Rathsallagh House Hotel (Co.Wicklow)

“Set in 530 acres of peaceful parkland with its own walled gardens…Ireland’s most Romantic, Exclusive and Private Wedding location…The dining room at Rathsallagh House can cater for up to 95 people and our Executive Head Chef ensures that every meal is a memorable one.” That’s all commendable, but unfortunately for us pro-wildlife folk, the owner, Joe O’Flynn, is a joint-master of the Kilkenny Foxhounds. A hunt report in the Irish Field in February 2025 stated that “Joe O’Flynn from Rathsallagh House Hotel, one of Ireland’s leading wedding venues, has hunting in his blood”.  The report outlined how “senior master Joe O’Flynn, our huntsman took his 12 and a half couple, a mixture of Old English and modern, to their first draw.” Hunting is still (shamefully) legal in Eire and during the hunt foxes were terrorised by the pack of dogs, including “a fine dog fox” who was chased into a woodland where “he was marked to ground”. Rathsallagh House also hosts fundraisers for hunts, including the Kildare Hunt Ball in March 2025. In the same month The Kildare Foxhounds’ closing meet of the season started from the grounds of the Hotel. Oddly, there is no mention of hunting on the Hotel’s website, but we and organisations like Ban Bloodsports are happy to set the record straight…