When photo-journalist Noel Mullins attended the Clifden Pony Show in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland this summer, he immediately missed seeing his photographer friend Des McCheane. Mullins learned sadly that Des had passed away the previous week—a loss surely for Des’s family, friends, and for Irish country sport, but a rich historical legacy left behind.
The role that Des played in amassing such an extensive collection of photographs over forty years of foxhunting in Ireland will no doubt only be realised in the future when historians look back and view the period through the richness of Des’s images. His captivating photographs, taken as a pastime and for no commercial return, were published in all the specialist hunting publications and magazines, including Hounds, The Irish Field, and Baily’s Hunting Directory.
His knowledge of hounds and the possible line of a running fox was unsurpassed. Many hunt followers thought that they had good positional sense when hounds were running, but when one rushed to the best vantage point Des was usually already there, calm and collected and often having got the best photograph of the day. You could meet him in any county following hounds. When Des attended a meet away from home it could be taken as a compliment to the hunt staff, as he admired the talents of a competent huntsman and would travel to both observe and take photos to form his own opinion.
Des was a quietly spoken man, a gentleman of the old school, never seeking attention, but with all the social graces that he valued and that are so important to maintain. He was formal yet courteous and had an engaging sense of humour. It was not unusual having met him at a hunt that he would send on information or a meet card later by post, usually accompanied by a letter in beautiful even script handwriting on silk quality letter writing paper. A glance now through his letters reminds me of the first time I reported on the Kilkenny Foxhounds. It happened not to be a great day’s hunting so I added a little history of the hunt, and also of the McCheane family. He wrote to me afterwards, “Congratulations on making such a good article out of such a mediocre day, I hope the ‘important’ people will not think the McCheanes got too much notice”!
Indeed the McCheane family had no reason to stay in the background as they played an important role for over a century of foxhunting in County Kilkenny. Des’s father Tommy served as an area manager with the Kilkenny Foxhounds in the 1920s, and his mother Betty was also a regular follower of the North Kilkenny Foxhounds. Both served as committee members and Field Masters during World War II and managed to keep the hunt going during that sad time. In fact there is a charming photo of Des hunting as a child on his pony with his mother at the Kilkenny Foxhounds opening meet in 1937 in Caroline Corballis’s beautifully illustrated book Hunting in County Kilkenny. Very much a man with a love of the land, he also kept cattle and Connemara ponies on his farm outside Freshford in north Kilkenny.
His business interests included the Wellbrook Press in Freshford, and after managing it for forty years he sold it to Scottish Radio Holdings. He published two books—We Grew Up Around Freshford in 1982 and the very amusing book, An Irish Hunting Scrapbook, which he co-edited with fellow photographer Cyril Smyth with captions by Tim Corballis in 2005. The front cover image of a fox and a terrier in a compromising position was well described in one book review as, “Designed to bring a blush to the cheeks of a maiden aunt”! The book was launched by Matt Dempsey, editor of The Irish Farmers Journal at the Annual Hound Show at Stradbally with the proceeds going to the Irish Masters of Foxhounds Hunt Staff Benevolent Fund.
When I was publishing my first book Des kindly offered me his advice and invited me down to visit him at his home in Freshford. What followed was a detailed guide for me to follow on the principles of book publishing and cost items to be aware of, again in his own very distinctive handwriting on personalised letter heading.
Beside his engaging friendliness to remember him by, he has also left the sport of foxhunting—a pastime he loved so much—a rich collection of stunning images that took a lifetime to put together, often taken in extreme weather conditions. Des was a man with an artistic talent that he used through the eye of the lens for the enjoyment of his many admirers who will be eternally grateful.
Our sympathies go out to his family at this sad time. The funeral service was held in Saint Lachtain’s Church in Freshford, County Kilkenny. Des is survived by his wife Bina, daughter Maeve and son Brendan, son in law Seamus and granddaughter Evie.
Posted September 16, 2011
