Looking Back: The Blackers of Castlemartin

An interesting photo courtesy of Joe Murray is from the Daily Sketch in December 1927, showing the Master of the 'Killing Kildares' Hunt club, Lt-Col Frederick Blacker DSO of Castlemartin and his wife Sheela, with Major James David Barry. The photo also appeared in the 17 December 1927 Irish Independent.

Lt-Col Blacker served in the South African War between 1899-1902 and also in Egypt and Malta before retiring in 1910. That same year he married Sheela Maude Pollok of Ballinasloe, Co Galway. He served again in the 1914-18 War, as Commander, 2/4 Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was awarded the DSO in 1918, finally relinquishing his commission in the 5th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade, in 1931.

Mrs Blacker was an avid horsewoman, breeding 1922 Grand National winner Music Hall, who was out of her own hunter Molly. She hunted Music Hall for a season, before he went on to win the Scottish Grand National the following year. She also bred and owned the Cheltenham Foxhunter and Irish Grand National winner Be Careful.

The Kildare Hunt was founded in 1752, and races organised by members at Kilcock, Corbally Harbour, Furness Wood, Rathcoole and Back Lane Naas were the forerunners of the establishment of a number of today's racecourses in County Kildare.

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