

the Irish Game Fair at Shanes Castle

to deliver probably Ireland’s largest

and best attended game fair ever.

This year on the 28th & 29th June

it is planned to extend the combined

event further with a host of new

attractions, competitions and

displays.

After the success of Shanes

Castle, it was on to Birr and once

again a record number of stands and

huge crowds filled what is probably

the prettiest Game Fair site in

Ireland. In 2014 the spectacular

setting of the Birr Castle Demesne

will also play host to a greatly

enhanced fair on the 23rd and 24th

August.

There are four key themes to

each fair – country sports, country

living, living history and fine food.

This year all these facets will be

extended and enhanced to provide

truly spectacular visitor experiences

for the whole family and in fact

anyone who lives, works or plays in

the Irish countryside. For visitors

from outside Ireland we have top

competitions , with prizes

unrivalled in Ireland and equivalent

to the best in the UK, special ferry

and accommodation rates, the

opportunity to enjoy a short break in

beautiful countryside and a very

friendly welcome ou host areas.

Starting the Irish Game Fair

season with the fair at Shanes

Castle on the 28th & 29th June

Trading was good last year and

already exhibitor bookings are

flooding in, including many new

stands for our tented village of

trade stands with everything one

would need for stylish country

living. There are many new stands

and attractions planned for the Fine

Food Festival ; huge enhancements

of the country sports competitions

and truly spectacular living history

displays.

Hunting, shooting , gundogs and

fishing are always placed centre

stage at the Great Game Fairs of

Ireland and in 2014 all facets are

enhanced including an enhanced

‘country sports in action’ arena with

all sorts of action from long netting

to ferret racing. The Angling

section will see the greatest change

with an ambitious Northern Ireland

Angling Show to be launched as a

‘show within a show’ to coincide

with us launching the Irish Game

Angler as a ‘magazine within a

magazine’ within our Irish

Countrysports and Country Life

magazine. Negotiations are under

way with a major sponsor to deliver

the largest ever angling presence at

any Game or Country Fair in

Ireland including some really

interesting angling activities for

children.

Shanes Castle has always hosted

the largest and most varied canine

event in Ireland including superb


The Great Game Fairs of Ireland 2014

gear up for an even more exciting year

Following a year when the GREAT GAME FAIRS of IRELAND demonstrated conclusively thatthey are Ireland’s premier game and country fairs, and arguably also Ireland’s most exciting familyevents, we are delighted to announce our 2014 dates and to confirm that with many new attractionsplanned for both fairs – they will be bigger and better than ever. AND we will be organising a brandnew end of season extravaganza - a twin locus Country Sports, Country living and Fine Foodevent in Ballynahinch town centre and the beautiful Montalto Estate on the 27th & 28th September.

arena displays and personalities;

real international gundog events

with great prizes; a group pedigree

dog show ; dog agility show &

demos; horse and hounds; and the

27th all Ireland Terrier, Whippet

and Lurcher championships ( racing

and showing). In addition to the

prestige of the All Ireland

championships a huge number of

heats are being staged throughout

Ireland and UK for The Master Mc

Grath Challenge to find the fastest

lurcher in Ireland and the UK in the

final at Shanes and for the new Five

Nations Whippet Championship

also to be staged at Shanes Castle.

The other Five Nations Terrier and

Lurcher Championship finals will

be staged at Birr Castle.

The Great Game Fairs of Ireland

team have a reputation for bringing

Irish living history to life and

Shanes Castle will see a number of

Irish legends featured and a large

number of spectacular static

displays in the living history village

including the return of Grunal

Moneta , coin maker to the British

Museum, and fantastic action

packed displays including medieval

jousting by the evocatively named

‘Knights of the Damned ‘ and a

Viking landing in the bay of the

lough at the castle including a re-

enactment of the race to the shore to

be ‘King of Ulster’ which gave rise

to the legend of the ‘Red Hand of

the O’Neills ‘ and the ‘Red Hand of

Ulster’.

Plans are also being put in place

to bring similarly spectacular

displays, demonstrations , exhibits

and competitions to the fair at Birr

Castle on the 23rd & 24th August,

before the team’s focus moves back

North to the end of season event in

Ballynahinch - the Ballynahinch

Harvest & Country living Festival

on the 27th & 28th September.

Country Comes to Town with the

Ballynahinch Harvest & Country

Living Festival

This festival really will have a

‘Country comes to Town’ theme

with the old Pork and Potato Market

in the town brought to life with a

country market, music , horse drawn

vehicles and farm animals and a

spectacular re-enactment of the

‘Battle of Ballynahinch. ’

At the same time a new , rather

unique and very stylish country fair

will take place in the magnificent

surroundings of Montalto Estate.

Once again it will provide the sort

of entertainment that the Great

Game Fairs of Ireland are famed for

including an exciting main arena

programme with medieval mayhem,

falconry , re- enactments ; country

sports and traditional farming

displays including TV shepherdess

Katy Cropper handling sheepdogs

on horseback.

In addition some exciting ‘year

end championships’ will be staged

for gundogs and terrier & lurchers,

and some great clay pigeon and

angling competitions and

demonstrations will be mounted.


The Vikings are coming to Shanes Castle

Quite uniquely the trade stand

village is largely indoor with good

use being made of the estates barns,

stable yard, walled garden and its

super Carriage rooms hospitality

suites . The village will feature top

quality shooting, hunting and

fishing products including a

country clothing fashion show; a

fine food village in the stable yard

and quite uniquely a fine food

emphasis throughout including in

the public catering areas – the

highlight here will be a medieval

buffet experience in the dining hall.

All three events will be launched

in March when the websites

www.irishgamefair.com;

www.irishgameandcountryfair.com

and

www.ballynahinchharvestfestival.co

m will go live. Full details of all

three events will be published in our

Summer and Autumn magazines.


Montalto Estate will host the stylish ‘end of season’ country living event.

FOCUS ON ANGLINGWITH

THE GREAT GAME FAIRS OF IRELAND TEAMTackle dealers, tackle manufacturers and anglers are invited to join with the

GREAT GAME FAIRS of IRELAND team in delivering what will be

Ireland’s best attended angling show

THE NORTHERN IRELAND ANGLING SHOWWithin THE IRISH GAME FAIR at SHANES CASTLE

on the 28th & 29th JuneAND

By supporting THE IRISH GAME ANGLER MAGAZINE which

will be the most read Irish angling publication ever as it is published

within Ireland’s most read hunting, shooting or fishing magazine

IRISH COUNTRYSPORTS and COUNTRY LIFESee: www.countrysportsandcountrylife.com and www.irishgamefair.com

!

!!!

Surrounded on all sides by rich

grazing land, the 100 acre bog formed a

maze of reed beds, quivering sphagnum,

and peaty shallow pools. This low lying

freshwater marsh had an enviable

reputation for attracting migrating duck,

and had even provided wildfowl for the

table of a great manor house which once

stood close by. Of this former grand

edifice only a dry moat and a pair of

enormous sandstone gateposts remained;

for time, Cromwell, and the elements,

had reduced the house to little more than

broken rubble.

Something other than the merely

physical lingered around this ruin

however, for both it, and the bog it

overshadowed, shared a reputation for

being ‘Unquiet’ places. A handful of

summer visitors might occasionally

venture to the site of the old manor, but

few local people would tarry there, even

in daylight. Despite the fact that it

attracted most of the county’s wintering

duck, the bog was shot over by

surprisingly few people. Without doubt

it was a lonely place, where treacherous

mires formed a trap for the foolish and

the unwary; but it was more than a

simple fear of the earthly which kept

locals from its watery acres.

Farmers, who grazed cattle on the bog

during spring, spoke of the sense of

unease which the place gave them, and

were careful never to linger long after

dusk. The men who with swishing

scythes, cut bundles of the tall white

reed for thatching, told of feeling

‘watched’ by unseen eyes as they

worked amongst the whispering reed

beds; the urge to glance over their

shoulders being never far away. Not all

local people shared this fear however,

for although he had dwelt in the nearby

village all his life, my friend Brian had

little time for rural superstitions, or

belief in ghosts, Banshee’s, and ‘The

Little People.’ In addition, he was quick

to point out that we lived in the age of

computers, internet connection, and

space travel, and poured scorn on village

ignorance. He would shoot duck on the

100 acre bog and restless spirits be

damned!

In late autumn, rain bearing westerly

winds brought their customary deluge,

transforming the bog into a shallow,

irregular sheet of water. Duck, driven to

milder climes by freezing weather in the

Baltic, streamed into this transient lake

at dusk, seeking food and shelter; the

noise created by hundreds of feeding

mallard, teal, and widgeon, drifting far

across the surrounding countryside.

Sharp eyed countryman that he was,

Brian noticed the packs of duck


By Julian Schmechel

The GatekeeperThis disturbing tale recounting a chilling brush with the supernatural, was related to me bya level headed countryman long familiar with nocturnal sights and sounds. He is a friend ofmany years standing, and a man not given to flights of fancy or the embroidering of the truth.

Over the ensuing forty minutes, duck seemed to pour from the sky.

spiralling down into the bog at twilight,

and made his plans. He knew that the

optimum time to flight duck into this

great freshwater marsh, was when the

November moon was full, and the

floodwaters shone like a sheet of

hammered pewter.

So it was that on a late November

afternoon, when a gale tore at the bare

roadside ash trees, Brian made his way

down across the fields by the old ruined

manor house, toward the 100 acre bog.

Clad in waders and waxed jacket, and

with a weather worn game bag slung

over his shoulder, he strode out with dog

at heel, and his old AYA 12 bore nestled

easily in the crook of his right arm.

Giving matters supernatural not a

second’s thought, he entered a muddy

track way leading down between the

ruin’s two huge sandstone gateposts, and

out onto the bog. Wading into the flood,

Brian headed directly towards a clump

of stunted willows. This gnarled knot of

trees he had noticed by earlier

reconnaissance, and felt sure they would

provide a perfect natural hide.

Having reached his chosen position,

the stoical fowler set about fashioning

his makeshift blind, quickly trimming

any willow branches which might

interfere with either his vision, or his

swing when taking a shot at settling

duck. Boss the black Labrador was

positioned on a dry tussock, in readiness

for a busy evening ahead. Satisfied with

his impromptu pruning, Brian spoke a

few gentle words to his dog, before

slipping a couple of cartridges into the

chambers of the open 12 bore. With a

full moon already rising behind a ceiling

of white cloud, and the gale showing no

sign of abating, conditions were

virtually perfect for duck flighting.

Mallard plummeted, wings set against

the tempest, paddles down

Closing the old AYA with its familiar

‘Clunk’, Brian trained his vision on the

horizon, and awaited the arrival of his

unsuspecting quarry. For the first time

since entering the bog the fowler

considered its sinister reputation, and

mused on how, oddly, it had actually

worked in his favour. Less courageous

souls were indoors this evening, leaving

him with the entire marsh to himself.

Clearly the old superstitions had their

uses! With a sound like tearing canvas, a

string of 15 mallard plummeted in

before the willow clump; wings set

against the tempest and paddles down in

readiness for settling on the flood.

Swiftly mounting his gun, Brian swung

onto the leading drake, and firing, saw it

crumple lifeless to his shot. In panic, the

rest of the duck burst like a star shell,

and flaring away on open wings offered

the most testing of shots. Selecting a

fleeing drake from the maelstrom, Brian

swung well through and fired; the

stricken bird arcing down like a

clenched fist to strike the water with a

resounding ‘smack.’ Within moments

the fine brace of mallard were tucked

away in the fowler’s game bag, as Boss

the black Labrador made easy work of

the retrieves.

Over the ensuing forty minutes, duck

seemed to pour from the sky, as Brian

found himself experiencing the flight of

a lifetime. Teal by the dozen roared in

before the willow clump, as did

whistling widgeon and more mallard

than he dared count. Empty cartridge

cases soon littered the floor of the hide,

as steadily, Brian’s game bag grew

heavy. Time and again Boss surged

forward through the peaty flood waters,

until with a full moon high in the

heavens, the happy fowler had as many

duck as he could carry, and decided it

was time to head for home.

Unloading the old AYA, Brian

collected the empty cartridge cases

which lay around his feet, then

shouldering the groaning game bag,

waded back through the shallows with

Boss following in his wake. The torch

which the fowler had brought to light his

homeward journey he found obsolete,

for the full moon was now so bright that

Brian could see as though it were

daylight.

At last back on dry land, the

contented wildfowler called Boss to

heel, and setting out upon the muddy

track, trudged homeward in the direction

of the ruined manor. Labouring under

the heavy load of waterfowl, Brian

noticed for the first time that the gale had

dropped to little more than a light

breeze. As he did so, he raised his eyes to

the moonlit horizon, and with a start,

came to a sudden, jarring, halt. There, no

more than 50 yards before him, and

bathed in brilliant moonlight, stood the

huge sandstone gateposts through which

he must pass.The disturbing realisation

which had brought Brian to such an

abrupt halt, however, was that where

once there had been only two

gateposts.... there were now three!

The third object however, alarmingly,

seemed to have a distinctly human form

Distinctly startled, the fowler stared

at the featureless silhouettes rising up

before him, and blinked. Was this visual

conundrum merely an illusion caused by

tired eyes and moon cast shadows?

Suddenly the breeze died away entirely,

rendering the scene one of utter stillness.

Unashamedly baffled, Brain noticed that

two of the gate posts stood as they

always had, at a height of about eight

feet. The third object however,

positioned almost exactly at their centre,

was approximately his own height, and

alarmingly, seemed to have a distinctly

human, if ragged, form. Completely

absorbed by the enigma before him, the

bemused fowler had failed to notice that

Boss was standing close by. Suddenly,

and much against character, the

normally placid Labrador began to emit

a low and threatening growl.

Following the dog’s gaze, Brian

noticed that the animal was staring

fixedly at the dark shape barring their

way. The fowler spoke a few words of

reassurance to his dog, but this made

little difference, as already the hackles


Wings set against the tempest andpaddles down.

had risen on the animal’s back, and the

dog’s bared teeth flashed white in the

moonlight.

If Brian was not already alarmed by

the unfolding scene, he could have been

forgiven for being a little unnerved by

what happened next. With Boss’s rising

growl filling his ears, the wildfowler

watched in amazement, as the silhouette

with human form began to move.

Slowly, and quite deliberately, the

ragged figure began shambling towards

the right hand sandstone gatepost,

whereupon it disappeared behind the

weathered pillar. At this Brian had had

enough. Convinced that some of the

village youths were playing on the bog’s

eerie reputation, and had decided to have

a little sport at his expense, he marched

up to the concealing gatepost, fully

intending to give whichever lad was

hiding behind it, the rollicking of his

young life!

