Irish
Terrier
Ireland
has produced four terrier breeds, all of which are markedly
different from terriers on the continent and in
England. The dog now officially called Irish Terrier
is possibly the oldest of the Irish terrier breeds, however,
it
would
be difficult to prove this conclusively. Before the 1880's,
the color of the Irish Terrier
had not been settled, sometimes with red, sometimes black
and tan, and sometimes brindle.
At the end of the 19th century, efforts were made to
breed out the black and tan and the brindles. By the
20th century
all Irish Terriers showed the red coat, and it soon
made its appearance at dog shows in England and in the United
States, where it was enthusiastically received. During
World War I, they were used as messenger dogs in the noise
and
confusion of trench warfare, which proved their intelligence
and fearlessness. The first breed club was set up in
Dublin in 1879 and the Irish Terrier was the first member
of the
terrier group to be recognized by the English Kennel
Club as a native Irish breed.
Irish
Glen of Imaal
Many
dogs in the terrier group were not really appreciated by
gentlemen sportsmen before the 1850's. The Irish Glen
of Imaal is an old breed that was ignored for a long
time before
results of later breeding experiments brought attention
to him. He is a local dog, confined to the bleak area
of the Glen
of Imaal. The farmers of this area used their natural
cunning and dexterity to survive in the harsh terrain.
The Irish
Glen had evolved through generations of hard work into
the strong
sturdy dog we know today. The Irish Kennel Club officially
recognized the breed in 1934 and a club to promote its
interest was formed.
Irish
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
The
Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is probably the oldest
of the four breeds. It's existence is noted
from 200 year
old text references to "soft-coated" dogs.
The relationship of the modern Irish Terrier to the
Wheaten appears
to be the
result of deliberate breeding experiments, probably
resulting in a fairly mixed ancestry. Despite the
long history
of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, it was not officially
recognized
by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937. The popularity
of the breed has grown steadily and is now internationally
known.
Kerry
Blue
Like the other Irish Terrier breeds, the Kerry Blue
has been in the country for centuries. Because of
its humble
origins
as a rat catcher and farm dog, there are few references
to the breed before the 20th century. The first literary
references
to the Kerry Blue dates from 1847, in which the author
describes 'a bluish slate-colored dog, marked with
darker blotches and
patches, and often with tan about the legs and muzzle'.
This blackish-blue Irish terrier was prevalent in
Kerry but it has
been developed in other counties as well. The blue
made its first appearance on the show circuit in
1913, and
the Dublin
Blue Terrier Club was formed in 1920. The Kerry Blue
quickly became popular as a sort of mascot for Irish
patriots.
With its reputation as an excellent working and companion
dog, it
was considered to be nearly perfect.
Kerry
Beagle
The
Kerry Beagle is one of the most ancient breeds of Irish
dog. Next to the Irish Wolfhound, the Kerry
Beagle
may
actually be the oldest native Irish breed. It
is thought that the dog
referred to as 'GADHAR' in old Irish texts may
be the direct ancestor of the modern day Kerry hound. The
most likely
outline of the history of this breed is a Celtic
hound
going back to
the time of the first Celtic settlements in Ireland.
In the middle ages and later centuries, the breed
was mixed
through
experiments with hounds from the continent to
produce
an efficient hunting dog. They unfortunately
suffered during
the great hunger
in Ireland in 1847 and were decimated by starvation.
The name 'beagle' is derived from the Irish word
'beag' (meaning
small)
and the Beagle is a small hound used to hunt
small game. Larger hounds like the Kerry Beagle were often
used to
hunt stag.
The present day word for the Beagle in Irish
is 'Pocadan'
which refers to its use as a hunting dog rather
than by it's size
Water
Spaniels
The
exact origins of this breed remain obscure. It is thought that
Water Spaniels evolved from dogs
that originated
in
Persia and came to Ireland via Spain. The first
Irish reference to
'water dogs that pursue water fowl' dates from
1600. There is no real evidence of the ancestry of the
Irish Water
Spaniel except in its most peculiar feature, the
rat tail. This feature
appears in no similar dog and makes it very likely
that the modern breed had an indigenous Irish ancestor.
The
descendants
of these dogs were accepted and achieved great
success
at shows in the second half of the 19th century.
The Irish Water Spaniel
Club was formed in 1890.
Irish
Wolfhounds
The
Irish Celts were interested in breeding large hounds,
and these large Irish hounds could have
had smooth
or rough coats.
In later times, the rough coat became predominate
possibly due to the Irish climate. The first
written account
of these dogs was in a Roman document from
391 A.D. but
they were
already established in Ireland in the Uisneach
(first century) A.D.
Sétanta changed his name to Cu-Chulainn
(the Hound of Culann). Irish hounds probably
formed the basis of
the Scottish
Deerhound. Pairs of Irish hounds were prized
as gifts by the royal houses on the European
continent from the
Middle
Ages
to the 17th century. In the 15th century,
each county in Ireland was required to keep
twenty-four
wolfhounds
to protect
the
flocks of sheep from the wolves. The gradual
disappearance of the wolf, and continued
demand abroad, reduced their
numbers almost to the point of extinction
by the end of the 17th
century. In the late 19th century, there
was renewed interest in the
breed and the Irish Wolfhound became a living
symbol of Irish culture and of the Celtic
past. At this time,
Capt. G. A.
Graham obtained a few of the remaining wolfhounds
in Ireland, and
he eventually achieved a type of dog that
bred true in every generation. The results
were
ultimately accepted
as a legitimate
revival of the breed. The Irish Kennel Club
recognized a class for Irish Wolfhounds at
their show in 1879 and
a club
was formed
in 1885.
Red
and White Irish Setter
The Irish Setter came into its own at the end
of the 17th century. A fact not well known
outside of Ireland
is that
there are
two breeds of Irish Setters, however, it is
certain that the Red and White Setter is the older of
the
two. Selective
breeding
evolved into the solid red color, which resulted
in much confusion about their proper color.
By
the end
of the
19th century, the
Red Setter had become more predominate than
the Red and White. The Red & White Setters became so rare that they were thought
to be extinct. In the 1920's, efforts were made to revive the
breed and, by 1944, it had re-established itself well enough
to have a club of its own. The Irish Red & White Setter
Field & Show Society was formed in 1981
and, through its endeavors and direction, the
breed is now well established
internationally.
Red
Irish Setter
The
Irish Red Setter was developed in Ireland as a working dog
for hunting. The breed is
derived from the Irish
Red and White Setter and an unknown solid
red colored
dog.
It was a
clearly identified as its own breed in the
18th century. The Irish Red Setter Club was
established
in 1882
and
the breed
has evolved down through the years into a
hardy, healthy, intelligent dog, possessed of excellent
working ability
and great stamina.
For
more detailed information and specifications of these native
Irish dog breeds, have a
look at the web
site
of the Irish
Kennel Club.
