Country Sports Profile - Declan Feeney, Huntsman, East Down Foxhounds - By Tom Fulton

Declan Feeney was born into hunt service, his late father John Michael Feeney at that time being second whipper-in to the Iveagh Harriers, where Johnny Flynn was kennel huntsman and first whipper-in and they both turned hounds to Albert Uprichard MH. One of Declan’s brothers, Peter, also followed his father and was huntsman to the Kildare Foxhounds.

Declan Feeney in the saddle.

In later years, John Michael Feeney was appointed kennel huntsman to Brian Faulkner MH, the Former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland who now hunted the Iveagh Harriers. A week after his appointment John Michael Feeney was murdered by loyalist terrorists and Declan’s brother Jimmy succeeded his father for a brief time. It was at this time that Albert Uprichard became an influential mentor to Declan, which he has not forgotten.

Declan continued to hunt as a schoolboy while working at a tracking centre for George Bailey, who paid for all Declan’s schoolboy hunting, before leaving school and working in a harness and tack shop for four years. While working with Polo ponies for Stephen Hutchinson MH (South Tyrone) Declan travelled throughout the UK and met Terry and Jan Hall who sourced and liveried the Cheshire’s hunt horses.

Terry Hall made good on his promise to get Declan into hunt service, which he did at the Cheshire Hunt where Stuart Coley was huntsman. It is relevant to note here that one of Terry Hall’s staff was Cathy Sharp, whom Declan subsequently married in 1992. When whipper-in Paul Steele was injured Declan stepped into the breech and gained more experience with these Modern English hounds.

After two years with the Cheshire Declan moved to the South Shropshire where Michael Rowson was huntsman. Declan greatly enjoyed and learned a lot from his two years with this marvellous ambassador for foxhunting.

He then moved to the Flint and Denbigh as first whipper-in under Michael King, with Major David Watkin Williams-Wynn as Master. Michael King had learned his trade under Bruce Durno at the Fernie and, as with Michael Rowson, Declan was happy with and learned a lot from another excellent huntsman. This was Declan’s first experience with Old English hounds but it was something which he took in his stride. Two years later, Declan moved, as first whipper-in, to turn hounds to David Barker at the Meynell and South Stafordshire.

The East Down job then came up and Declan secured it with Craig Caven and David Sandford as joint masters and local lad Ryan Carvill helping out in kennels. Declan then returned to the Meynell as kennel huntsman and first whipper-in to Johnny Greenall MFH who hunted hounds. Ryan Carvill accompanied Declan as second whipper-in and kennel man, David Barker having retired. After two years at Sudbury, the East Down job came up again and Declan returned home in the

Declan Feeney is a marvellous ambassador for hunting.

The fine Kennels block dating to 1841 has listed status “foot and mouth season” and he has been there ever since.

The passage of time has brought many changes to a huntsman’s working conditions. It is a much harder job now as agricultural practices, irregular weather patterns, diminishing and increasingly built up country, social media and false ideas about hunting on the part of the general public, have each brought their own influences to bear.

The entire kennels complex now has listed status, the main kennel block bears a plaque denoting its 1841 origins and this status brings extra work in its wake for the huntsman, who keeps the entire complex in pristine condition. Declan was anxious to underline that he considers himself to have led ‘a privileged life, having been paid for doing a job he loves and being able to visit places and meet people he couldn’t normally have done.’ He stressed that he would be eternally grateful to mentors such as Albert Uprichard, George Bailey and huntsmen such as Michael Rowson, Michael King and David Barker. Each of these huntsmen generously drafted hounds to Declan to enable him to join with Craig Caven (master of the East Downs 1978-2013) in building up a top class pack of hounds, a position they enjoy to this day. Indeed they have had no little success in showing at Ireland’s two premier Hound Shows, Clonmel, (which moved to Stradbally) and Armagh having won Championships in both doghound and bitch classes at both shows.

It is a matter of great pride to Declan that in a total of twenty-two years as huntsman here he has only had five hunt horses, although he admits to ‘having had to borrow the odd one now and again.’

Declan says that nothing he has achieved would have been possible without the support of Cathy who, apart from anything else, turned his horses out to a very high standard and he remains greatly indebted to her for her support and, where necessary, advice.

Finally, Declan applauds his amateur whippers-in Ryan Carvill, Michael Smith, James Armstrong (both also joint masters), Daisy Dillon and Brian Toner for ‘their patience with my not so patient ways.’

Declan Feeney is very much a one man band at the East Downs and it is to his great credit that the Hunt holds the position which it does.