Arriving at the enormous stone pillar,

the irate fowler lent his empty gun

against its face, and with a string of

oaths and arms outstretched, lunged

behind the weather worn obelisk. If

Brian had expected to grab a village lad

in Halloween costume by the scruff of

the neck, he was to be disappointed. To

his astonishment his flailing hands

merely grasped thin air, as thoroughly

bewildered, his well chosen curses dried

upon his tongue. Stunned, the fowler

whirled around, expecting to see a figure

fleeing across the surrounding moon lit

field. Not even a hare could have

escaped unseen on such a night, and yet,

but for his frightened dog, Brian was

entirely alone. With cold fear now rising

within him, the shaken wildfowler

dashed across to the second gatepost,

still hoping to find a village joker hiding

there. Nothing!

Taking up his gun once more, Brian

endeavoured to make sense of what was

happening. A further search of the area

produced nothing to explain how the

watching figure could have disappeared,

and in addition, not a single footprint

marked the ground between the stone

pillars. If this was a practical joke, it was

a damn good one! Thoroughly scared,

Brian called Boss over to his side; the

growling dog now trembling from nose

to tail; its eyes transfixed upon the

ancient gateway. Could the unearthly

stories told about the bog and its ruined

manor house actually be true? Was there

some resentful supernatural presence

bound to the place; and did it watch

those foolish enough to trespass there?

Slowly and steadily both dog and fowler

backed along the rutted track; the man

not daring to take his eyes off the

gateway, for fear of what might follow.

Imagine then Brian’s rising sense of

horror, as before him, a ragged,

shambling figure, clearly not of this

world, crept out from behind the right

hand gate post. With all thoughts of

practical jokes long gone, the terrified

fowler let out a cry, and turning, fled

across the field in the direction of the

village; his heavy game bag being

dropped in a ditch, as both he and Boss

crashed through a blackthorn hedge, as

though it were made of cobwebs.

Scratched, bleeding, and gasping for

breath, Brian stumbled into the lane, and

ran from whatever ancient evil pursued

him. He dared not even look back, so

great was his sense of dread. Boss too

fled along the moonlit road, and neither

he nor his master slowed their pace, until

both were safe behind a bolted cottage

door.

Upon reading this tale, the sceptical

will say that Brian merely related a tall

story; dozens of which may be heard in

any country pub. Certainly such tales are

told, but if this is merely a fabrication,

the unbeliever might ask themselves

why, to this day, Brian refuses ever to set

foot on the 100 acre bog again. They

may also, if they wish, care to view his

faded game bag lying overgrown and

unclaimed, in the ditch where it was

dropped. Perhaps the brave or

disbelieving might even care to flight

duck on the bog, for they would

certainly be assured of having the place

to themselves. Well.....almost.


The ragged figure began shambling towards the right hand sandstone gatepost.

Please don’t think the columnhas gone completely ‘soft focus’as I have a large number of

congratulatory messages within it.We have always said the editorialfocus of this magazine is to givepraise where it is deserved andconstructive criticism where it isthought to be due!

The Gathering ‘Awards’ Congratulations to my colleagues

in the team for helping us play ourpart in Failte’s Gathering tourisminitiative. We were delighted toreceive official thanks for the partwe played in this initiative with bothour Great Game Fairs of Ireland atBirr Castle and Shanes Castle by way of a personally signedcertificate by the Irish President Michael D. Higgins. Whatwas particularly pleasing was that ICAB the Irish CampaignAgainst Bloodsports campaigned vigorously to have our fairsremoved from the Gathering promotion because we hadhunting and terriers and lurchers within our fairs. As we havemade it clear we have been at the forefront of promotingand defending all legal country sports for over 35 years andwe will not be diverted from this by the actions of smallminority groups.

Speaking of small minority groups?As part of our concern about the slow progress and the

lack of consultation by BASCNI over the firearms legislationwe publicly asked BASCNI through the columns of thismagazine how many members BASC had in NI – result adeafening silence! When we asked the same question on theBASCNI FACEBOOK page – we found we were blocked fromposting on it!

Now BASCNI appear to have taken it upon themselves tonegotiate on behalf of the 60,000 firearms certificate holdersin Northern Ireland and they have done this apparentlywithout any real consultation with NI’s FAC holders. andperhaps more seriously clearly without having the confidenceto declare their membership and their mandate fornegotiating.

With the deafening silence from BASCNI about BASC’s

membership numbers in NI, I went toBASC’s Head of Membership with thesame request – this time I had aresponse but one that stated BASCdo not disclose membership withinthe regions. NARGC, FISSTA and CAIall openly declare their membershipin Ireland – one has got to ask whyBASC will not? That is unless theBASC membership in NI as apercentage of FAC holders is at sucha low level that they cannot crediblyclaim to be ‘the Voice of Shooting’ inNorthern Ireland!

Mixed Messages?Leaving aside the matter of how

many members BASC has in NI, howwell are BASCNI representing us in the FAC negotiations?

I had a look at the submission BASCNI led to the JusticeCommittee at the Assembly. I was rather surprised that theBASCNI Director led off with the less than impressivestatement: “Although the main focus of our presentation willbe on the four main issues, as we see them, including licensingfees, the banded system and young shooters, we will not havetime to cover all the various aspects. However, we will try tosqueeze it all in as best we can. We have scribbled down a lotof notes today — we were, obviously, very interested to hearwhat the police had to say. Please bear with us as we filterour way through our notes.”

And it appeared that the rather rambling presentationwas so lacking in clarity and focus that the Vice Chairman ofthe Committee didn’t quite appear to grasp whether theywere FOR or AGAINST full cost recovery pricing of the FAC.

Mr McCartney apparently trying to get the discussion backon track said: “We moved from talking about the cost of alicence to accountability. I understand your point that thereshould be a proper forum where all these things can be aired.You are not opposed to full cost recovery; it is more that youare saying that there should be no change in the fee untilyou have the right instrument in place and can say that thereis best practice.”

Instead of putting Mr McCartney and the rest of thecommittee straight about how the majority of FAC holderssee this:

Mr Robinson from the Gun Trade Guild stated “Full costrecovery has to be linked to best practice. No one sitting inthis room would pay for a service that they are not getting.”This, and what he was subsequently reported as saying in his‘New year message to the Gun Trade’ when he intimated thathe believed we would have to accept full cost recovery i.eReal Cost Recovery is and has been Government Policy for aconsiderable number of years. It is not within our gift to getrid of this policy, what we can and are doing is challenginghow these fees are calculated…’ would indicate that he has

AJ’s AngstFrank opinion on the issues facing the Irish country sports scene


apparently accepted the concept of the cost of the FAC risingsubstantially through the application of some sort of ‘RealCost Recovery.'

AND Mr Mayne made the rather odd statement that wasat best ambivalent: “I would not say that we are not opposedto full cost recovery.”

I should have thought the answers that should have beengiven were ones that the whole committee should haveunderstood and taken away with them - that the FACholders of NI are IMPLACABLY OPPOSED TO FULL COSTRECOVERY PRICING OF THEIR FAC!

I leave readers of the magazine with the link to the wholereport to weigh up for themselves whether the BASCNI leddelegation adequately represented the interests of the FACholders of NI with logic and clarity in this presentation.

www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Official-Report/Committee-Minutes-of-Evidence/Session-2012-2013/February-2013/Firearms-Amendment-Regulations-NI-2011-BASCCAIGTGNI-Briefing/

OUR ADVICE to the negotiating teams onthe FAC legislation

1. Plan your presentations to get simple, cogent messagesacross relevant on key issues. It appears that two of ‘ournegotiators’ appear to like the sound of their own voices –they should remember that good communication involvesgetting across simple messages that are understood fully bytheir audience.

To progress a resolution you must separate thenegotiations on FAC Holder and Firearms Dealers issues.BASCNI and CAI should address the three issues potentiallyaffecting FAC holders without the distraction of someonerepresenting the trade being involved and bringing in tradeissues to the negotiations on personal FAC issues. Puttingoneself in the position of being a member of the assemblycommittee listening to a whole range of presentations cananyone honestly think that our representatives got theirmessage across well?

2. BASC and CAI should support the two tradeorganisations forming a common front to deal specificallywith the Trade Issues.

3. The Minister and PSNI support a YOUNG Shots age of 12yo. We agree with this and when we put out the challengeof who would wish to shoot in line with or beat or pick upfor 10 yo kids with guns ( the BASCMI preferred age limit) orperhaps go rough shooting even woodcock shooting with 10yo we did not have a one single take up and literallyhundreds of people saying it was madness. OUR ADVICEACCEPT and BANK the 12 yo age limit and get this part of thenegotiations out of the way.

4. From our discussions it appears there is fairly widespread support for the banded system – this too should befinalised and got out of the way in the negotiations.

5. This leaves the thorny question of a rise in cost of theFAC. There should be TOTAL UNEQUIVOCAL REJECTION ofthe concept of FULL or REAL COST RECOVERY. If the PSNI willgrant a 10 year license and possibly a relaxation of shotgunholdings (like the UK) then a modest increase could benegotiated. THIS SHOULD BE THE FOCUS of VIRTUALLY ALLFUTURE NEGOTIATIONS and could and should be wrappedup quickly.

A new magazine...We were genuinely sorry to hear of the demise of the Irish

Angler magazine as we worked harmoniously with DavidDinsmore and Michael Shanks for many years , each of usdelivering the best quality magazines to our sector of themarket.

However we felt that the Irish game angling communityneeded a quality magazine to promote their interests and sothe team have launched the IRISH GAME ANGLER as a‘magazine within a magazine’ within Ireland’s most readpublication Irish Countrysports and Country Life.

I thank our production, design and editorial team and ourcontributors for making such a great start within thismagazine and taking a focused Irish angling message to thelargest ever readership.

Terriers & LurchersMy congratulations to Margaret McStay on taking the

initiative to develop a calendar of terrier, whippet andlurcher events so as to try to avoid show clashes. I have beenproducing a Gundog Calendar for several years and whilethere are always good reasons for date changes by andlarge we sort these out amicably as country sports peopleshould.

My congratulations to Kieran Young and his team fortaking over the All Ireland Terrier, Whippet and LurcherChampionships at Shanes Castle, including launching a newFive Nations Whippet Championships at the Fair and alsonew Terrier, Whippet, Lurcher and Working Pup of the Yearcompetitions at our new event at Ballynahinch.

Since I first visited Kieran’s extremely well run MourneShow I have used him ‘behind the scenes’ as an advisor onall matters terrier, lurcher and whippet. We are alldelighted that he has stepped up to run our events inNorthern Ireland.

And finally on the working dog front I am delighted tohear of the IWTF presentation in Northern Ireland. I knowthe guys involved have been working hard behind thescenes on a number of initiatives to help protect anddefend their sport. And I know they are now keen to sharethese with members and non members and to progress thework of the organisation on a number of fronts. They haveour support in their endeavours.

New Chairman CAI...Our congratulations to John Clarke on assuming the chair

of CAI and we wish him well for his term in office. I alsopersonally congratulate him on fielding some searching anddifficult questions with aplomb in his interview publishedelsewhere in the magazine. I rarely if ever interfere withPaul’s editorship of the magazine which is probably why,although we are both strong minded individuals, we havenot had a single row since he took over the editorial chair.However Paul has always been a great supporter of formerlyBFSS and CAI and when I heard he was interviewing John Icouldn’t resist suggesting that he raise a ‘hobby horse’ ofmine that of democracy within the local organisations!

John has an impressive ‘track record’ both in business andcountry sports and with his strategic planning ability andLyall’s undoubted energy and work ethic, I join with Paul inwishing the combination well in taking CAI forward.


IRELAND'S MOST READ ANGLING MAGAZINE


Making the announcement she said that

international scientists have confirmed that

wild Atlantic salmon are dying at sea in

significant numbers. Bushmills Salmon

Station shows a decline in salmon returning

to the River Bush from around 30% prior to

1997 to less than 5% today. There is also

scientific evidence that salmon fishing off

the North Coast is catching fish from areas

protected under the EC Habitats Directive.

Minister Ní Chuilín said: “It has become

clear that continuing to authorise such

exploitation is unsustainable and would be

inconsistent with the Department’s

obligations under the EC Habitats

Directive, and with our commitments to the

North Atlantic Salmon Conservation

Organisation, which could lead to infraction

fines being imposed by the EC.

“This means that from 1st March 2014

all salmon and sea trout caught by anglers

must be returned to the water. This will

apply to all waters within the DCAL

jurisdiction with the exception of Lough

Melvin, Co Fermanagh, which has

demonstrated a sustainable surplus of

salmon. On Lough Melvin, anglers can take

and keep two salmon or sea trout during the

season. For all waters, anglers must use

single or double barbless hooks while

fishing for salmon and sea trout and worm

fishing is prohibited until the 1st July.”

In commercial fishing, salmon and sea

trout netting will be banned in coastal

waters and on Lough Neagh. However,

legislation will allow anyone who has held

a netting licence in anyone of the last three

years to have first preference for a new

licence should netting resume.

Questions have been raised about the

inclusion of sea trout in catch and release

measures and the prohibition on salmon

netting. AFBI’s analysis is that there is

insufficient data available to allow the

exploitation of sea trout across the DCAL

jurisdiction and the Minister said that her

advised position was therefore to apply a

precautionary approach to sea trout

management based on international data

until local information has been collected

and assessed over a longer time period.

Minister Ní Chuilín said: “I encourage

all anglers to take responsibility for their

actions on the river banks - officials will be

engaging with local angling clubs to

promote best practice in catch and release.

Promotional material and an educational

DVD will also be available to enhance the

message.

The Minister also urged anglers to help

her Department establish robust data sets of

salmon and sea trout stocks. “This means

that while anglers can no longer retain the

fish, they must still record any salmon or

sea trout caught and returned to the water.

This will aid the scientific assessment of

such stocks and will help determine when

rivers might re-open for the retention of

salmon or sea trout by anglers. To help with

this, the game fishing licence will now

include a form for anglers to record salmon

and sea trout catch and release details for

return to the Department,” she added.

In introducing this new legislation,

Minister Ní Chuilín considered views

expressed by various stakeholders and

believed that the new regulations are

appropriate, equitable, enforceable and

essential to conserving and protecting wild

salmon and sea trout stocks in the future.

For more information on the new

legislation, please telephone 0300 200 7860

or visit www.dcalni.gov.uk/angling

ANGLING ‘CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY’POLICY AND NETTING BAN ANNOUNCED

The Honourable The Irish Society is a 400year old charity that owns and manages thegame and coarse fishing in the 38 miles ofthe Lower Bann and neighbouring rivers. Onoffer to anglers heading for the North Coastis premium salmon and trout fishing onprivate and non-private beats, together withcompetition-standard coarse fishing, all at avariety of prices to suit every taste.

