Origins &
Early History

Terriers derive their name from the Latin terra meaning 'earth'. Recognised and classified as a group by the Greeks and Romans, they were dogs of any size that hunted by digging into the earth to catch rodents, badgers, foxes, rabbits or any other small animal on which they could feed.

The Irish Terrier is an extraordinarily old breed descended, in all likelihood, from the ancient Terrier of Great Britain. Greek writers claimed that in no other part of Europe was so much care given to cultivating this dog as a race from generation to generation. This rough-coated, black-and-tan terrier evolved gradually into the breed developed in Ireland whose qualities were hardiness, almost unsurpassed skill as a ratter and a temperament ideally suited to living in close proximity with human beings. The resemblance to the Wolfhound in coat, colour and outline suggests a relationship with that ancient breed. The breed was seen as the perfcct all-rounder and appealed to people of all classes. Irish manuscripts refer to the poor man's sentinel, the farmer's friend and the gentleman's favourite.

Even when they were known as 'Irish Terriers' and had been bred for show for generations, with recorded pedigrees, it was not at all uncommon for bitches to whelp black-and-tan pups in their litters. Today, as a throw-back, many pups are born with black down, which lifts and comes off within about eight weeks. Whenever and whatever its origin, the Irish Terrier emerged as a breed in the 1870s, although many breeders at that time claimed that the breed had existed 50 years earlier.

Various strains of the breed evolved: the large County Cork variety, the Ballymena strain from County Antrim (closer to today's racer looking show dog) and the vermin-killing, blue-and-tan, short-legged terriers of the Glen of Imael in the Wicklow Mountains. They were bred more for their working qualities and gameness than for their looks.

Animals in War: They Had No Choice
by Carol Phillips
The millions of animals who died in war zones around the world are being remembered alongside other serving animals with a new major memorial in London. The Animals in War Memorial is situated at Brook Gate, Park Lane, on the edge of London's Hyde Park and was unveiled by Princess Anne... Read more->