The Late Mr. John R. Gubbins.
At no time can we afford to lose a good sportsman, least of all at
present, when the old type, once common, is now scarce.
That the late Mr. John Gubbins was a sportsman of the truest old Irish
type, no one who ever came in contact with him can for a moment deny,
and one more generous or open-hearted was seldom met.
The youngest of a large family, son of Mr. Joseph Gubbins and his wife
Maria, daughter of Mr. Thomas Wise, of Cork, he was born at the old
family seat, Kilfrush, in the county Limerick, in 1839. On Tuesday,
March 20th, Mr. Gubbins died suddenly of bronchitis at Bruree House, in
the same neighbourhood, having for a long time suffered from general
ill-health. He was J.P. and D.L. for his county for many years, was High
Sheriff in 1886, and Master of the Limerick Foxhounds for five years
previously. In 1899 he married Miss Edith Legh, of the well-known
Cheshire family. Mrs. Gubbins died some years ago and left no family.
Settling at Bruree, hunting, coursing and salmon fishing were the sports
which “Jack Gubbins,” for so he was always called, first enjoyed, and
though always a heavy man, no one in Ireland went better to hounds. He
was also a prime judge of the weight-carrying hunter. Some of the best
horses the late Marquis of Waterford ever rode came to Curraghmore from
the Bruree stable. In the early seventies he was owner of some useful
steeplechasers, which were trained by Mr. Harry Lindé at Eyrefield
Lodge; and it was pleasing to see how with the best of good feeling
these horses were sent to meet in friendly rivalry those of his elder
brother, Captain Stamer Gubbins, of Crimean fame. Captain Gubbins at
that time had the strongest stable in Ireland and trained at Mountjoy
Lodge, with old Dan Broderick as head lad.
Captain Gubbins, who died soon after from the effects of a broken leg
sustained in a fall taken while schooling a horse, left most of his
property to “Jack.” This included not only the racehorses, but the brood
mares and youngsters which he had at his own place, Knockany, a few
miles from Bruree, on the best managed and most extensive stud farm then
in Ireland.
Reserving a few, John Gubbins sold most of the stud by auction; but
there was a small, mean-looking chestnut yearling by Zenophon from Lina
Rivers which he kept back, not caring that so miserable a little animal
should appear in the sale room. This colt was eventually known as
Seaman, who, after winning the Conyngham at Punchestown, the Grand
Hurdle Race at Paris, and other great races for Mr. Gubbins, won the
Grand National in 1882 for Lord Manners, who paid 2,000 guineas for this
quondam cast-off yearling!
Beginning at once, Mr. John Gubbins improved both Bruree and Knockany
out of recognition, setting up at the former a second stud farm superior
even to the one he inherited from his brother; and it was not long
before kennels to accommodate fifty couple of hounds were built on the
best possible plan, and therein he started a pack of staghounds. After
showing extraordinarily good sport for some seasons, he gave these up in
1881 to take the mastership of the County Limerick Foxhounds, which
office he held for five years, giving the greatest satisfaction all
round. But Land League troubles being imported into that previously
peaceful county, the hunting had to be given up in 1886; the big
establishment at Bruree was broken up, all but the stud farm, and Mr.
Gubbins in disgust came to England.
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