We have now been operating full 'catch &

release' for salmon for the past two years, and

therefore are more experienced in handling

this than many other fisheries which are only

now having to face up to reality in that DCAL

Inland Fisheries have brought in regulations

to conserve salmon stocks. We fully support

this precautionary approach, coupled with

measures to close coastal net fisheries. Our

own bailiffing and environmental protection

efforts remain in place; our team of private

water bailiffs patrols the river day and daily

for the good of everyone, and all our angling

income is presently reinvested into protecting

and managing the fisheries.

Carnroe saw over 350 salmon taken and

safely released alive in 2013 and we hope for

many more successful days fishing this year.

We are content that DCAL have seen fit to

retain the use of non-injurious fishing

methods such as prawn and shrimp, while

sensibly banishing the Treble Hooks and

placing restrictions on worm fishing. Prices

remain unchanged from last season, for the

third year in a row.

Edward Montgomery

Secretary, The Honourable The Irish Society

Lower Bann Fishing: still going strong

DCAL Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has announced that from 1st March 2014 new legislationwill be in place which will introduce mandatory catch and release for salmon and seatrout angling and also a ban of salmon and sea trout netting across the DCAL jurisdiction.

I have in my possession a little

publication from many years ago

entitled ‘Angling in Ulster Waters,’

which gives reference to the Dollaghan

and some of the subspecies: ‘the word

Dollaghan itself covers several different

types, including the Pollan trout,

Boddagh and Black Boddagh, all of

which are Lough Neagh trout.’ It

continues, ‘the Pollan trout are the first

to ascend the rivers, making their

appearance early in August, if the water

is high enough, and they run from 5 to

7lb. They are shapely fish with small

heads and derive their name from their

silvery appearance, which resembles

that of the Pollan. The next are the

Boddagh which start to run late in

August or early in September, and they

come up to 16lb. They are short, deep,

humpbacked fish and are much darker in

colour than the Pollan trout, their colour

being much the same as ordinary brown

trout. The Black Boddagh is the last to

run and is the heaviest of the lot. It has

very large fins and is, like the ordinary

Boddagh, a very deep and short fish, the

depth in this case running the whole

length of the body to the vent, and there

being no hump on the back. As its name

implies, it is a very dark fish, though not

black, and is the best fighter of the lot. It

invariably runs downstream when

struck, and an angler hooking one of

10lb. or so, will experience a thrill only

equalled by the playing of a fresh run

salmon.’

A shooting acquaintance tells me that

his father was once an operator on the

netting station at the mouth of the River

Maine at Shanes Castle, Antrim, and that

the distinct types of Dollaghan were

identifiable to the nets-men; incidentally

the word Boddagh may emanate from

Buddagh or Breddach which translate to

‘big fat fellow.’ Other references

mention the Ferox, Gillaroo and

‘Salmon Trout’ which is said to have the

appearance of a sea trout. One thing is

for sure, in the vast 400sq. kilometres of

Lough Neagh there is plenty of room for

genetic variation and perhaps it would

be more surprising if various sub species

did not develop.


From Michael Martin, Six Mile Water Trust

RETURN OF THEDOLLAGHAN

The legendary Dollaghan, icon of the Northern Ireland fishing scene seems to beattracting a lot of attention of late and rightly so. Generations of anglers have pursuedthis highly prized game fish, it has helped sustain a commercial fishery and it hasundoubtedly helped to feed generations of families who lived around Lough Neagh.The name comes from the Gaelic ‘Dulagh’ which means swift running, which wouldcertainly apply to this fish which surges up its natal rivers to spawn at the end of theseason.

(Photo: Bill Armstrong)

The little book also mentions that the

best Dollaghan rivers were the

Ballinderry, Moyola, Maine and

Blackwater, strangely no mention of the

Six Mile Water or Upper Bann, although

I suppose they may have been more

renowned for quality trout fishing many

years ago. At Coagh bridge on the

Ballinderry, an engraving of a large fish

on top of the wall bears testament to its

importance as a Dollaghan fishery and

there are even specific flies tied purely

for the species such as the Ballinderry

Black, tied by Tommy Hanna from

Moneymore.

Decline of the DollaghanThere is no date on my Angling in

Ulster Waters book, but it does mention

that a rod licence cost all of 10 shillings,

so I think we can assume that it’s not a

recent edition! However, at the time this

publication went to print I think we can

assume that there would have been an

abundance of trout and Dollaghan in the

Lough and the rivers; it’s hard to

imagine how things might have been

before our beautiful streams were

dredged, super effective insecticides

devastated our aquatic invertebrate

populations, industrial farming

production poured industrial quantities

of slurry and fertilisers onto the fields

and waterways and before every little

burn and spawning tributary was dug out

and culverted in the name of progress!

Add to this, every marsh and bog was

drained, so now rain flushes straight

down the water course causing flooding,

erosion and damage downstream. The

newly developing factories added a load

of chemical pollution just to top it all off

and government decided to suspend

fishery protection patrols on Lough

Neagh, so illegal fishing became

rampant. In the space of a few decades

the trout and Dollaghan population

crashed and no one except the anglers

seemed to care! Our favourite game fish

was on the ropes and thankfully DCAL

Fisheries, the EEC Water Framework

Directive and angling interests have

managed to take steps to halt the decline.

The winds of changeIn recent years, a number of initiatives

have appeared, some following on from

the Water Framework Directive and

others simply developing from better

understanding of fisheries management.

The Directive encourages an

improvement in water quality and

organisations such as the Freshwater Task

Force have published documents such as

‘From Source To Sea’ as a guideline on

how to better manage our waterways.

NIEA is taking steps to counter pollution

and improve the condition of our rivers

and lakes. Other organisations such as

The River Restoration Centre have

developed river enhancement to a science

through practical experience, rather than

the ‘hit or miss’ affair that it once was.

The Wild Trout Trust has also refined

salmonid management and habitat

enhancement to a fine art so government

agencies and angling clubs now have

excellent reference sources to develop

their fisheries.


Dollaghan from Six Mile Water caught in the dead of night by Bobby Bryans wascaught on the Fox Fly.

Practical work done by anglers benefits the environment as well as the fishery.

Appliance of ScienceAn exciting development has been the

studies currently being undertaken on

Lough Neagh by an eminent scientist

Paulo Prodohl, Kevin Keenan and

Warren Campbell of Queens University

and University College Cork. These

studies carry on from studies carried out

by Ferguson and Crozier way back in

1986, but this time we have the benefit

modern technology and science which

allows a much better study of population

genetics and includes the use of micro-

satellite markers and other cutting edge

technology.

One of the intriguing features of the

Dollaghan trout is the great difference in

appearance and, whilst we know that the

environment in which a fish lives can

have an effect on its colouration, sandy

habitats producing silvery fish, weedy

habitats producing darker fish etc, we

don’t the extent of this or if it can have

an effect on the physiological

development but the research which is

being undertaken at present will throw

light on genetic stock identification,

local adaptation detection, stock

management and conservation genetics

of local trout populations.

A Holistic ApproachOne thing that is becoming

increasingly apparent is that there is no

one particular cause of the demise of the

Dollaghan trout. For a major change we

need to look at the catchment as a whole

and put in place a wide ranging strategy

which would encompass all aspects of

the environment from habitat, juvenile

recruitment, water quality, commercial

exploitation, conservation measures.

Angling clubs can work with DCAL

Fisheries or the Wild Trout Trust to help

create habitat for development and

spawning to ensure good juvenile

recruitment; NIEA can help with

pollution issues; DCAL Fisheries are

doing a fantastic job policing illegal

netting stations on the Lough itself. The

scientists are helping develop a picture

of stock dynamics, genetic identity and

mapping, they can give us the hard facts

that would form an effective

management plan. Angling

Conservation measures have a place in

this especially as Dollaghan spawn on

multiple occasions; if they are released

to spawn for several years not only are

they contributing a huge recruitment to

the system but they can also achieve

remarkable weights whilst in the Lough

with its profusion of shrimp, hoglice,

midge and coarse fish fry. Bobby Bryans

and Stevie Munn are Dollaghan fishing

enthusiasts on the Six Mile Water and

have lead the way for catch and release

techniques for several years and now

just about everybody releases their fish

as the appreciate the

increasing number of fish

and increasing sizes: every

year they catch double fish

and Bobby’s record is over

20lb!

The Ultimate GoalFundamentally we know

that Lough Neagh is a vast

larder for fish; if we can

optimise juvenile recruitment into the

Lough from the rivers, manage the stock

in the Lough carefully, then there will be

an abundance of fish for anglers and

development of sustainable angling

tourism and there will an abundance of

fish for those commercial fishermen

whose families have made a living from

Lough Neagh for generations, especially

in these days of a collapsed eel fishery. If

we can manage our habitats carefully all

kinds of wildlife will benefit, our

communities will benefit from better

leisure and recreation facilities and

economically through sustainable

tourism and commercial fishery and our

lives will be enriched by having an

environment and countryside of which

we can be justifiably proud, everyone’s a

winner but it will take a political

determination to support this reform;

support for the scientists, support for

DCAL Fisheries, NIEA and the angling

organisations and River Trusts who have

the vision to realise this ambition. This is

a fantastic opportunity to make a huge

difference, it has already started, the

Dollaghan runs of 2013 were the biggest

seen in years so now is the time to make

changes, check for pollution, improve

the habitat, form a River Trust, start

conservation measures, attend

Catchment Stakeholder Meetings and

get involved in the management of your

river, it’s your fishing, wildlife,

countryside, heritage. Manage it wisely!

2355 Here’s hoping : as the light dies a

solitary angler tries for a magical

Dollaghan


Members of the Antrim & District Angling Association electro fishing a tributaryfor brood stock to restock the river after a fish kill.

Water sampling is an essential tool tounderstanding the current state of thewater.

Photography by Bill Armstrong

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Located between Foxford and Ballina, in North County Mayo Mount Falcon is a really rather unique 19th century dwelling. Designed by the most fashionable architect in the British Isles

at the time, James Fuller, it was commissioned by Utred Knox in 1871 to woo a lady. When it was completed, it was the most fashionable house in Ireland – indeed, it is the only example in Ireland of a private house designed by Fuller, whose name also sits with Kylemore Abbey, parts of Ashford Castle and Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park.

at Mount Falcon Estateby Emma Cowan

In 1932 the house was bought by Major John and Constance Aldridge (founding member of the famous Blue Book) and under their ownership Mount Falcon became one of Ireland’s

The current owners, including the Maloney family, have lovingly renovated and refurbished the original house, as well as adding on a new

32 bedrooms, including two private suites, as well as all the comforts you would expect from a grand country house, with drawing rooms, dining in the old kitchens and, of course, the

luxury and comfort in a style that is in keeping with its distinguished

That, however, is just where the

What is magical about Mount Falcon

there is the style and comfort of the

Rosette Kitchen Restaurant, but there is also an exclusive Elemis Spa offering

a range of treatments that makes

I’m told the spa experience leaves guests totally pampered, soothed and relaxed and I’d certainly like to try it for myself! I’d be equally keen to take to the beautifully designed swimming

SO MUCH MOREGo outdoors and there is so much more to explore! The Estate boasts a two-mile stretch of the famous River

Atlantic salmon river, as well as its own, spring fed rainbow trout stocked

there is a clay shooting ground next to The Moy, with four automatic traps providing overhead, going away and

for both novice and experienced shots and it is even possible to set the system

What really sets Mount Falcon apart

private stretch of the Moy - what could

the stretch that provides an average

season? Mount Falcon’s double bank stretch is just above the tide, offering

exclusive to the guests at the hotel, so

opportunities available at Mount

an hour’s drive there are several

spring Salmon, summer Salmon

famous for the quality of their Wild

site and in the area, Mount Falcon has

and must surely be irresistible to the

FABULOUS FISHING“The three Rivers Fly Fishing Package is a new concept developed to give

The bedroom in the Wallpool Suite The swimming pool The Kitchen Restaurant


Shane Maloney, Sales Manager at Mount Falcon and one of the Estate’s owners, has some local lore and advice on

RIVERS ERRIFF AND OWENDUFF

Gold, Curries Red, Coolraw Killer are effective on both

CARRAMORE LAKE

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ACCOMMODATION

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self catering lodge accommodation, for a minimum of

For more information, visit www.mountfalcon.com.Mount Falcon, Foxford Road, Ballina, County Mayo

DINING DELIGHTS

All told, Mount Falcon has got to be the ultimate getaway


SMOKED ONION PURÉE1. Finely slice the onion and garlic and dice the smoked streaky bacon

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CREAMED SUMMER CABBAGE AND MARJORAM5. it and add to the cream infused with the chopped marjoram

CARAMELISED PEACHMake a caramel with the sugar and putter and add the peach, peeled and

PLATE THE DISH6. Sear the scallops in a hot pan, add in a pinch of butter and deglaze with a

7. Pan fry the slices of black pudding on both sides

8. Set the scallops on the creamy cabbage, the black pudding on top of the smooth onion puree and the caramelised peach around. You can garnish

Philippe Farineau’s

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INGREDIENTS


Halford was a driven man, some

might say obsessive. He was a wealthy

industrialist who, at the height of the

Victorian era, had the time and the

means to pursue his beliefs in an era

when downstream wet-fly was the

standard in fly fishing. Nymph fishing

was as yet a twinkle in the eye of G. E.

M. Skues, its invention still 25 or more

years in the future. Halford set his bar

very high. Not for him random or blind

casting. His belief was that a true fly

fisherman should first find a surface

feeding fish. Then, through observation

or deduction, they should identify the fly

on which that fish was feeding and tie

an accurate imitation of that fly to the

line. Then, and only then, should the

angler take up position and make a cast.

Halford’s perfect day would be to spot

four rising fish feeding on a different fly

each time and catch all four with his first

cast.

F M Halford

In the context of a time when fly

tackle was rudimentary – silk lines,

greenheart rods, cat gut leaders and

spade hooks – this economy of effort

makes a certain amount of sense.

Goodness knows even with all our hi-

tech modern kit it is easy enough to lose

a fish and exasperating to re-tackle after

a snagged back cast snaps off your fly,

so one can only guess how long it took

in Victorian times. That said, angling

was a far more leisurely affair. For many

of us a day on the river is a snatched

treat, shoehorned into busy lives and

often subject to complex family

negotiations, but no such matters

troubled Halford.

He took a cottage on the banks of the

River Test in Hampshire for the season

and decamped to his beloved Oakley

Stream at Mottisfont Abbey for months

at a time. There he honed his dry-fly

creed on a chalkstream where fish like

to rise to the surface fly like no other.

