Hunting and Fishing

Hunt Group outside Castlecomer House

The Castlecomer and Queen's County Hunt outside Castlecomer House

Hunt Group outside Castlecomer House

Hunt Group outside Castlecomer House

The Castlecomer and Queen's County Hunt outside Castlecomer House

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Hunting and Fishing was a part of everyday life on most large estates in Ireland and the UK. Originally, the purpose was to gather food but later ti developed into a pastime. Castlecomer Demesne was no different.

The Wandesforde family's organisation of both hunting and fishing was on a much grander scale than had previously been seen in the area. As far as can be ascertained, the Brennan family had used the land for grazing and some small scale tillage.

The history of the Hunt of Kilkenny goes back to the early part of the eighteenth century, around 1732, and existed in the form of many hunting groups. The Prior-Wandesforde family were members of the Kilkenny Hunt which originated in the 1770's, and they founded the Castlecomer and Queen's County Hunt in 1898.

Wandesforde hunting party

Group from the Castlecomer and Queen's County Hunt pictured in Castlecomer Demesne

Wandesforde hunting party

Wandesforde hunting party

Group from the Castlecomer and Queen's County Hunt pictured in Castlecomer Demesne

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The Castlecomer and Queen's County Hunt was started by Richard Prior-Wandesforde when he acquired land in County Laois that had never before been used by the former Queen's County pack. The woodlands of Castlecomer, Jenkinstown, and Uskerty were good breeding grounds for foxes. The members of the hunt were turned out in gray frock coats and scarlet waistcoats with brass buttons.Although small, the hunt was well known for crossing the country at speed.

When Richard Prior-Wandesforde retired in 1902, he allowed Hervey Knox Browne and Henry Childers to use his hounds and so the hunt continued. In 1909 Isaac Bell reclaimed the area on behalf of the Kilkenny Hunt.

Angling also took place on the estate where access to a preserved stretch of the river could be sought from the family, and later by permission from the estate office. As brown trout was the main fish of the area, varieties of flies such as blue dun and black gnat were commonly used.

Pheasants and partridge were the prize birds for shooting on the demesne. Indeed, it could be argued that the maintenance of the large wooded area in the demesne satisfied a sporting as well as an aesthetic ethic. Large estates in the UK and Ireland in the twentieth century often hosted shooting weekends for family and friends. As with angling on the demesne, this later developed into a business venture where application could be sought to shoot on demesne land for a fee.