Sean J Murphy is one of a rare breed - a full-time historian. Such beings are scarce indeed in Ireland outside the universities. But he has managed to carve a career and a living from the past for the past four decades.
He has applied his expertise to digging into the roots of those who come to him looking to draw up family trees. He is available to the producers of radio and television programmes to speak on issues such as Irish surnames and the legend of Molly Malone. Sean knows his way too around some of the most important collections of manuscripts in the country.
Historian Sean J Murphy from Windgates writes about a famous ballad recalling a memorable fox hunt which took place from Killruddery near Bray in December 1744. The article is based on a recent talk delivered via Zoom to members of the Kilmacanogue History Society.
In Britain and Ireland the hunting song is a well defined class of popular ballad. Songs of this type describe memorable pursuits of prey such as the stag, fox or hare, with the daring and skills of the huntsmen to the fore in the narrative.
Examples of Irish hunting songs include The County Limerick Buck-Hunt , Reynard the Fox and of course The Killruddery Hunt . The lyrics of The Killruddery Hunt are quite precise as to the date when the event took place, namely, December 5, 1744, commencing at five in the morning, by most of the clocks . Hunters of that period must have been very hardy to rise at such an early hour in winter.