I know that plenty of people will take

me to task for crediting Halford for

‘inventing’ dry-fly fishing. It is true that

before the birth of Christ the


From Simon Cooper

Why do we fly fish?I suspect like me, you know in your heart of hearts that fly fishing is possibly the most inefficient wayto catch fish as yet devised by man. If we had to capture fish to survive, the fly fishermen amongst uswould be the thinnest and hungriest of the population. But we persist and indeed it’s a profession Ichoose to make my living. So in the year that marks the 100th anniversary of F. M. Halford’s death –the man who can be said to have invented modern-day dry-fly fishing – I sometimes feel compelled toask, what draws us back to the river time and again when the odds are so stacked against us?

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Macedonians were doing something

similar, and angling literature from

the sixteenth century onwards,

including Izaak’s Walton’s The

Compleat Angler, makes reference

to floating flies. There were also

contemporaries of Halford’s who

were pursuing the same line of

thought. But what Halford did with

two books published in 1886 and

1889 was codify dry-fly fishing,

drawing together ancient and

modern strands of thought and

practice to make sense of a style of

fly fishing with which most anglers

were unfamiliar. Halford’s second

book, Dry Fly Fishing in Theory

and Practice, elevated him to super-

star status in the fishing world. He

became a brand before the concept

of branding was really invented,

with rods, reels and all manner of

other angling paraphernalia

carrying his endorsement. At his

thatched hut on the Oakley Stream

he daily welcomed visitors who

came from far and wide to pay

homage to a man who

revolutionised the sport.

But Halford succeeded in

establishing the popularity of dry-

fly fishing for two reasons: when

the conditions are right it can be

mighty effective and it is exciting.

And on the chalkstreams where he

put his theories into practice it has

become one of the most

exhilarating ways of catching fish.

There are few other places in the

world where you can survey a gin-

clear river that is barely knee deep

and spot half a dozen fish or more

holding on the current all within the

distance of one easy cast.

Approached with care these

brown trout are not skittish – they

have confidently chosen their lies

so they may eye up the food that is

carried down towards them at their

leisure. You, like the fish, watch the

progress of the insects on the water.

Maybe a Hawthorn in blustery

April. A huge Danica Mayfly

during Duffer’s Fortnight. A pretty

Blue-winged Olive on a tranquil

summer’s evening or a clumsy

Sedge in September.

Whatever the month chalkstream

trout are choosy because they can

afford to be. There is more food in

these rivers than you can shake a

stick at and therein lies the skill of

the dry-fly fisherman. Luring these

trout demands a perfect imitation,

presented in the correct way, at

precisely the right moment.

Put that way it sounds like an

impossible task but what Halford

did was to open the door to the

possibility of success, describing

new patterns and techniques which

have been gradually improved in

the hundred years since his death.

Man-made materials for tying,

precision hooks, factory tapered

leaders and even Polaroid

sunglasses are just some of the

many advantages we have over the

anglers of his day, but the same

basic principles apply. Locate.

Identify. Cast. And when it all

comes together there is that sublime

moment when you know you have

made all the right choices. The fly

lands on the water, drifts towards

the fish and in that split second

between the fish seeing the fly and

rising to the surface to take it you

may revel in both anticipation and

success.

So the next time you tie on a dry

fly offer up a small moment to

thank Frederick Halford; we owe

him a mighty debt.

Simon Cooper is the founder and

managing director of Fishing

Breaks, Britain’s leading chalk-

stream letting agency. His debut

book Life of a Chalkstream is

published by HarperCollins in May

2014. www.fishingbreaks.co.uk

Halford’s Hut on the Oakley Stream of theRiver Test at Mottisfont Abbey.


The River Test.

River Test brown trouttaking a sedge.

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My game fishing season normally

starts in March in Northern Ireland,

unless I am in another part of the world

hosting a fishing trip or writing an

article for some publication to promote

a venue. This has happened a lot in the

past and I have been fortunate to see

and fish in a number of stunning

locations around the globe, but these

are stories for another article.

Next came the highly publicised

annual Spring Glasgow Angling Centre

fishing weekend in March, where I was

to work for Hardy Greys demonstrating

with their rods, selling their products,

judging the casting competition and

giving some fly casting tuition. This

was a really enjoyable event which

brought together many professional

anglers and people in the trade from

many parts of the world. They also do

valuable work with some of the local

children getting them off the streets and

into fishing - something that is close to

my heart.

When I returned from Scotland, I

was able to get some fishing in at last,

though March is normally pretty slow. I

spent some time on trout streams and

small stillwaters and got my first days

fishing on the big loughs. I fished

Sheelin and Ennell with my good friend

Gerry Taggert and landed a few trout,

despite the very low temperature. That

said, if you get a few mild days in

March it can be worth going out as the

trout are hungry. I also had my first

day’s guiding on my local river the Six

Mile Water. My client was a doctor who

was happy fishing for small wild river

trout in challenging conditions. We had

snow for a lot of March so it was very

hard, but we managed a few trout. It

was a hard month for me with only four

or five days work, mostly because of

the appalling weather.

That brings me to April, for me

always a better month with a lot more

fishing on rivers and loughs. I spent a

great weekend as normal at Renvyle

House Hotel, in the wild splendour of

Connemara on the shores of the

Atlantic Ocean. The hotel is located on

150 acres which include a private lake

which is full of brown trout and this is

where we hold the Hardy & Greys Fly

Fishing Academy weekend with

professional instruction given by

myself, Tom (Doc) Sullivan, Jackie

Coyne and World Cup winner Mike

Keady, with help from our wonderful

boatmen Jackie Child, Johnny Flaherty

and Mike Coyne. This is a marvellous

place and, if you have never been, I

highly recommend it as the food is

second to none and the service is first

class, run by Ronnie and his excellent

staff. Renvyle is a place steeped in

history which first opened as a country

house in 1883. This year the Hardy &

Greys Fly-Fishing Academy weekend is

on 28th and 29th March 2014 and I

hope to see you there. You can find

more details about this event on the

Renvyle House Hotel website. It is

amazing value to stay in such a fine

place for a weekend and fish with us

and an event I always look forward to.

Trout mopping up the MayflyNow into May and the weather was

kinder. Like many other anglers, my

thoughts start turning to Ireland’s great

Loughs and for me and numerous


From Stevie Munn

My Angling Year2013 was a exceedingly interesting year to

say the least. As many of you may know, Iwork in the fly fishing industry and have donefor many years after leaving Belfast’s shipyardHarland & Wolff in my mid twenties. ‘Fly fishingpro’ sounds like an amazing job and it is also myhobby but, like many jobs, it has its highs andlows and it’s not an easy way to make a living,believe me. I am basically an individual thattries to get by as a result of working in theangling sector to pay the bills. But, maybe evenmore importantly, it’s to help pay for myaddiction which, of course, is fly fishing.Occasionally I have been extremely lucky,

though I must admit at times it can be verydifficult when there are slow periods betweenevents or work but, that said, I am sometimesinvited to teach fly casting or to go fish andwrite about magnificent places, where I alsomeet wonderful like minded people. I must sayit is never dull and a substantial part of my jobis now teaching fly casting, so I meet newpeople all the time. At the moment I am mostlyself employed; I say mostly as I do receive workfrom event organisers and companies in thetrade like Hardy Greys, as I am a member oftheir Pro Team and also Partridge of Redditch asI am one of their Pro Fly Dressers.

others this means drifting in a large

wild spectacular place from a boat,

while casting and searching for

fabulous wild brown trout. We all have

our favourite Loughs and many are

legendary, like wonderful Mask, Corrib,

Arrow or Derg; let’s face it, in reality

we have too many fine loughs to

mention and I hope I will get a chance

to fish some more of these this year.

Lough Sheelin, is one I have fished

many years and fish often for a day or

two but I also spend a week or at least

five days in the good company of the

Mallusk Angling Society Club, on

beautiful Lough Sheelin, which in the

last few years is making a comeback.

We were hoping to hit good conditions

and with luck the Mayfly with trout

mopping them up. We were a tad early

for the Mayfly, but it was up and most

of us managed some great trout. We

also spent time in Watty’s Rock (those

of you that know Finea will now know

I’m talking about the bar which is

always welcoming at this time). Yes, to

me and several other fly fishers, May

and June in Ireland can be simply

heaven of Earth, as there is something

truly fantastic being on one of these

great sheets of water casting a fly from

a boat; the pleasure and excitement you

get when a heavily spotted trout rises

from the depths and takes the fly, turns

down and you feel him pulling on the

line giving the angler that instant

adrenaline rush is truly one of the best

feelings a flyfisher can have.

I spent a lot more time on rivers and

Loughs in June. My local river, the Six

Mile Water in Co. Antrim, where I

learnt to fish as a boy with my father

George, started to fish well and I had

some very nice river trout, in fact the

best in many years on the dry fly, one

of my favourite ways to fish. For more

info on this river please take a look at

the web site www.sixmilewater.co.uk .

My work also picked up and I gave

quite a few casting lessons and on top

of that I attended The British Fly Fair in

Stoke, where I gave fly dressing

demonstrations for Partridge of

Redditch on their stand. This year they

have moved the dates into February and

if you are in England it’s well worth a

visit. I also worked at the Irish Game

Fair the last weekend of June at Shanes

Castle in Co. Antrim. At this great fair I

am the angling director and help run the

fly casting competition with the help of

APAGI Ireland and also do a few

casting demonstrations along with my

good friend and well known lady angler

Glenda Powell. This is Northern

Ireland’s biggest game fair and it’s a

pleasure to be part of it, but

unfortunately it clashed last year with

the Fly fair in Killyleagh Co. Down but

this year the dates don’t clash so you

will be able to attend both.

In July I travelled to fish in Norway

with a good friend and a truly talented

guide, Mr Espen Andre Eilertsen,

fishing with him on the majestic Trysil

River, on which Espen’s company ‘The

Call Of The Wild’ works. I was to

experience some walking and wading in

this great part of the world and,

interestingly, some drift boat fishing.

The Trysil is a big river and reminded

me a lot of some I had fished in

Canada. The Trysil where I was is now

the only place you can try drift boat fly


Norway and the Trysil river aspectacular setting, Stevie is nowhosting trips to the trout angersparadise, here he brings a greyingto hand.

Using a drift boat like the one I used on the Trysil Riveris a great way to reach inaccessible fish.

fishing in Europe. I had experienced

this type of fishing once before in

Finland many years ago, although I

must admit never in such a grand river

with stunning surroundings.

Drift boats and the next tail,the next flat beckon

Sometimes, when we are fishing, we

get so wrapped up in what we are doing

at the time that we forget to look

around us and take in the views and

think how lucky we are as anglers to be

in the wilds doing something we love. I

think we all need to sit down and look

around us at times even if it is on our

local river or lake, fly fishing is about

so much more than catching fish, for it

is about the experience of all that

surrounds you and everything that

transpires in that environment. OK, I

hear some off you say Munn is off

again, but I really do think that is one

of the great things about our passion. I

must add if you have never fished from

drift boats it is a wonderful experience

which allows you to fly fish with ease.

There is something undeniably special

about floating a river. Your perspective

changes as you slip quietly downstream

and, if you have a guide like Espen, you

glide easily from place to place,

anticipating the next riffle, the next flat,

the next tail out, hoping for that take.

After a while, you realise that you have

left the rushing onslaught of daily life

behind and in its place there is only the

river and the wild brown trout and, in

this case, a fish that Ireland never got -

the lovely grayling. Espen and I are

now hosting trips to this wonderful

place, so if you are interested email me

for details.

When I returned from Norway I had

one of the biggest events and

demonstrations of my life, as I was to

work at the CLA Game Fair in England

for Hardy. I have worked at it many

times in the past and always enjoyed

this.The CLA is hailed as the ‘world’s

biggest country sports and outdoor

pursuits event’ and it is truly enormous

with 150000 people attending. In 2013,

I was asked to give three 30 minute fly


Holding a nice brownie which took a bibio at Rynvyle House, Connemara.

Lovely River Trout from the Six Mile Water taken on the dry fly.

This Grayling came nicely to hand after putting up quite a fight by using thecurrent to its advantage.

casting demonstrations in the main

angling arena in front of the grandstand,

casting in front of one of the biggest

crowds of my life. There were other fly

casters on the bill, all of them my good

friends, including Scott McKenzie,

Hywel Morgan, Michael Evans and

from the Hardy’s pro team, Ian Gordon,

Howard Croson and me. I must say I

was nervous but it went very well and I

have been asked to repeat this again

this year. So those was the highs of

July.

August was a very slow month, a

few casting lessons booked but nothing

major and no events for me, so I spent

most of it fishing my local river casting

to rising trout with caddis patterns and

having great fun landing a few nice

ones. I also fished my local stillwater

which is run by the excellent Mallusk

Angling Society and I also started

chasing one of my favourite fish, the

Lough Neagh Dollaghan trout. They

had been migrating into the river for a

while, but I was trying not to fish for

them and concentrating on the river

trout with the dry fly, as I knew once I

started to fish for them I would become

addicted and have time for nothing

much else, until my next job came

along. But eventually I started targeting

them and it was one of the best seasons

for these great fish that I have had for

maybe 15 years or more and this trend

carried on to the end of October as I

landed well over 200 of these

magnificent fish and in September I

landed my personal best Dollaghan

ever, a fish that we estimated around

13lb. I say estimated as I practice catch

and release and they were all returned

the river unharmed.

Norway againIn September I continued to fish the

Lough Neagh rivers and I had two

events. The first involved traveling

back to Norway to give casting

programmes and a fly casting

workshops, as I had been booked by a

fly fishing club based outside Oslo and

I spent an enjoyable five days there

teaching a great bunch of quite

experienced anglers, though there was

no fishing to be done as it was all

teaching and the casting was done on

football pitches. The second event was

back to Scotland for the second

Glasgow Angling Centre fishing


A Dollaghan taken as thelight fell fast.

And back he goes.

weekend, similar to the one I had

worked at in the spring, where again I

was working for Hardy Greys and

demonstrating.

The following month, I fished the

local river and also spent a lot off my

time working on organising The Irish

Fly Fair which I run in Galway. When I

started this I took a huge risk but I

wanted to give anglers the best fly

fishing show in the country. We hold it

in the lavish Galway Bay Hotel and it is

now into its fifth year. This is now one

of the biggest fly fishing only events

held in Europe and, working on it right

though the year, it takes up a lot of my

time. It was a fantastic success and

many exhibitors have already booked

for next year. We had record numbers

of visitors from all over the world at the

show over the two days. The feedback

from visitors, exhibitors, fly casters and

our 55 fly dressers has been

exceptionally positive. Business was

brisk for the exhibitors, with reports of

good spending by the angling public.

Attractions included, top fly dressers

from all over the world, fly casting

demonstrations by well-known angling

celebrities, angling talks by experts in

their field and the youth fly tying

competition. Plans are already afoot for

this year’s event and the dates are the

15th and 16th of November so why not

put that in your diary.

