This history of game shoots in Ireland is more than a sporting catalogue or a monument to privilege; it is a vibrant record of the changing face of a country and a society. For some it was the theatre in which alliances were forged, marriages made and economic ties strengthened; for others it was a primary source of employment and a mainstay of everyday life.

In addition, what can sometimes be missed in the debate on the place of such pursuits in a modern world is the central role that game shooting has played in conservationism and the protection of wildlife habitats.