Hunting Songs
This song was transcribed from a recording of Tady O’Sullivan, Killurley East. It is thought to have been composed by huntsman Poundín Sugrue, a shoemaker in Cahersiveen.
The Hounds of Filemore (Ballad of a Drag-hunt)
This song was composed by Thade Bowler and was collected in the 1930’s from his nephew Mr. Patrick O’Reardon of Caherciveen. The author of the ballad was a schoolmaster and sportsman and died at an advanced age a few years prior to this song being collected. He was a tenant of Daniel O’Connell’s estate at Carhan, and it is said that as a boy he frequently took part in the local drag-hunt with the liberator himself. In the song Truman was said to come from Tureen. This is locally considered to be an error and meant to read Dooneen.
The composer of this song remains unknown at this time. This version of the song was published in The Kerryman on the 18th April 1953 and was submitted anonymously under the name ‘One of the Boys’. Another version of this song in the Binneas Collection was collected and recorded by Mary Horgan for her dissertation titled ‘The song tradition in English of the Iveragh Peninsula’.
The owner and trainer of the famous dog, ‘Joker’ was Jackie P. O’Sullivan of Ballard, Emlaghmore. The dog is still spoken of among huntsmen to this day, nearly seventy years after the dog’s death. It is a testament to the high regard the dog was held in that notification of his passing made the front page of the Kerryman on the 24th May 1952. The following words below were printed.
JOKER IS DEAD ‘Sportsmen and particularly huntsmen will learn with regret that the famous hound “Joker” of Fermoyle is dead. He died on Tuesday at the residence of his owner Jackie P. Sullivan, of Ballard. It is three years ago this month that this grandly proportioned dog, the possessor in every detail of all those qualities which have made the Kerry Beagle famous began the brilliant career that brought him every honour that could be won in his sphere. During that time he scored 18 firsts, 5 seconds, 1 third and 3 fourths in 30 outings. He won the Kenmare Drag-Hunt 3 years in succession; he won once at Clare, Killorglin and Cork (the “All-Ireland”) and twice in succession at Ballinskelligs, Killoe, Caherciveen, Gleesk, Breahig and Carhan. In 1949, the year he won the “All-Ireland” at Blackpool, he captured 6 cups and during his career won 2 cups outright for his club. In last year’s All-Ireland at Killagh, Co. Cork, though far from fit and already evincing symptoms of the malignant disease that brought about his end, he was unluckily beaten after leading to within a few yards of the winning gap, being passed by another Kerry bred “Ceolan”, a hound that on several previous occasions he had beaten.’
The Beagles of old Cahersiveen
This song was composed by Stephen B Roche and first appeared in the weekly newspaper ‘The Kerryman’ on Saturday January 6th 1906. Mr Roche was a frequent contributor to the Kerryman, on matters connected with hunting. Many of the names of the dogs mentioned in this composition are still to be found in the area.