Well, that’s a round up of my year

and I would like to thank a few people

whom I could not do without: my sister

Elaine Munn, Gerry Taggert, Jim Lees

and all the fly fair team (there is just to

many to mention but you know who

you are and I love you all), also the Fly

Fair sponsors Partridge, Veniard and

Emerger. Albert Titterington, Hardy

Greys and lastly my beautiful wife

Jenette who stands by me, I could not

continue doing what I love without her

support.


Some information about the author.Stevie Munn works full time in the angling sector as a

guide, writer and qualified game angling instructor and isa member of the Hardy Greys Pro Team and the Regal andPartridge Pro Teams. He has appeared in many anglingbooks, DVDs and angling shows all over the world, givingcasting and tying demonstrations. While he has fishedmany places in the world, he grew up fishing on rivers and

loughs of Ireland where he often guides. He runs teachingcourses in fly fishing and hosts groups fishing worldwide.He is also served a long time on the Six Mile Water ClubCommittee and the Lough Neagh Dollaghan Trust and is alife Member of The Wild Trout Trust.

You can contact him via email [email protected] get more info at www.Irishflyfair.com

Night fishing can take its toll as you can tell on Stevie’s face but the rewards can be great and here he holds his biggest

Dollaghan before slipping her back to the river.

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We asked Lawrence to say how it all

began:

My passion for fly dressing began

many years ago when I lived in Long

Eaton a small market town in

Nottinghamshire, at the tender age of

15 I would often get out onto the rivers

around the area such as the Erewash,

Derwent and the Trent. It was when I

was fishing the Derwent with my old

tank Ariel rod for course fish that I first

saw the art of fly fishing, down stream

from me was an elderly gentleman fly

fishing and the amazement of seeing

him hooking into a grayling,

transformed my passion for fishing,

with his well dressed appearance and

fishing creel slung over his shoulder he

looked the epitome of the angling gent

and with the ease of his cast and

connecting with a fish I thought ‘that is

for me.’

Some months later I was taken to a

local fishing shop by a friend of mine

just on the outskirts of Long Eaton and

when we entered the place I thought

this was not much of a place. It was not

so much a shop but more like a large

garage with bits and bobs all over the

place. Then after half an hour walking

around I realised that this was an

Aladdin’s cave of wonderful tackle and

fly tying materials, the owner who was

sitting in a chair with open toe sandals

gave out a growl. “What you looking

for?” this was my first encounter with a

man who I grew to admire for many a

year, Stevie Parton.

Over the months I would save up

enough money to purchase the odd bit

of fly tying material from Stevie and

he was always happy enough to pass on

tips to help me create what I thought

were master pieces but in reality just

clumps of materials wrapped around a

hook. Then one day things changed the

better for me, It would be around 1966

or 67 that I was introduced to two

people who had a passion for fly

dressing Wendy and Ray Gibson, two

lovely people who were only too

willing to encourage a youngster to take

up the art of fly dressing

Over the years I would see them at

Foremark Reservoir and at some of the

clubs tying amazing creations and

Wendy’s ease of teaching and

demonstrating at the same time inspired

me greatly and I still look forward to

meeting them and talking about the

good old days. My work eventually

took me to Northern Ireland where I

fell in love with not only the rivers and

Loughs but also that close knit group

called the fly fisher, I can honestly say

that I have had the pleasure of meeting

some of the best people through fly

fishing and increased my desire to tie

flies. Meeting the likes of Ted Malone

and Peter O’Reilly further inspired me

to study the art of fly dressing and after

30 years of meeting these two

gentlemen I still get great pleasure

meeting up with them for a cup of tea

and a catching up on events, and even

now when I meet up with Peter we still

chuckle about the day he and Arthur

Greenwood took me and my good

friend Stevie Munn for our advanced

fly dressing exam.

How things have changed in the past

40 years since taking up fly dressing:

technology has advanced not only our

equipment, but also the vast array of

materials available to create amazing

patterns, which also introduces new

techniques to this art.

My passion is tying traditional Irish

fly patterns and hope to pass on this

knowledge of these patterns through my

classes that I regularly hold in my

studio. At the same time, I like to

incorporate new materials to traditional

patterns, as I believe that if these were

available years ago, the likes of

Michael Rogan would have certainly

used them.

During the close of the season 2013 I

was introduced to a material called

pseudo hackle and although sceptical at

first, I soon found that this material was

amazing and could be incorporated into

many a patterns such as Olives, Diawal

Bachs and one pattern I not only love to

tie, but I believe to have been one of


From Lawrence Finney

A PASSION FORTYING

Lawrence Finney is an advanced professional fly dressing instructor, has been an angler for overthirty years and has carried out fly dressing demonstration across the UK, Europe and the UnitedStates. His flies have astounded the game angling world especially in Montana where record numbersof fish were caught on his now well known woven flies. 2011 saw one of his new patterns used onLough Currane breaking the record for the heaviest sea trout. The patterns Lawrence has developedover the years have been used on all the major Irish loughs and rivers for all species of game fishand have done equally well in the UK. His flies have been used by some of the best well knownanglers and celebrities in Europe such as Charles Jardine, Hywell Morgan and Mike Harding.

the biggest contributions to Lough

fishing ,The Dabbler created by my

friend Donald McLearn.

This material, which looks like

ribbon, is available in many colours

and is so easy to use that I use it when

introducing new students to fly tying

due to the ease of applying it to a

pattern. Field tests of these flies were

carried out last year on rivers lakes

and loughs. On Lough Sheelin it

worked amazing well and so I decided

to make a range of patterns for trout,

sea trout and salmon, resulting in

friends as far away as Montana and

Argentina requesting flies tied with this

material.

Below are just a few of the flies

created using this material and believe

me it really works as others can verify.

So why not give it a try you will have

hours of fun with it as I certainly do.

For more information visit

http://www.finneysflies.com


The Golden Olive

The Golden Olive

Hook - size 10 wet

Tail - flo yellow tippet

Body - golden olive pseudo hackle

Hackle - golden olive hen

Wing and cloak - natural bronze

mallard

Head - picric jungle cock

The Mallard and Claret

The Mallard and Claret

Hook - size 10 wet

Thread - brown 8/0

Tail - flo yellow tippet

Body - claret pseudo hackle

Hackle - claret hen

Cloak and wing - natural bronze mallard


The Blue Dabbler

The Blue Dabbler

Hook - size 10 wet

Thread - brown 8/0

Tail - claret cock pheasant

Body - blue pseudo hackle

Wing and hackle - natural bronze

mallard


To our surprise, things started to

happen quickly, so quickly that we were

almost caught unawares and we had to

make quick decisions and call meetings

at short notice.This was probably the

first time ever that anglers have had a

proper say in how our rivers are run and

we knew as amateurs at this campaign

that we had to put a professional touch to

our work. The members of the NSN

committee are from 7 or 8 counties

throughout the country and from all

backgrounds, all religions and differing

opinions, who have worked together as a

team to try and do something positive

for the future generations of anglers. We

have given freely of our time since then

and have built great friendships that will

stand the test of time. We received a lot

of help from a lot of quarters and we

extend special thanks to Albert

Titterington and the Great Game Fairs of

Ireland team for the help we received.

Raising awarenessWe utilised Facebook in a way never

used before by other organisations and it

was a massive success. We had support

from all corners of the world and we

have been advising other groups since

and have had a big part to play in the

running of other groups that we like to

call our ‘sister groups,’ like the NSFAS

(No Salmon Farms At Sea) and the

Lough Neagh Dollaghan Trust. At one

time we had over 150,000 hits on our

Facebook page in one week. We also

created our own range of clothing which

has been very popular with the public.

This was all part of our plan to raise

awareness of the campaign and it all

came together perfectly.

Possession of a dead salmonor sea trout — illegal

Our take on the whole consultation

and resulting legislation is this: Yes,

there are some grey areas, but the

important thing is that it will be illegal to

be in possession of a dead salmon or sea

trout from the 2014 season onwards.

That single sentence we believe

supersedes all others. Yes, some will still

fish with trebles and worms for salmon

and sea trout and some will kill, but that

is their personal choice and they now

know what the risks are and that DCAL

officers will be pursuing convictions in

instances like that.

We believe anglers have achieved

something here that can never be taken

from us. The NSN has always strived to

be open and straight with everyone and

have been careful to leave the politics to

the politicians. We have been very

fortunate that all of the politicians we

have met and worked with have been

happy to deal with the issue at face value

and not try to score political points with

it. A few MLAs from separate parties

went far above and beyond the call of

duty and we are indebted to them for

that. We made a special presentation to

two particular MLAs who were

instrumental in where we are today and,

as a result, we now have the NSN’

Shrimp Fly, the Olly's Gold and the

Silver Swanny.’All the flies were tested

and are proven catchers. The Olly’s Gold

was named after Oliver McMullan MLA

and the Silver Swanny was named after

Robin Swann MLA.

Our motivation was always clear and

that was to put fish first in that we put

the fish and their welfare before

everything else. We knew we had to

think things through before making any

moves and with our diverse committee,


By Mark Tierney

‘No Salmon Nets’ —putting fish firstThe NSN group (No Salmon Nets) is made up from anglers and conservationists. We metfor the first time in August 2011 and, with the numbers swelling at each meetingafterwards, we decided upon an action plan. We evolved into a pressure group andbombarded MLAs and the DCAL offices until we were well known in a short space of time;the Ulster Angling Federation, FASTA and FISSTA all got on board. We also receivedmuch help from the press who were happy to publish articles which assisted us in pilingon the pressure. While we were told changes would take years and we put our heads downand got on with the work. We aimed for 2,000 names on our petition and got around 5,000!We asked for the angling public to send letters and DCAL were overwhelmed with mail.

The Great Game Fairs of Ireland were delighted to support the NSN campaignand to award the group one of their Country Sports Lifetime CommitmentAwards.

it seemed to work well. The signs were

brilliant in 2012, which was the first year

the nets ceased, but 2013 didn't seem as

good and we hope it is not too little too

late and that things will steadily improve

in the coming years. Either way, this has

been a victory for firstly our salmon and

sea trout and secondly, the angling

community.

Facts for the future All major salmon rivers in the DCAL

catchment will have counters and

conservation limits by 2018 and these

will be used to generate management

targets. Those targets will need to be

15% over the conservation limit for what

is known as a ‘harvest able abundance’

and an end to catch and release. The

figures for a possibility of a return to

commercial fishing will be 25% over the

conservation limits on the rivers as a

whole before they can continue their

operations.

Rod anglers have never seen

themselves as a major part of the

problem of declining salmon and sea

trout numbers. However, we now find

ourselves to be a major part of the

solution to that decline. In general

anglers and angling clubs have always

happily gone about their work in silence

and with an unstoppable determination.

These are the unsung heroes who never

seek or receive the recognition they

deserve.

To those who are opposed to the new

regulations, the other option is a

cessation of angling and closures of

rivers as has happened in southern

rivers. At the NSN, we believe that is the

worst thing that could happen to our

rivers. We have poachers who will give

testimony that their biggest deterrent

was not bailiffs but rod anglers. Anglers

now need to unite in times of hardship

and ensure our clubs survive and indeed

flourish. We need to educate the future

keepers of our waterways and pray that

that is enough to ensure the future

generations will enjoy what we have

enjoyed.

Seizing the initiativeDCAL has given assurances that it

will also support private water bailiffs

where needed in training and in court

prosecutions and will assist in all areas

that extra support is needed. We need to

take them up on that and take

responsibility for our waterways that

have provided us with so much pleasure

since our childhood days and hope that

our kids enjoy the same by pulling them

from their games consoles and mobile

phones and introduce them to the world

and sport of fishing. The benefits of our

sport are obvious. Introducing fishing to

our kids will ensure our sport has a

brighter future and those kids will be

much healthier at a time when obesity

and anti social behaviour seems to be

rife. The majority of anglers enjoy

getting away from it all and being one

with our surroundings. Catching and

eating fish has never been our

motivation. This is why this sport is

called fishing and not catching.

Urge anglers to embracecatch and release

NSN would call on everyone to

embrace catch and release for a few

years and see where that brings us and

hope that it brings us back to rivers with

abundances of wild migratory fish. In

the scale of things, a few years is not

much of a sacrifice and we will

hopefully be able to enjoy the rewards of

those years.

While the future is brighter today than

it was three years ago for our salmon,

there are still a great many factors that

add to the decline. Sea lice infestation,

wholesale taking of food from their

feeding grounds to create unsustainable

feeds, Hydro schemes, man made

obstacles on migratory routes, poaching

and general habitat degradation are some

of the major issues that are ongoing. The

fight continues and this is just one of the

small advances we are making.

What the future holds for the NSN is

unclear and will be decided in the

coming weeks. We do have options

aplenty. Speaking personally, I have met

people I would never have met in normal

circumstances and, on the whole, I have

enjoyed the experience of having

chaired this group for a time and

learning an awful lot. The NSN formula

is one that works and others can only

hope to emulate our success.


NSN members present a token of specially designed NSN Shrimp Fly and theOlly’s Gold Shrimp Fly to Oliver McMullan MLA and the NSN Shrimp Fly and theSilver Swanny to Robin Swann MLA in appreciation of their efforts over therecent salmon conservation regulations. (L-R) Oliver McMullan (SF MLA), PaddyKeenan (APGAI Ireland and fly creator) Paul Smith, Robin Swann (UUP MLA),Willy Darragh, Tony Ferris and Mark Tierney.

Tshirt Get the message and wear theT-shirt - the NSN range of clothingproved very popular with the public

Last year, for the first time in many

years, I did very little boat angling due

to mechanical trouble with Damian’s

boat. Normally we would be out

targeting tope and ray offshore, but last

year we simply did not get out.

However, I had a few trips to Cork

trying to get my first bass. I tried fly-

fishing for Pike and saw a lovely fish

caught, but all in all I caught very few

fish last year. Will this put me off trying

again this year. Of course not. Every

trip I went on last year was a learning

experience. Damian and I did try new

waters around the “copper coastline” in

East Cork and went out to try for Shark

out of Yaughal. Due to the warm

weather the shark arrived early and

came in great numbers to our shores

last year. Damian and I had a great day

out with a local boatman and caught

and released several blue shark up to

about ninety pounds; we also got lots of

information about local marks where

we could possibly catch a Bass.

Hopefully we will get a chance to try

this area again this year.

On sharks, many showed up in the

Irish Sea, a mako shark was caught off

northern Wales and a thresher shark

was photographed in the same area.

Porbeagles are caught every year off

Wales when the sea temperature is

suitable. Next year, we hope to spend a

couple of days targeting shark on this

side of the Irish Sea; perhaps they are

there but nobody targets them. I also

invested in an angling kayak, which I

am looking forward to trying. I have

had great success in the past trolling

with small lures for sea trout, pollack

and mackerel from a small boat with

the outboard, just pottering along at

idle. It will be a new type of fishing for

me. If the whitebait and mackerel hit

the shores again like we saw in Cork

last year I might even get a chance to

use my cast net again.

