Uniquely Irish dogs are central to our history

Lifestyle –  Judy Murphy meets a Galwayman putting Ireland’s native dog breeds in the spotlight

When Michael Collins wasn’t leading the military campaign against England during Ireland’s War of Independence (1919 -1921), he had a penchant for exhibiting Kerry Blue Terriers.

Cork-born Collins was a fan of this uniquely Irish breed of dog, and owned several. The best known was Convict 224. Collins was such a fan of the Kerry Blue that he wanted the breed to become the National Dog of Ireland.

This fascinating nugget is contained in the gorgeous picture-book, Native Irish Dogs. Just published by Currach Press it features a selection of heart-warming photos by Colin White, accompanied by text from Galway-man Shane McCoy giving information on the nine native Irish breeds as defined by the Irish Kennel Club.

Shane’s day job is in Marketing and Publicity with Dublin based Columba Press, which specialises in books of a spiritual and theological nature.

Some years ago, Columba set up the Currach imprint to publish secular titles, specialising in material with an Irish focus and Shane’s brief extends across both Columba and Currach.

The company regularly draws up ideas for new books and it was at one such meeting that Shane – the proud owner of a pug – suggested a book on Irish dogs for Currach Press. They commissioned Colin White to travel the length and breadth of Ireland, photographing these nine breeds that that evolved specifically to cater for Irish needs, both those of the peasants and the gentry. From the stately Irish Wolfhound to the peculiar looking Glen of Imaal Terrier, all of these animals had a job to do – they were bred long before the era of “companion dogs”, explains Shane, who had been already fairly well-informed about the nine native Irish breeds because he is a regular at dog shows with his own pug, Louie.

He also knew that the President of the Irish Kennel Club, Sean Delmar would support Currach in producing a book about these breeds, several of which are vulnerable.

So, Shane was a natural choice when it came to deciding who would write text to accompany Colin White’s stunning photos of these dogs.

In addition to being a dog lover, he was well placed to put these animals in a historical context, as the Milltown man has a degree in Literature and Celtic Civilisation from NUIG. Shane went to Columba five years ago as an intern after doing a Masters in Literature and Publishing, also at NUIG and his subsequently joined the staff.

He set about his doggy research with enthusiasm and there are nine chapters, with easily-digested information on each breed’s background, its function and its temperament.

The best-known of the native Irish breeds is the Irish Wolfhound which supposedly came with the Celts, according to Shane, who adds nobody really knows that for sure. But what is certain is that it’s an ancient breed, and one mentioned in Irish folklore, including the story of Cúchulainn. Initially a battle-dog, it may initially have been used by soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. Later on, wolfhounds were used to hunt wolves.

“They would have been strong enough to catch and kill a wolf,” says Shane, explaining that they were status symbols.

Only kings and nobility were allowed to own them and “the more you had of them, the better off you were”.

Ireland’s history is reflected in these nine dogs, as this book demonstrates.

Shane explains that under a draconian Penal Law introduced in 1704, Irish Catholics weren’t allowed to own Irish Wolfhounds, or any dog worth more than five pounds.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.