Irish Terrier
Origins
BY BRUCE PETERSON
T he existence for centuries of an Irish sporting Ter- rier is referenced in ancient manuscripts archived in Dublin Museum. One old Irish writer refers to these dogs as the “poor man’s sentinel, the farmers friend, and the gentleman’s favorite.” Dogs were an important part of life in ancient Ireland. The Baerla laws, recorded in the first centuries of the Christian era, included detailed provisions for the control and responsibility of hunting hounds, shepherd’s dogs, earthdogs, vermin killers, and watchdogs. Early Irishmen did not keep accurate breeding records. As a result, the origin of the Irish Terrier is subject to conjecture. The first reference to the breed is an article authored by Richard Ridg- way in the 1878 Edition of Stonehenge’s Dogs of the British Isles . Ridgway, a founder of the first Irish Terrier Club, provided a breed description and stated that the Irish Terrier was a purebred widely known and remembered since the early 1800s. A generally accepted theory traces the origins of the breed to the wire-haired black and tan Terriers that existed in Great Britain more than 300 years ago. Appealing to people of all classes, the black and tan Terrier grew in popularity in the 19th century as a working dog. Efficient ratters, they controlled vermin in buildings, were used to bolt fox and otter, and hunted rabbit for food and for the sport of rabbit coursing. F.M. Jowett, author of The Irish Terrier (1907), wrote: “In the early history of the Irish Terrier as a show dog, it was a very com- mon experience for a bitch to have two or three broken-coated black and tan puppies in nearly every litter.” Jowett points out Bruce Peterson passed away in 2017. We are grateful to be able to share his research into the origins of the Irish Terrier for the benefit of new and long-term fanciers. A version of this article originally appeared in the July 2012 edition of SHOWSIGHT Magazine.
The Irish Terrier, from Stonehenge’s The Dog , Fourth Edition, 1887.
that as late as the early 1900s, an occasional black and tan puppy appeared in well-bred litters. Even today, many Irish Terriers are born with black hairs in their puppy coats. Regardless of origin, the Irish Terrier emerged as a recognized breed in the 1870s. Breeders emphasized working qualities and “gameness” rather than looks. As a result, there was a wide vari- ety of sizes, ranging from under 10 pounds to dogs as big as 40 pounds. Colors included black and tan, gray and brindle, wheaten, and red-wheaten. Separate classes for Irish Terriers were first provided at a Dub- lin dog show in 1873. Classes for Irish Terriers over or less than 9 pounds were offered. In 1879, the first Irish Terrier Club was founded in Dublin and the breed standard was adapted. Irish Ter- rier breeders finally had an ideal to aim at. This ideal appeared the same year in the form of the bitch, “Erin.” William Graham, a prominent Irish Terrier breeder of the era, discovered Erin at a Dublin show. Mr. Graham immediately recognized her quality and bought her even though Erin had no recorded pedigree. Graham pronounced her the best Irish Terrier bitch he had ever seen and his opinion was widely confirmed by the fanciers of the day. Graham eventually sold Erin to J.J. Pim. In an 1891 article, Mr. Pim reflected on Champion Erin: “I think everyone will agree that the mother and star of the breed was found by Mr. Graham in her hamper before being benched at a Dublin Show… beautiful long lean head, cropped, with that game-looking eye and expression peculiar to the breed that we are fast losing; nice neck with perfectly placed shoulders; good legs and feet; wonderfully perfect body, stern and hard dark red coat; not heavy in bone or forelegs, which were not low, but forming a perfect symmetry.” Brimming with type and character, Champion Erin was only defeated once in her show career and retained her quality until her death in 1890.
Ch. Kilvara Magic Master was a strong producer. Grandson of Jerry O’Callaghan’s Ch. Hunter’s Moon and Ch. Kilvara Madrigal. Best of Breed winner at the Irish Terrier Club of America 1948 Specialty Show. Bred by Judith E. Taylor and owned by Martha G. Hall.
254 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022
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