After seeing these in use in several

distant lands, I invested in a small one a

number of years ago and practised in

my garden before trying it when the

mackerel came in and was thrilled

when I got a dozen in my first throw.

However I quickly realised that, while

it is not easy, it can be very effective, so

having caught what I wanted I had to

stop. I cannot understand why some

people have to keep on catching fish

after they have what they can use. I

have heard that cast nets can be

effective for mullet but have not tried it.

Maybe this year.

Now here’s something I have seen

with many people who do not take part

in fieldsports: they simply cannot


From Johnny Woodlock

Looking ForwardIt’s Spring and at this time of year most of us are looking forward to the challenges ofanother year of enjoyable angling. Do you set targets for yourself? Are you going to trynew methods or target new species? Gear has to be prepared and sorted. Spring is a goodtime to reflect on last year, learn from mistakes, and get your gear ready. How did you geton last year? Did you catch a lot? What did you do with your catches?

Cuban small fry.

understand how you can have a good

day and not catch anything. Shooting is

just the same. It is beyond them how

you can have a great day’s shooting and

not fire a shot, to them this is a total

contradiction. At this stage of

proceedings my wife does not expect

me to return home with a salmon every

time I go fishing for them, but for many

years she considered me mad to pay to

go fishing year after year without

catching a fish. She knows better now.

At this time of the year, before you can

actually get out to have a go at the fish,

planning is part of the experience. I am

quite sure that those who shoot

pheasants feel the same in the run up to

the season.

Last year I admit to making a

tactical mistake: after two years of poor

summer weather I took the family off to

Cuba and hoped to get a bit of fishing

in while there, but unfortunately it has

changed a lot since I was here before

some twenty years ago. A day game

fishing offshore proving to be way out

of my pocket, my son and I contented

ourselves with fishing from the marina

with a few shrimp baits, catching a

variety of beautiful tropical fish. All

small, but a nice way to spend an

afternoon or two. Of course we

discovered that the weather had been

glorious here while we were away. As a

holiday destination I could not

recommend it enough, where else can

you hire a real ’56 Chevvy Bel-Air as a

taxi for the day, but be warned that

tourism is now its main revenue earner

and prices to go angling reflect that, but

it has lots to offer an angler.

Anyway this year I intend to stay

closer to home and hope that we get

another nice summer as we have sport

in Ireland that compares to anywhere in

the world. There are still many species I

have not even for tried yet. And I still

have to catch my first bass. (I have a

feeling that this is the year Johnny.

Editor). Having the kayak means that,

hopefully, I can get out for a session

whenever the weather is at all suitable.

I know a few tope marks which are not

far from the shore, but I’d love to bring

the kayak offshore with a larger boat

and transfer to it when the blue sharks

show up in the rubby dubby trail. I

imagine a ‘Nantucket sleigh-ride’ would

be an interesting experience. The larger

boat could provide safety and to my

knowledge you cannot brew up a cup of

tea on a kayak.

Call these ideas, hopes, plans or

dreams, but on a dark, windy and wet

day in early spring we can only look

forward to the new season and warmer

days when we can get out with a rod in

hand. I know that there are many hardy

souls who fish all year around, I have

done it myself in the past but at heart

I`m a softy who prefers not to get cold

if I can avoid it.

Whether we catch or not, it will be

fun and I wish you all a great time be it

on a riverbank, lakeside or on the sea.

Stay safe and remember a buoyancy aid

/ lifejacket looks cool so teach your

kids that. We lost too many anglers

from the rocks last year. Just one is one

too many.


Another of the Cuban fish - this one is a cowfish.

Whitebait - and certainly one of the Editors’s favourites as a ‘starter’.

Much like the quality of its vast and

numerous waters and the great trout to

be caught in them, definitive Irish

fishing books seem to possess all the

necessary ingredients to instruct, guide

and awaken the mind where personal

angling experience is incomplete.

Fishing is about so much more than just

throwing a line to catch a fish.

Undoubtedly, the great storytelling

writers did catch plenty of fish but they

also had that wonderful gift or ability to

capture the reader’s imagination when

sharing the extensive knowledge and

experience they possessed. Perhaps

nobody has been able to illustrate this

better than Justice T. C. Kingsmill

Moore, the

author of the classic ‘A Man May Fish,’

first published in 1960; a book that

every angler should and must read.

The author was a judge, sitting in the

highest courts in the land. After fifty

years drifting the great Irish waters he

was persuaded by his wife to write

about his fishing thoughts and exploits.

His book illuminates Ireland and covers

everything in his fishing life from his

simple and successful philosophy to his

creation of a range of flies

incorporating traditional Irish flair,

colour and translucency called

‘Bumbles.’ In his written portraits of

the Corrib boatman Jamesie, he creates

a living person full of warmth and

affection, yet as rugged and intriguing

as the Connemara landscape.

Another, perhaps slightly lighter,

read about a life spent fishing, albeit a

much shorter life, which truly captures

the simple pleasure and the all

consuming passion to escape with a

rod in your hand, is ‘Reading the

Water’ by Darryl Grimason, a

journalist and broadcaster and native

of County Armagh. This book,

covering all the angling disciplines,

will be read and enjoyed by anglers

and non-anglers alike. It’s an

uncomplicated book overflowing

with enthusiasm, personal

memories and a love of all things

wet.

At the time of publishing, 2005, the

author’s love affair and highly

descriptive chapters about his own

‘man and boy’ fishing adventures were

infectious and left you wanting more. A

sequel covering the last eight years

would be welcomed by all country

book lovers.

Historically, regional fly tying styles

and fly dressings, developed and

cultured by generations of fisherman to

successfully catch trout, all possessed

distinctive characteristics that were

peculiar to their country or region of

origin. Boatmen such as Kingsmill

Moore's ‘Jamesie’ have dispensed

piscatorial wisdom to the angling world

for generations, helping to create

Ireland’s unmatchable fishing heritage.

Rough, calloused hands and fingers,

borne through years spent pulling oars,

have done little to dampen the artistic

genius of these fishing legends or

hindered their ability to utilise fur and

feather within imitative fly dressings.

This very traditional approach to fly

tying is the most visually exciting and

creative in all the four home nations

and has produced fly patterns which are

both universally recognised and used.

E. J. Malone’s ‘Irish Trout and

Salmon Flies’ is rightly regarded as the

Irish fly tyer’s essential reference

dictionary. First published in 1984,

(first editions are eagerly sought by

collectors), it contains over 800

traditional and modern (at time of

printing) Irish fly dressings and their

By George Barron

BOOKS OF THE LOUGHSMy own journey through a lifetime spent fishing and fly tying has always been greatlyinfluenced and driven by all things Irish. Simple traditional angling knowledge gleanedduring three decades drifting Ireland’s Great Western loughs and the many memorablenights spent enjoying the craic and the porter in front of real Connemara peat fires lefttheir indelible mark. But as the early spring days begin to stretch and the opening day toanother fishing season draws rapidly closer, one’s mind and body often needs a wee bitmore than a spot of the black stuff to stir the senses and set the mood ahead of the newseason. It is said that anglers are born to their vocation, and while pre-season inspirationfor some may come with the sight of the first swallow or the call of the first cuckoo,traditionally for me at least, it reassuringly arrives most years in the form of a well-thumbedbook in the comfort of my favourite armchair.

A Man May Fish


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history. It also contains a wealth of

information on fly dressing materials,

including a comprehensive guide to the

dyeing methods used to obtain the

subtle colours and hues much desired

by traditional tyers in Ireland.

Tying Flies in

the Irish Style

The quality and popularity of this

book created a great revival in

traditional fly tying both sides of the

Irish Sea that it came as no great

surprise when Ted Malone’s next book

‘Tying Flies in the Irish Style’ hit the

bookshops in 2000 and quickly required

a second printing. Interestingly, backing

up the tying instruction and

illustrations, Ted’s new book also

contains fifty pages of selected letters

exchanged between the prolific English

author and angler G. E. M. Skues and

another Irish angling icon, Tommy

Hanna from Moneymore, Co Derry.

‘Fly fishing in Ireland’ by Thomas J.

Hanna, is my personal all-time

favourite angling book. The simple

prose reads like the man himself is

having a conversation with you,

inviting debate, but don’t be fooled,

hidden away within the text are gems of

fishing information and ground

breaking fly tying techniques plus the

how and where of acquiring tradition

materials which paved the way for

much present-day practise.

Angling books, particularly fly tying

books have undoubtedly been the great

success story during the last few

decades as much enhanced printing

quality and sharper and simpler

digital photography techniques have

created and driven demand for a

more coffee table, reference style

type of book. Peter O’Reilly’s

‘Flies of Ireland’ perhaps set the

trend during the nineties while

much more recently, Co Cavan

born International angler, Patsy

Deery’s excellent ‘Irish Mayflies:

A fly fishers Guide’ arrived on

the book shelves in 2007.

Angling in Ireland is

synonymous with mayfly

fishing, and in his compilation,

Patsy has provided a wealth of

mayfly dressings submitted by

famous and highly regarded

Irish anglers throughout the

length and breadth of

Ireland, in a well-presented,

albeit niche style, reference book.

During the boom years when the

Celtic Tiger was

king, many Irish

anglers crossed

the Irish Sea to

sample the very

different

challenge of

catching

rainbow trout

on the major

Still-waters

in Scotland,

England and

Wales. New

techniques

were

learned by

these fishing

adventurers

that

subsequently proved very successful

back home on the wild waters of

Ireland, such as nymph and buzzer

fishing and the current flavour of the

month, the dry fly technique. Two

contemporary books that cover most

modern styles of fishing both sides of

the pond are ‘Trout from a Boat’ by

Dennis Moss, an Englishman now

resident in Co Galway and ‘A Passion

for Trout’ by Mick O’Farrell, an

Irishman now resident in England. Both

these books comprehensively cover all

aspects of present day fishing in Ireland

and provide a wealth of Anglo-Irish

know-how, while at times questioning

some of the traditional approaches to

catching wild Irish trout and salmon on

Irish waters.

Time waits for no one, not even

anglers in their pursuit of wild Irish

trout and salmon. Lough ecology and

water quality are constantly being

subjected to environmental changes that

are not always beneficial to man or fish.

New feeding habits and changing

genetic make-up are forcing trout and

salmon to adapt and survive or accept a

fate similar to the dinosaur. Whatever

the outcome, angling writers will, as

always, endeavour to understand,

monitor and imitate the means and

ways to catch them and endorse it

through the written word.

The author of this article, GeorgeBarron is arenownedInternational anglerand fly tyer. Hedemonstratestraditional Celtic flytying techniques at allthe major Shows inIreland and the UK.He writes regularfeatures on fishing andfly tying for numerousangling magazines.Born in Scotland but heis now resident in Wales,for whom he hascompeted in Internationalmatches since 1987 to

present. Currently Chairman ofWelsh Salmon and Trout AnglingAssociation, he was President of theInternational Fly Fishing Association in2013. His first love is fishing the greatWestern Irish Loughs.


Irish Mayflies A fly-fishers guide.

www.davidmillerart.co.uk

Original Oils and Prints by one of Europe’s

leading Angling Artists.

David Miller Art Why not treat yourself or your

partner to one of David’s distinctive Limited Edition sea

trout, salmon or brown trout prints or commission a painting

for that special occasion.

You can contact David on: 01994 453545 or e-mail:

[email protected]

PLANS TO INCREASE FISHFARMING

The power of the aquaculture industry no

longer outweighs the angling tourism and

leisure industry despite Minister Coveney’s

plans to continue to impose ten new mega fish

farms off the west coast commencing with the

Galway Bay/Inis Oirr application which will

infest and wipe out our salmon as it is directly

in the migratory paths of our smolts on their

way to the feeding grounds of the north

Atlantic. The message is clear from our point

of view – the government must choose

between sustainable clean angling tourism

jobs or the present type of fin fish farming that

pollutes to produce, thus damaging the marine

environment for all other users. Last year’s

campaign in which we staged over 20 public

awareness events and lobbying presentations,

which we believe were instrumental in the

Minister delaying as yet his decision to award

his Dept via BIM the first license. Should this

happen, we have put the Government on

notice that we will continue to fight by every

legal means possible. It is vital that this

campaign succeeds as the consequences are a

wipe out of our wild salmon stocks and

angling.

PLANS TO INTRODUCE NEWANGLING ROD LICENCE

A new rod license charge or angling

contribution for all anglers/species was

proposed and presented by the CEO of the

Inland Fisheries Ireland at the last National

Inland Fisheries Forum meeting on 25th

November 2013. This proposal was opposed

by sister federation TAFI and FISSTA on the

grounds that IFI did not submit a plan on how

such revenue would be reinvested in our

fisheries. Following intense lobbying, the

Minister on 8th December 2013 informed us at

a meeting in Lucan Spa Hotel that he was

withdrawing the proposal and discussions are

ongoing with a view to giving salmon anglers

a break by substantially reducing the cost of

our salmon and seatrout rod licence for 2015,

as a recent TDI study valued our angling at

over €750m to the Irish economy.

BETTER INSURANCE COVER Once again there is no increase on what is

the best and improved insurance cover we can

find which further protects your club and

officers. So, while registering your club is the

most important task to undertake in the year, it

is also important that you examine our policy


NEW SEASON – NEWFIGHTS FOR 2014

The newly elected National Executive Council wish you and your club members a very prosperous and successful 2014season. At our recent AGM in Athlone, we reviewed the past season in which we lobbied very hard for the majority ofour clubs to keep their rivers open despite it becoming more difficult to conserve the stocks of our wild Atlantic salmonand sea trout. It is important for all clubs and members to register with FISSTA early so that your club insurance isin place prior to the season commencing. Forms available on www.fissta.com FISSTA have had their busiest year todate lobbying our political friends and Government to ensure the survival of our wild Atlantic salmon and seatroutdespite the impending threats.

An over abundance of fresh water in our rivers is perfect for spawning.

which contains a Personal Liability cover (at

no extra charge again this year) that further

protects your members against claims from

non members who may or may not be insured

while walking your riverbank. (See details on

quality of cover on www.fissta.com)

STRONGER DEMANDS FROMCLUBS

To improve our service to your club we

must therefore try to increase our income in

various ways during 2014 to provide a more

professional service. We will depend, as

always, on the established clubs to carry the

fledgling clubs as our stocks still face serious

threats with 90 of the 150 rivers still to fully

reopen. We continue to maintain a strong

professional presence at national and

international level with the issues especially at

NASCO (where FISSTA lead the NGO’s

Group by delivering the opening statement)

FACE and EU level. It is your support that will

determine our success on issues such as

sealice, stocks and scientific advice for 2014

onwards. I wish all our members a prosperous

and successful 2014.

CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS BY PAUL LAWTON

I welcome and thank all delegates

attending our AGM in Athlone today.

Last year’s AGM in Galway heard how we

were facing the greatest threat to our wild fish.

To date the insane mega-farm plan from

Minister Coveney to increase tenfold the

farmed fish cage production starting with the

Galway Bay application has yet to be

sanctioned. Thanks to all our efforts in our

intensive campaign of 20 public awareness

events throughout the year which has changed

the minds of many and we hope Minister

Coveney as well. What we agree and plan at

this AGM will result in the withdrawal of not

just the Galway Bay application from BIM but

also the 9 others hanging over our heads. It is

now 24 months since I was elected Chairman

and at that time we were hopeful that we could

see some small improvements to the stocks of

our wild Atlantic salmon and seatrout. Sadly,

our main objective in the return to abundance

of the wild stocks is still very far off. However,

we must strive to attain that abundance of

salmon and none of us must be complacent in

expecting nature alone to deliver this goal.

We are working very hard with all our

clubs to get Inland Fisheries Ireland to protect,

manage and conserve our sensitive stocks.

After yet another season of very poor patrol

and policing activity I am saddened to report

that we got very poor value for our money.

Last year at our AGM, Minister Fergus

O’Dowd TD stated “I know we share common

interests for the future of the Inland Fisheries

Sector and I hope my cooperation with

FISSTA will herald a new era for us all to

prosper. I appreciate the key role FISSTA play

in the newly formed National Inland Fisheries

Forum which we all depend on to deliver an

improved angling product.” Sadly, neither

NIFF nor any other body have improved the

angling or fish stocks and today is your

opportunity to discuss why we are facing yet

another year of inaction.

OBITURARY Brian Marshall

Like our salmon, the sad news came to us

in our Federation via the North Atlantic and

Iceland that Brian had lost his fight following

his short illness. Anglers who treasure the

Atlantic wild salmon owe Brian Marshall from

the Wessex Rivers Trust in England an

enormous debt of gratitude. That is especially

true for all salmon conservationists and

anglers in Ireland and indeed Europe.

The Central Fisheries Board had facilitated

the administration of netting and had even

encouraged the netting of salmon from Irish

SAC rivers despite the serious damage this did

to angling tourism

Along with North Atlantic Salmon Fund

(NASF) we all worked hard to end the Irish

driftnet fisheries but it was Brian who refused

to accept that all we could do was to urge the

Irish Government to take the action needed to

preserve Ireland’s salmon resource. The

salmon stock of the river he loved most, the

Hampshire Avon, was struggling to survive

and he could see that there was a desperately

need to protect every one of the few native

Avon salmon that survived. The Irish drift nets

were killing far too many of them and with

Brian’s life of commercial experience, he was

prepared to challenge the statist culture and

think outside the box.

(Limited space does not permit us to

publish the full obituary published by FISSTA:

Editor)

NEWLY ELECTED EXECUTIVECOUNCIL 2014

For full details please visit

www..fissta.com

FISSTA CLARIFY POLICY ON NEWANGLING CHARGES

Many clubs have sought clarification on

our FISSTA policy on the new angling

contribution as proposed and supported by

most other federations except FISSTA and

TAFT. It is regrettable that such a division has

been yet again been introduced with those

supporting the new angling contribution which

will not add value only cost to the anglers.

We are writing to all clubs with the

following text:

I write to clarify in my answer to the recent

Facebook exchange in which I thanked TAFI

for posting the Mallow and Blackwater

Salmon Anglers letter on my timeline and for

bringing their views to the notice of FISSTA.

The rumour of a new rod license has been

doing the rounds for some time amid denials

from Inland Fisheries Ireland. However, the

very first official confirmation we received

from the any state authority was on the 25th

November 2013 in Athlone. The occasion

was a meeting of the National Inland Fisheries

Forum chaired by Derek Davis in which the

Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries

Ireland, presented a twenty minute powerpoint

outlining their intention to impose a state

angling contribution on all anglers in what we

interpreted to be a new rod license as it was to

replace our present salmon one at what we

understood to be a reduced rate for our

members. A debate ensued with no quarter

given on either side before the meeting

concluded in confused controversy, with their

clear message being delivered for us to relay

back to our clubs.

The detailed presentation raked up embers

of past divisions and proved that nothing was

learned with the same organisations with

interests other than angling, welcoming the

proposal in order to cultivate favour to get

more state aid. Following an intense and a very

united lobbying front from both FISSTA and

TAFI this state angling contribution proposal

was withdrawn by IFI at a specially convened

meeting on 8th December in Lucan Spa Hotel

acting under instruction from Minister of State

Fergus O'Dowd TD. This impasse is now

removed and discussions are ongoing on the

drafting of the new fisheries legislation

without any further reference to a state angling

contribution. The FISSTA submission of last


The infamous Athlone November 25th 14 meeting of National Inland FisheriesForum where anglers learned of the new charges.

June and updated this month, to IFI, DCENR

and the Minister repeats our long established

policy of protest against a Rod license

imposed on us by legislation. But our

members, unfairly and under protest as

always, must buy a rod license to fish or we

would be breaking the law. We have

campaigned for many years for the state to

scrap this inequitable and anti competitive

license to allow us compete with license free

Scotland for to encourage an increase in

tourism revenue. Instead, and at a time when

state management should have protected our

sector to flourish as the driftnets came off, we

were heavily and disgracefully penalised as

many rivers closed on the advice of science.

The cost of our rod license trebled over a 4

year period to 2007 to €120 thus losing over

70% of our salmonid members to non license

angling waters. To this day, many our clubs are

just surviving from kind donations and hard

fundraising work to pay for private and state

waters to fish every year. In many cases, our

clubs are financing work plans to open closed

rivers or keep rivers open. Our federation is

the only one campaigning publicly against the

major threats of pollution, salmon farms,

commercial netting in estuaries etc; but above

all, we continue our legal and political

campaigning to protect our angling rights to

waters we have fished for generations.

We expect IFI and the state to protect our

wild Atlantic salmon and sport which is valued

overall at €755m to our economy and

supporting over 10,000 jobs. Sadly, we find

ourselves alone in our campaigns to survive

and no additional number of state rod licenses

sold will change the present policy that is

firmly wiping out the sport that we hold dear.

With over 90 of our 153 rivers still closed to

taking a salmon or seatrout for the pot, our

fisheries are bleeding to death and require

urgent management action. So, we do need

this new legislation to protect and develop

angling and we value the support of our

angling clubs who endorsed our policies on

24th November 2013 at our last AGM and

every AGM to date.

We communicate with and speak for all our

clubs on the future of our sport and stocks. We

do not charge a capitation charge as we

withdrew from state funded Angling Council

of Ireland some years back and we take no

money from them or any other state body that

may again try to silence or influence us against

serving the angler on their water.

At international level, FISSTA punch well

above our weight and were honoured to be

voted to present the NASCO NGO statement

to the nineteen salmon countries in attendance

at the 30th Nasco conference last June. Fissta

organised over 20 public awareness events last

year against Minister Coveney’s ten mega

salmon farm plan and have the support of

North Atlantic Salmon Fund Chairman, Mr.

Orri Vigfusson who we invited here to lead our

Galway city public demo last March. That is

why we will continue to campaign against bad

fisheries planning and mismanagement

wherever we find it and we ask all clubs with

salmon and sea trout in them to register with

FISSTA for 2014.

In Donegal, both Federations support the

local DGAF campaign against IFI policy in the

taking of our waters such as Gweebarra River

and the legal challenge is ongoing to the

Supreme Court at present. We will continue to

update your club on any outcome from our

negotiations with the Minister on the new

legislation which we hope will be concluded

very soon.

Minister Coveney Must RetreatNow

It is a testament to all who have supported

the campaign against fish farming that to date

Minister Coveney has held off on his decision

to grant or reject the first of ten applications

starting with the one in Galway Bay that his

semi state body BIM has applied for last

October 2012 which triggered a litany of

protest demonstrations and public awareness

events that has made the Minister hold off on

his decision to date.

Over fourteen months ago at Christmas

2012, following a FISSTA organised protest

outside Minister Coveney’s office in

Carrigaline, County Cork, An Taoiseach Enda

Kenny TD was thinking out loud in Dail

Eireann and without being asked any question

on the ten mega fish farming plan in Galway

Bay he stated:

“We must have a debate and an

understanding that the level of production and

fish required, based on the extraordinary

growth in the world's population and therefore

the requirement for food across the spectrum,

is an issue central to the fishing negotiations.

An application lodged for a major fish farm

development off the Aran Islands in Deputy

Grealish's constituency is being heavily

objected to, with another possibly to follow off

the west coast. These matters need to be

considered rationally. The figure projected for

growth in jobs onshore is 500 and this would

make an enormous impact to coastal

communities. This is an issue that needs to be

debated here, by the planning authorities and

by those dealing with environmental

regulations.”

- TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY TD INDAIL EIRANN 19.12.12

TO DATE THERE HAS BEEN NO

DEBATE – NOT EVEN A JOINT

OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE

INVESTIGATION OR DISCUSSION

BECAUSE THE APPLICATION IS IN A

DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR

MINISTER COVENEY TO DECIDE.

So, Minister Coveney does not want to hear

of any debate lest the whole idea be held up to

scrutiny for all to expose. These coming weeks

will signal some very significant decisions on

the future of our wild fish should the Minister

decide to issue a license to put salmon cages in

Galway Bay. There is no doubt that the

defining moment is now as the magnitude of

the 150,000 tons project means that it is a

choice between the jewel that is Galway Bay

for tourism or face a future where fish farm

pollution and tourism job losses will wipe out

all the hope and dreams of future generations

who may never see or experience the joys of

our wild salmonid fishery resource.

To date there are over 250 organisations

registering their support for FISSTA’s

campaign to rid ourselves from the damage

that is sealice and finfish farming? It is now

over two and a half years since Minister Simon

Coveney TD announced what we all know is

his ten mega salmon farm plan that was to

increase the Irish production from ten

thousand tons to match Scottish targets of over

three hundred thousand tons. The first of the

ten mega fish farm applications came form

BIM with a 1,300 page Environmental Impact

Statement for the Galway Bay confirming

their intention to produce 15,000 tons of

farmed salmon which outlined the many


Like many anglers nationwide, FISSTA President Josie Egan has lobbiedTaoiseach Kenny at every event in Mayo.

advantages and not one disadvantage to the

project. The fact that the application was to the

Minister who must have a conversation with

himself to decide on whether to grant or reject

the application highlights the need for marine

environmental accountability as absolutely

none exists at present.

There are many factors to be taken into

consideration in the granting of the first of ten

licenses which concern the people of Galway

and the west coast at present. They are as

follows and in no order of importance:

I. Damage to jobs. For over thirty years the

salmon farming industry has employed no

more than 150 (if we take away the

shellfish sector) leaving a trail of disease

and environmental contamination in our

waters that seriously impacted on our wild

habitat and in particular wild shellfish and

our wild Atlantic salmon and seatrout. The

impact on angling tourism 10,000

SUSTAINABLE jobs can be estimated at

over many thousands due to the devastation

of our wild salmonid rivers as 90 of our 150

are still on life support according to the

latest Inland Fisheries Ireland scientific

report.

II. Sustainability. The major salmon farming

company in Ireland based in Donegal is a

good example to explore how feasible the

present business is in Ireland as they lost

€2.3m. in the last quarter of 2013 according

to their report filed in compliance with

Oslo stock exchange. In fact, last year their

exceptional losses were €6.6m. This very

poor performance will continue unless their

critical mass target of 300,000 tons is

achieved, but they must realise by now that

Ireland’s marine coastline will never

support a fraction of this target tonnage due

to “Pancreatic disease, the high occurrence

jelly fish and AGD or Amoebic Gill

Disease” as acknowledged in their last

financial report.

III.Damage to Tourism Sector. Angling

tourism is valued at over €755m per annum

to our economy supporting over `10,000

jobs, which despite misinformed blogs

from the fish farm sector are being stood

over by consultants TDI. The Wild Atlantic

Way being developed by Failte Ireland

claim that the project has the potential to

deliver an extra €1billion along the 1,553

miles of coastline where BIM and Minister

Coveney plan to locate over 7,000 ugly

salmon farm cages will degrade the view

and impede the generation of business

revenue.

IV.Damage to Agri-food Sector. Agri-food

and fisheries is Ireland’s largest indigenous

industry, a sector with long historic

provenance and one which, today,

collectively employs some 150,000 people

with an annual output of over €24 billion,

and a significant weighting of activity in

rural and coastal communities. The recent

Listeria scare in farmed smoked salmon

where exported batches had to be recalled

under the instruction of the state authorities

is a very urgent reminder of how sensitive

this industry is to danger from low

standards.

V. Damage to Marine Environment. As we

go to print the news of a major storm

damage to finfish farm cages all along the

west coast is that costs to repair equipment

and replenish stocks are mounting. It is

estimated that the major escape in Bantry

Bay will have a devastating impact on the

wildlife and spawning salmon already in

rivers. With climate change driving much

more adverse weather conditions for

salmon farming, it is estimated that even

greater waves than the record 77ft one

recorded on buoy M4 recently will not

augur well for offshore sites in future.

VI. Damage to island community

sustainability. The Joint OIreachtas Sub

Committee on Fisheries launched their

report on 14th January on Inis Oirr where

the Oireachtas members witnessed at first

hand the opposition to the fish farming

application in Galway Bay.

Minister Coveney can learn from Minister

Pat Rabbite’s pylon problem and listen to the

back bench LABOUR TDs who listened to

their voters. How can the most successful

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

squander his hard earned reputation on a small

fin fish farming sector that never delivered a

sustainable job, nor never will. It is time for

Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD to persuade

Minister Coveney (like he persuaded Minister

Pat Rabbite) to withdraw the application now

before it is too late.

Group meet in Galway to haltexpansion plans of B.I.M.

A joint meeting of angling and

environmental groups from all over Ireland

met in the Menlo Park Hotel, Galway on

Sunday 26th January to discuss a national

strategy to defeat plans to expand open salmon

cages along the western seaboard. Delegates


Marine artist Kenneth King is a great salmon supporter who has a new bookpublished on his life and work.

Over 250 groups along the wild atlantic way that have registered support andactivated to oppose the ten fish farm plan. Speakers at the meeting included(front L/R) Tommy Casserly, NARA and Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages, BillySmyth, FISSTA and Chair of Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages, Alan Molloy,NFSAS; (rear L/R) Brian Curran, Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages, Noel Carr,FISSTA Secretary, Seamus Sheridan, Green Party, Kieran O’Shea, Save Bantry Bayand Fergus Glynn, Galway Bay Protection Association.

heard that B.I.M. is actively engaged in the

preparation of further Environmental Impact

Statements for nine other salmon farming sites

in Galway, (2) Inishturk in Mayo and Goal in

Donegal.

