History

Ballymacads hunting history was first recorded in the area from
1730 when the local pack belonged to the Sherbourne family of
Loughcrew. Huntsman Brian McCormack, locally known as 'Brian
Bawn' who died while huntsman in 1751 was buried at Moylagh
Castle.

On his deathbed, he requested that he be buried standing up 'so
that i can hear and see the hounds leaving Grennan for
Loughcrew'. On his headstone in Moylagh there is said to be an
engraving of a hunting whip, horn, and hound.

In 1792 a pack known as the Ballymacad hounds were started by
three men living on the borders of Cavan and Meath. The Rev.
Dean Maxwell and a Mr. Morton of Kilnacrott were the masters.
Little else is known of this period.

In 1826 Mr.J.L Naper of Loughcrew became master and he built
the kennels in an old mill at Ballymacad. Hunting centred around
Loughcrew and Oldcastle.

It was during his mastership that his huntsman was the great Charley Bowles.
Charley Bowles was probable the nearest we ever got to an Irish Jorrocks.
He was kind, fat, and was good humoured and hunted hounds for 50 seasons till the age of 85
he was still brave as a lion and took many a thundering fall.
When Charley died he was buried near the kennels in Ballymacad's
so the hounds could run over his grave twice a week.
On his death, his son Tommy took over as huntsman.

In 1847 the hounds were moved to Cavan by their new master Gerald Dease
who later became a famous master of Westmeath. In 1856 the hunt was disbanded.
The Ballymacads hunt and country as we know it today was revived in 1885 by Mr W. Kilroy.

In 1887 Mr Harmon of Crossdrum took over and hunted until he was 85 years old.
Mr. Edward Rotherham of Sallymount became master and hunted until 1910.
In that year a committee of Mr Harmon, Willie Naper, and Astley Rotherham ran the Hunt.
Cptn Naper generously presentd the hunt with a site at Grennan as we know of them today.

In 1919 after the war Cptn Naper became master and hunted for 10 seasons,
resigned and sold the pack to America.

To be continued.......