Note added in 2010. Despite the fact that Fox- Hunting and Race Meetings were abandoned all over Ireland, the organisers having yielded to pressure from Sinn Fein, the Carlow Hunt Club advertised a Race Meeting for April 31st 1919. This was to be the first of many encounters during the War of Independence between the Gentry of the county and Sinn Fein. Carlow Sentinel. April 12th , 1919. CARLOW HUNT AND SPORTMAN'S RACES. to be run OVER A COURSE AT BALLYBAR. MONDAY APRIL 31st 1919. STEWARDS. W.H.Grogan, Master Fox Hounds. Lord Rathdonnell, Michael Governey, Henry Bruen, Capt. W.F. Forbes, Resident Magistrate ; . R.F. Bagenal, Colonel H. Eustace-Duckett, Major Alexander, J.Fenton, Denis R.Pack-Beresford, H. Alexander, R.L. Pike, R.W.Hall-Dare, Col. R. Browne-Clayton, D.S.O. ; General B. Lewis, D.S.O., C.B. Judge -- General R. Lewis D.S.O., C.B. ; Starter -- Richard Fenton. Clerk of the Scales and Course --- H.Herring-Cooper. Hon.Sec.-- H.Herring-Cooper. Riders to wear hunting costume. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carlow Sentinel. April 19th. 1919. CARLOW HUNT RACES ABANDONED. The Committee of the Carlow Hunt Sportsman's Races have been forced to abandon the fixture for Easter Monday. The popularity of this sporting event has not lessened, but unfortunately the efforts of a section of the community to force politics into the hunting field have been sufficiently successful to compel the Stewards of the Hunt Club to cancel many fixtures, including amongst others such favourites meets as those of Punchestown and Fairyhouse, patronised by sporting men all the country over, while for the same reason, minor events have had to follow suit. All the preliminaries for the Carlow races, which were looked forward to by the Easter holiday makers, were completed when the obstructionists intervened, making it a condition that the Stewards should sign a petition in connection with the treatment of political prisoners. This condition, needless to say could not under the rules of the National Hunt Club be complied with, and consequently they had no alternative but that of abandoning the races --- a decision which will necessarily prove a great disappointment to the community at large.