It is believed that the capacity of these

installations will be up to 14.4m salmon each,

fully automated with few employed. Serious

damage is expected to occur to the livelihood

of inshore fishermen as the use of pesticides to

kill diseases and parasites from such huge

intensive numbers of farmed salmon, will kill

small lobsters, crab and shrimp.

Anglers and tourist interests expressed

grave concerns that their sectors also would be

decimated and major job losses and loss of

income would occur as all salmon rivers

within a 30k radius of cages would have their

young salmon returning to sea, eaten alive by

lice from salmon installations. This has

already happened to sea trout in Connemara,

Donegal and Kerry, locations where salmon

are caged in the marine.

Delegates questioned why the fin fish

aquaculture sector, which has the Irish

Farmers Association support and backing, is

permitted to operate without controls. There

was anger that on land, no farmer was

permitted to pollute waterways with waste and

pesticides yet the marine was being degraded

by the activities of the salmon farming

industry. Plans will now be put in place to

increase public awareness of the folly of

salmon cages in the marine at the expense of

existing inshore fishing, angling and tourism

jobs.

FISSTA CHALLENGES SINN FEINTO STICK TO THEIR POLICY

FISSTA has challenged Donegal Deputy

Padraig Mac Lochlainn TD who stated that a

change of culture is needed in the Department

of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to secure

up to 150 jobs at Marine Harvest in the Fanad

peninsula, and increase employment into the

future.

He’s raised the issue with Tánaiste Eamon

Gilmore, following a meeting with

management of the company and went on

local Highland radio to explain his frustration

with groups like FISSTA impeding such

developments.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn said that at present,

the aquaculture licencing process is

notoriously drawn out with no deadline for

decisions, and this impacts on the ability of

companies like Marine Harvest to plan

effectively for the future and avail of new

markets. He says that needs to change as a

matter of urgency.

When FISSTA challenged Deputy Mac

Lochlainn he refused to budge stating that he

would agree to differ with us and has not

engaged or answered our questions since

November. All we ask is for him to clarify why

Galway Sinn Fein support and campaign on

the policy below as agreed at their SF

conference or Ardfheis while he makes it up as

he goes along to appease the multi national

global company in his own constituency. We

print the policy statement below for the benefit

of reminding Deputy Mac Lochlainn and

Deputy Martin Ferris TD.

SINN FÉIN COME OUT AGAINSTSALMON FARM PROPOSALSSinn Féin policy statement:

Agreed by the Ard Chomhairle 27/4/13:

Sinn Féin recognises the necessity to

develop the maritime industries around Irish

coasts and the important role BIM and other

semi state bodies should play in that.Sinn Féin

recognise the need to create employment in

sustainable aquaculture and related industries

and that BIM should focus on this as a

mechanism to help maintain coastal

communities Sinn Féin understand the need to

create employment in the fish processing

industry throughout the country by ensuring

that the fishermen and fish farmers can

provide the fish necessary to develop the

industry.

Sinn Féin recognises the valid concerns of

the communities around the Aran islands and

Galway bay in relation to the development of

a deep sea organic fish farm near Inis Oírr.

These relate to the potential displacement of

employment in the angling and tourism

industries which may well outweigh the jobs

potential of the proposed development. They

also relate to the potential for ecological

problems, disease issues and escapees.

Sinn Féin acknowledges the concerns of

Inland Fisheries Ireland and that it is

unacceptable that a project of this scale should

proceed with two state agencies in

disagreement over the potential dangers

involved.

Sinn Féin recognises the onus on the

Minister to err on the side of precaution under

EU legislation when presented with evidence

from a competent body such as Inland

Fisheries Ireland, who are unhappy with the

Environmental Impact statement that has been

prepared in relation to the project.

Sinn Féin believe that the Minister should

put a halt to the project at this stage, as to

continue would almost certainly lead to

prolonged legal challenges which could

involve two or more State agencies and

industry stakeholders which could cost the

taxpayer a lot of money and result in the

project being blocked by the European Union.

Sinn Féin also believe that such a project

should not be allowed to proceed with very

staunch opposition from local stakeholders

and communities who have genuine concerns

in relation to the economic, social and

ecological impacts of such a project.

We call on the Minister to engage with

BIM, local stakeholders and industry

representatives to develop new alternative

plans to create the level of employment and

production capacity needed to maintain a

thriving fishing and processing industry along

the Irish coastline.

Sinn Féin calls on the Minister to take on

board our party’s proposals in this area,

including:

• A call for real reform of the Common

Fisheries Policy to favour a greater share of

fish caught in Irish waters for the Irish fleet

• Reinstating the cod fishery of the north-west

coast

• The restoration of the bass quota to the Irish

fleet

• The full consultation and engagement with

local coastal communities on any potential

fish farm developments

• Country of Origin labeling for all Irish fish

produce

WORLD RENOWNED SCIENTISTADVISES THE IRISH GOVERNMENT

Dr Daniel Pauly is the principal

investigator at the Sea Around Us Project,

which studies the impact of the world's

fisheries on marine ecosystems. He’s based at

the University of British Columbia in

Vancouver.

He was in Ireland for the annual conference

of the Pew Fellows, which is taking place in

Malahide recently to attend a Pew conference,

where over a 100 of the world's leading marine

scientists gathered to discuss the state of the

world's oceans. He joined RTE’s Derek

Mooney and Ken Whelan (former Director of

Aquaculture at the Irish Marine Institute) in

studio to explain the state of the seas and fish

stocks and left us with some very good advice

for everyone to pursue.

Daniel Pauly’s speciality is ‘Fisheries on a

global basis’ where he studies systems and

gives an insight from data on fish catch

statisticss from UN databases. “Certainly the

science is there to make accurate decisions. I

am one of the few scientists that does not say

that we need to know more (or we need a new

research contract) – We know lots already to

decide for ourselves what kind of world we

want to have for our children eg full of animals

and wildlife other than us - we can decide that.

If we want a world full of us and nothing else

including wildlife – we can decide that too.

The science is there to guide us and our

leaders, either way.

“Aquaculture covers a range of activities

some good and some bad and it is the big one

that will affect marine life. Aquaculture can

also be the farming of mussels and shellfish

which is sustainable. Raising carnivores like

salmon is not going to solve your food

problem. ~Salmon farming is like raising

Bambi to feed lions and then killing the lions

for food. Or like constructing Ferraris to solve

the traffic problem.” We sent Minister Simon

Coveney TD the recording to ensure he asked

his advisers about this statement from the

GURU of world fisheries. So when An

Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD states at an

international food conference his ambition for

Irish food he must remember we must never

gamble with our high quality by including the

inferior with our superior.”


The Honourable The Irish Society

Lower Bann Fishing: still going strong

Visit our live river camera: www.farsondigitalwatercams.com/live-webcams/ireland/Lower-Bann/Coleraine/

For more information contact: [email protected] or on 028 7034 4796

By post: 54 Castleroe Road, Coleraine, Co Londonderry BT51 3RL

Or visit our comprehensive website at: www.honourableirishsociety.org.uk

The Honourable The Irish Society is a charity that owns and manages

the game and coarse fishing in the 38 miles of the Lower Bann and

neighbouring rivers. We offer premium salmon and trout fishing on

private and non-private beats, together with competition-standard coarse

fishing, all at a variety of prices to suit every taste.

Our team of private water bailiffs patrols the river daily for the good of

everyone, and all our angling income is reinvested into protecting and

managing the fisheries.

Carnroe saw over 350 salmon taken and safely released alive in 2013,

despite difficult weather conditions.

Lower Bann private salmon angling beats with availability for season

and day rods are:

Carnroe (pictured), Culiff Rock, Movanagher and Portna. Register

your interest with us NOW before syndicates are fully formed for the

season.

Game and Coarse permits from as little as £10 per day are available for

other parts of the Lower Bann, including the beautiful Estuary.

Day rods are also available on the following rivers: Agivey,

Macosquin, Ballymoney, Clady, Moyola, Roe, Faughan, Ballinderry,

Dennett, Derg

Salmon angling on the Lower Bann opens from 5th May, and will be

‘Catch & Release’ only, in order to help preserve fish stocks. Fly,

Spinning (no trebles, and barbless hooks only), prawn and shrimp

methods all permitted . Prices remain unchanged from last season, for the

3rd year in a row.

Book online at www.fishpal.com/Ireland/Bann

Follow us on Facebook: for the Bann Fisheries page, look under

Edward Montgomery.

The Mall • 13 Frances Street • Newtownards • Co. Down • BT23 7DW

Call Mike: 07544 308098

E: [email protected] • www.amangling.com

Stockists of:

Loop

Mackenzie

Zpey Shakespeare

Aleka

Airflo

FutureFly

Foxy Tails

Funky Fly Tying

Caledonia Fly

Company

Abu Garcia

Newport HouseCo. Mayo

00 353 (0) 98 [email protected] www.newporthouse.ie

Private Salmon and Sea Trout fishing (fly only) onthe Newport River (8 miles – both banks) and LoughBeltra.

This historic Georgian House situated in parklandand overlooking the Newport River offers eleganceand comfort, a cuisine based on fresh produce and acomprehensive wine cellar.

The first scheme to be opened to

contributors was the ‘Salmon

Conservation Fund’ which is generated

from the sale of salmon angling and

commercial fishing licences. This fund

represents a major contribution by

licence holders to wild salmon

conservation. The revenue generated

from the Salmon Conservation Fund is

reinvested to promote the recovery of

our salmon stocks and habitats taking

into account project feasibility, funding

availability and value for money

considerations. A broad range of works

are continuously undertaken on selected

rivers annually.

Fish passage improvement works are

undertaken by removal of barriers,

modification of weirs, and construction

of fish passes to provide ease of access

and avoid delays in the free movement

of fish whilst reinstating natural fish

habitat and the free movement of fish

such as those undertaken on the

Avonmore River at Rathdrum, Co.

Wicklow.

Spawning enhancement works are

undertaken by raking of existing gravel,

cleaning of existing substrates and the

addition of new gravel to provide

adequate spawning grounds for salmon

such as those undertaken on the River

Liffey at Newbridge Co. Kildare.

In-stream structures such as holding

pools are created to cater for increased

numbers of salmonids at both juvenile

and adult stages. Stone vortex weirs are

created along with rubble mats inserted

to provide hydraulic diversity to the

river, by scouring a number of holding

pools and upgrading these pools to

ensure the normal flow of water to

maintain the pools such as those in the

Ollitrim River at Nenagh, Co.

Tipperary. Random boulders are

inserted into pools to provide additional

protection for juvenile salmon.

River bank protection works are

undertaken using rock armour and log

revetment to stabilise the river bank,

preventing further bank erosion and in

some instances narrow the river

channel. River bank erosion may cause

widening of the river, reducing the

water levels at certain sites. This in turn

can impede the passage of fish up and

down river. River bank erosion will

almost certainly carry silt taken from

the river bank, down river which

deposit and clog salmon spawning

beds. Salmon must have an adequate

supply of loose gravel to create a redd

which will be the nest for salmon

eggs. An example of this is on the

Lowerymore River, a tributary of the

Eske River at Barnesmore, Co.

Donegal.

Fencing of river banks is undertaken

to protect the river bank from

encroaching livestock, as well as

restrict livestock access to the river and

in particular to salmon spawning

beds. Styles are inserted to ensure

angler access and suitable cattle

drinkers are also provided as

required. An example of these works

were undertaken by the Kilbride

Anglers on the Blackwater Channel at

Kells, Co Meath.

Riparian zone improvement works

are undertaken by debrushing trees and

vegetation to facilitate sunlight

penetration to the river bed which will

encourage the growth of suitable

vegetation. This vegetation provides a

suitable habitat for invertebrates which

are the food source for juvenile salmon

such as those undertaken on the River

Sneem, Sneem, Co Kerry.


FisheriesDevelopment Funds

Inland Fisheries Ireland operates and administers a number of funds whichsupport the development of the inland fisheries resource. These funds maybe accessed by individuals, clubs, fishery owners, and others subject to theconditions of the various fund schemes.

The River Maigue before work began.

Salmon Counters are installed to

provide statistical analysis of fish

stocks and provide a more accurate

count of fish passing to spawning

grounds. The ultimate long term goal is

to assist scientists and fishery managers

in making future decisions regarding

the fishery such as at Dunkellin River,

Co. Galway.

During 2013 the Midland Fisheries

Fund was piloted and is created from

the sale of permits in the Midland

Fisheries Group Permit Area. This has

funded 9 projects during 2013 and has a

slightly broader project profile which

includes angling access and angling

product development.

The Co-op Funds, created from the

funds remitted to IFI on the dissolution

of the Trout and Coarse Fisheries

Development Societies, is now available

to conserve, develop and promote trout

and coarse fisheries. The individual

funds, which are of varying amounts,

will be available to applicants in the old

Regional Fisheries Boards areas.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has

recognised the key role angling clubs,

fishery owners and other organisations

play in the area of fisheries

development and angling tourism. It has

identified the empowerment of its

stakeholders as a key objective and has

designed its programmes to ensure that

stakeholders are facilitated and

partnered to assist in the strategic

development of fisheries and angling

developments. For full details and

application forms for all of the schemes

go to http://www.fisheriesireland.ie.


A different environment entirely on the Maique.


Angling Expo Ireland2014 posts success

The Anglo Expo Ireland staged by Mara Media in the National Exhibition Centre inDublin reported increased crowds and good tackle sales. The team from the Great GameFairs of Ireland and Irish Countrysports and Country Life magazine were there to promotetheir new Irish Game Angler magazine and the new Northern Ireland Angling Show.

Following the success of the Dublin Angling event the next large angling event is theNORTHERN IRELAND ANGLING SHOW taking place as a ‘show within a show’ at the IRISHGAME FAIR, Shanes Castle, on the 28th & 29th June. Full details will be announced soon.

Hywel Morgan and daughters drew the crowds with their casting demonstrations.

Mara Media MD Hugh Bonnertook time out to sample some ofthe cookery demo delicacies.

Joe Stitt, Arthur Greenwood and Peter O’Reillydemonstrating some APGAI Fly tying expertise.

Irish Game Fair Angling Director StevieMunn giving some casting demos.

Stevie Munn admiring someof the proofs of the new IrishGame Angler magazine.

The Team from DCAL were promoting the Department’swaters in NI.

Hugh Bonner & Grace Mc Dermott - happy Mara Media teamat the end of two successful days.

Irish Country Sports and Country Life Spring 2014

Documents

Transcript of Irish Country Sports and Country Life Spring 2014