By Derek Fanning
The Colourful and Unusual Characters of the Foxhunting Field
I
have a number of volumes about eccentrics in my book collection and many of them were, and are, members of the foxhunting world. It's always good fun reading about some of the antics and behaviour of these colourful and out-there members of the hunting field. Most of them lived in the 19th and 20th Centuries, in Ireland and Britain. In Ireland, the horseriding scene has produced quite a few larger than life characters and thankfully a few of them are still with us. Some of them were very eccentric; some were charmingly colourful; and some were simply
inspirational, displaying a grit and determination which was beyond the ordinary. There was, for example, Lady Molly Cusack-Smith who was the first lady master and huntsman of the Galway Blazers when she took up the roles in 1939. Lady Molly had a strong artistic inclination, which she expressed in singing, cooking and designing clothes. She was also known for telling you exactly how she felt (a characteristic which is euphemistically described as being a person who "didn't suffer fools gladly.") Lady Molly founded the North
The painting of Lady Molly Cusack Smith MFH hanging in my uncle Brendan Higgins' Bar in Athenry painted by Simon Coleman RHA (photo courtesy of Noel Mullins, www.noelmullins.com and Oonagh Mary Hyland). 76
Autumn 2020 Irish Country Sports and Country Life
Galway Foxhounds in 1943 and the pack developed a reputation for great hunting and fantastic hunt balls. There were many tales told about those balls over the years. There were also many memorable hunts. One legendary hunt was when hounds chased the same fox from Castlehacket to Annaghdown, without stopping, over a period of two hours. Eventually, the fox (who sounds as if he was a member of the unusual brigade himself) swam out to an island on Lough Corrib thus evading the pursuing pack. There were only eight followers left at the end of this extraordinary run and they stood on the lakeshore watching RĂŠnard heading for the islet. Lady Molly suffered a number of bad falls and it was said that she had broken nearly every bone in her body. Despite all these breaks she continued to hunt fearlessly and enjoyed a long career as master of the North Galways, from 1943 to 1984. For many of those years she was also the huntsman. Molly made all her clothes, as well as the curtains and furnishings in her house. She had been trained in opera and liked singing Irish ballads, including The Queen of Connemara and The West's Awake. She ran her house as a guest house and most people staying loved the experience. However, one evening an irascible guest had too much to drink and accused Molly of being a West Brit. Legend has it that Molly picked up a plate and smashed it over the offender's head! Molly lived to the grand old age of 92, passing away in 1997. She had proved herself to be remarkably resilient in the world of foxhunting which was often a tough, male-dominated environment. Maxie Scully wasn't one of the eccentric equestrians, but he was certainly inspirational. His life story was extraordinary. Maxie endured a long list of health setbacks, including seven heart attacks, a triple heart
