{"id":12,"date":"2006-05-27T12:39:43","date_gmt":"2006-05-27T12:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/54.229.91.100\/libraryandarts\/library\/ehistory\/?p=12"},"modified":"2025-11-04T16:28:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T16:28:56","slug":"kill-hunting-song-of-bishopscourt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/kill-hunting-song-of-bishopscourt\/","title":{"rendered":"Kill – Hunting Song of Bishopscourt"},"content":{"rendered":"
Leinster Leader: 09\/04\/1960<\/div>\n
Hunting Song of Bishopscourt<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Bishopscourt boasted a fine private hunting establishment in 1792, one of several which were forerunners of organised hunting on a major scale. An old hunting song confirms the tradition of the Bishopscourt pack. It was written out from memory by Mrs. Ellen Murray, Templemills, Celbridge, for a publication in 1913.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
You Irish Gentlemen I pray draw near<\/div>\n
And listen to what I do declare;<\/div>\n
If you be fond to hunt the fox<\/div>\n
To Bishopscourt I pray repair.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Last New Year\u2019s Day I chanced to stray<\/div>\n
Abroad to take the pleasant air<\/div>\n
I heard a cry which raised my heart;<\/div>\n
Straightaway to them I did repair.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
There I espied a numerous train<\/div>\n
Of educated gentlemen<\/div>\n
If you\u2019re not of extraction great<\/div>\n
You won\u2019t be let to hunt with them.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Mr. Ponsonby he was there<\/div>\n
And well prepared he was to go,<\/div>\n
He was mounted on a gallant horse<\/div>\n
Which went by the name of brave Stingo.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
To Elvestown they all trained down<\/div>\n
Into the covert where he lay;<\/div>\n
Such a hunt in your life you ne\u2019er did see<\/div>\n
Nor heard tell of this many a day.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Our staunch metal hounds, they fear no bounds.<\/div>\n
They followed him through thick and thin,<\/div>\n
And through trick, herey, haggart, corn<\/div>\n
And they rolled him over on Blakestown Hill.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The fox being stout he wheeled about<\/div>\n
Unto Lord Miltown\u2019s waterfall.<\/div>\n
The river Liffey there he crossed,<\/div>\n
Says he to himself: “I\u2019ll shun you all.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Mr. Ponsonby being the first man up,<\/div>\n
It\u2019s after him he did leap in;<\/div>\n
He sunk to the bottom deep,<\/div>\n
And for his life he was forced to swim.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Each man and horse was at a stand<\/div>\n
To see him plunging in the deep,<\/div>\n
But Stingo brave that ne\u2019er gave up,<\/div>\n
It\u2019s o\u2019er the hole with him did sweep.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The standers by aloud did cry<\/div>\n
For fear he ne\u2019er would chase no more,<\/div>\n
But by lucky chance he reached the bank,<\/div>\n
And his flesh and clothes by the rocks were tore.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Through Monniemuck his course he took<\/div>\n
Through Ballintubber ground and o\u2019er<\/div>\n
He swam the lake and off did take<\/div>\n
Off to the cross of Ballymore.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
They spent that day in merry heart<\/div>\n
And killed the fox which crowned the sport,<\/div>\n
And returned that night by moon so bright<\/div>\n
To the sporting place called Bishopscourt.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Mr. Ponsonby mentioned in the song was the Right. Hon. W. B. Ponsonby, who kept the pack.<\/div>\n

A hunting song of the Kildare Hunt from the Leinster Leader 9\/4\/1960.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

[Compiled by Mario Corrigan; typed and edited by Niamh Mc Cabe; final edit Dee O’ Brien\u00a0]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A hunting song of the Kildare Hunt from the Leinster Leader 9\/4\/1960.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-built-heritage","category-social-history"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kildare Local Studies","author_link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/author\/localstudies\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8263,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12\/revisions\/8263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}