THE KERRY BLUE TERRIER BY RICHARD BASLER
T he history of the Kerry Blue Terrier, like the history of Ireland itself, must be viewed through the mists of legend and myth. One popular story is that the Kerry, or Irish Blue Terri- er arose from black, soft-coated dogs that swam ashore from the remnants of the Spanish Armada driven onto the west coast of Ireland on their return to Spain. Another version tells of black dogs from Russian cargo ships, bound for England during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, driven off course and landing in Ireland. By either account, the story of the Kerry Blue Terrier seems to date from the mid-years of the reign of Elizabeth I in England. This was a time of great repression of the Irish People when private land
holdings were stripped from the native population and given as gifts and rewards to the great families of Eng- land and as punishment to the locals for holding on to their Catholic faith. Whatever its origin, the Kerry Blue became a popular dog in rural county Kerry, known for its small farms with herds of sheep and cows. The Kerry developed into an all-around farm dog in the days of tenant farmers—hunter of vermin, herder of livestock, and guard of the hearth and home. One of the nicknames for the Kerry is the “Gray Ghost,” a title bestowed for the Kerry’s ability as a provider of extra meat for the table from the rabbits it ran down and killed, hunting silently so the gamekeepers would not know that poachers were about.
Gentle, lovable and intelligent, the Kerry in more recent times has become an all-around working and utility terrier, used in Ireland and Eng- land for hunting small game and birds, and for retrieving from land and water. This overall working and sporting ter- rier is a faithful companion to the fam- ily, showing great personality, drive and energy. As one would expect from a dog of lowly and utilitarian origins, there are no Stud Books or pedigree histories. The earliest mention of what might have been Kerries was a report in 1808 by Bennelson, of packs of large gray, hunting terriers maintained by a few land owners in County Kerry. The first authenticated mention of a “silver- haired Irish Terrier” was made by Allan
336 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J ANUARY 2019
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