Trainer Profile Gary O'Callaghan Mayfield Harriers, C.C.C.H.A

Gary O'Callaghan 

What club are you with & how long have you been with the club?

We was with Douglas Harriers for many years when the club folded a couple of years back, myself my brother Darren & our father joined Mayfield Harriers in 2015, We use the midday prefix for lots of our hounds

How long have you been involved in the sport?

Andrew O'Callaghan 

Involved in the sport since childhood introduced by my father Andrew

What have been the best hounds you have trained?

Has to be Midday Surprise

Which are your most memorable victories?

We have trained a lot of decent hounds over the years and have been very lucky to have some great animals in our kennels, but the one we will never forget is Midday Surprise who was the only ever winner of the Puppy and Senior All Ireland with one week between the meetings in 2005, a truly great hound, Midday Surprise was also Senior Champion in 2007 after finishing as runner up in 2006, with 2 puppy All Irelands, one senior all Ireland, 4 puppy internationals, 3 senior Donal O’Mahony wins , We have picked up wins in every grade of the Garry O’ Sullivan memorial drags hunts , As to date the Senior International is the only one my father wants to win before he retires.

What is the best hound you have seen run & why?

Darren & Gary O'Callaghan 

best hound in my lifetime Rocky’s son didn’t matter about finishers because the rest barely ever finished with him he was so fast.

Who is your favourite drag hunting characters past & present & why?

Best characters there has been a lot of great men down the years two great harrier men that stick in my mind Connie Hogan a personal family friend and the charismatic  Garry O’Sullivan who carried the sport for many a year.

What is your favourite course & why?

I always liked course out in Ballynoe cream always rose to the top there.

With the amount of land out there I'm sure with hard work new courses can be got and help drive the sport forward

Trainer Profile Damien Wade Clogheen Harriers C.C.C.H.A

Damien Wade

Myself & my Father 

What club are you with & how long have you been with the club?

I’m currently the chairman of Clogheen Harriers .I have been with Clogheen Harriers all my life.

How long have you been involved in the sport?

Clogheen harriers Hunting hound Hamlet
picture courtesy of Annemarie Mulcahy 

I used to hunt with cork southern hunt which the gave up drag hunting a long time ago, My father and brother are still members of cork southern hunt club & my niece Courtney Buckley is following my footsteps, often helping me with the hounds and attending drag hunts and hound shows in Ireland, we need more young people to get involved in our wonderful sport.

How did you get involved in drag hunting?

I got involved with drag hunting through Joe (Josser) Frayne, As a young lad I would walk his hounds for him before I went to school. & As they say the rest is history.

What have been the best hounds you have trained?

My best hound that I had to date would be Tara’s Express. 

What is the best hound you have seen run & why?

Senior All Ireland Slip 

Over the years I have seen many a great hound run, here a few that have stuck in my mind, Murdock, Mason, Merlin, Rocky’s son, Tara’s Express, Not Now Norman & Magic’s Choice, they were all great hounds.

What is your favorite course & why?

Slievemish Weapon & Slievemish Express 

My favorite course is Rathduff  it’s a good viewing  course and Dawstown Blarney where the annual meet is for Donal O’Mahoney Memorial drag hunt, A great days sport out in blarney with the puppy show and the viewing points.

Which are your most memorable victories?

I have had many victories over the years, millennium senior international which Tara’s express , Won puppy international with Tomahawk ,Donal O’Mahony Senior with the buffer boy ,The puppy all Ireland with Slievemish Weapon ,Puppy Maiden Munster champion drag hunt with Slievemish dynamite (2015) I have had some great days sport on the drag hunting field & long may it continue.

Damien & family with the Buffer Boy
Donal O'Mahoney senior winner 

Who is your favorite drag hunting characters past & present & why?

 Clogheen members slipping hounds L to R
M J Buckley, G Freyne ,D Wade 

Billy Higgins and Michael Freyne, Two great men to tell stories sadly no longer with us,present would have to be Timmy Maloney you would hear him before you see him and of course Gary Freyne my buddy he would  make anyone smile.

Clogheen boys we are.

Trainer Profile Sean Smith I.N.D.H.A

Sean Smith I.N.D.H.A

What club are you with & how long have you been with the club?

My club is Drumgoon and I am affiliated to the Irish northern drag hunt association other wise known as the I.n.d.h.a.

  Members of the I.N.D.H.A.

How long have you been involved in the sport?

I started drag hunting and won my first trophy in 1982 with a bitch called violet. My family has always been involved in the sport I started going to drag hunts with my older brother Philip who was in the sport from the early seventies.

What have been the best hounds you have trained?

The best hounds I have trained would start with bob mesh that won back-to-back ulster championships in 2006 and 2007.

What is the best hound you have seen run & why?

Blue lightning would be the best I have ever seen she has done it all at every level to finish the way she did in the all Ireland in Kerry at six was unbelievable and she isn't finished yet.

What is your favourite course & why?

I don’t really have and favorite coarse but I really do enjoy travelling to compete in cork and Kerry.

Which are you most memorable victories?

Looking back my most memorable victories would be the 8 ulster titles and blue lightning in the all Ireland last year. Macs lad won ulster in 2008 and was 3rd in the all ireland in 2009 at that time I also had Dark falcon she to won ulster in 2009. Then I got the 3 greats of Mall raye, Swartzanager, Vandam and Seagal  . Seagal went on to win 3 ulster championships in a row. Then I trained Zeddicus and infinity who nearly went a season on beaten. I had kilmoy kyser to who had a great season last year winning the over all champion hound. And of coarse the machine her self blue lightning she won champion bitch won ulster championship and ran a cracker in the all Ireland in Kerry last year finishing a good third at 6 years old. With these dogs that I have trained I have 8 ulster championships and 3rd in all Ireland twice. 

Who is your favorite drag hunting characters past & present & why?

My favorite hunting character at present is Dominic Donigan he keeps us all laughing and her is never in bad form just enjoys his sport .And all the lads in our club are good characters they keep the sport going even when there beat the keep going they are the true sports man.  And lastly my favorite character from the past would be the late great Dan O’Connor from Kerry he was a great friend to me all my life and the sport lost one of its best when he  passed away R.I.P.