HUNTING THE EARL OF RONE COMBE MARTIN DEVON UK

Combe Martin, Devon, England 30th May 2011.

Hunting the Earl of Rone was banned in 1837, for licentiousness and drunken behaviour, but revived and re-invented in 1974. The village celebration takes place over the four days during the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Villagers, Grenadier guards, a Hobby Horse and Fool hunt each day through the village for the ‘Earl of Rone’. Captured on Monday evening he is mounted facing backwards on a donkey and paraded through the...
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Combe Martin, Devon, England 30th May 2011.

Hunting the Earl of Rone was banned in 1837, for licentiousness and drunken behaviour, but revived and re-invented in 1974. The village celebration takes place over the four days during the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Villagers, Grenadier guards, a Hobby Horse and Fool hunt each day through the village for the ‘Earl of Rone’. Captured on Monday evening he is mounted facing backwards on a donkey and paraded through the village only to be shot by the Grenadiers, revived by the Hobby Horse and Fool. Finally to be shot; execution style on the beach and thrown into the sea. There is a good deal of organised merriment with drumming and drinking and simply having fun. According to tradition the Earl of Rone was Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, who was forced to flee from Ireland in 1607, shipwrecked he managed to made it ashore in Raparee Cove at Ilfracombe. History says he made it to France, found his way to Rome and ended his days in Spain.
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