The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-05
IRISH WOLFHOUND Is
BIG POWERFUL DOG
Il Associated With History Of
Ancient Kings Of
Ireland.
on ERIN'S COAT or ARMS
banks With Harp and sham
rock as Emblem Of His
Native Island.
on ERIN'S COAT or ARMS

NosSeSi'5 great btNc. TIC mas q turn %
speed faster IN q sprint than fox
bound. but slower than tn greyhound
md tho deerhoutd both of which are
smaller and light'r II is said that tho
Scottish declrnund IS q descs udant OF the
Irish volfnouud and It is probable that
when the Irish colouizcd Scotland under
Rucds, Hike all other peoples who SET
tie in now country. they took their
domestcated aIiimals. including. Of
course. their dogs They wcrc noble dogs
too, big, strong courageous brutes. and
able enough Ia tackle anything alive in
Scotia Minor. as Scotland was sty.lod bv
the old writers Scotia Major being Ire.
land itself
There is p remarl; 4 bic quantity Of evil
dence that the old wolfdog of ireland
was noted for his nobility OF character
ana his prowess II Is Questionable II
any dog has been so written about as the
irish wolfdog. There are many refer.
ences to him. and the late Capt George
a. Graham OF Dursley. England. wien he
brought forward the idea Of recstab lsh-
ing the breed about forty years ago.
sought long for the illusions OF ancient
writers made to the Irish wolfdog or
wolfhound as he is known to-day
The dog fiourished at the time OF the
carly kings OF ireland. and with the
harp and shamrock, he Is regarded as one
of the national emblems OF the country.
on the chief banner Of one OF the leading
Hibernian societies OF New York m1y be
seen. the presentment Of an Irish wois-
dog, the forelegs OF which, however. are
not anatomical1y correct. the knees being
placed too high up on the forelegs and
Just after the manner OF those Of tho
horse The Irish wolfdogs were formerly
placed as the supporters OF the arms OF
the ancient monarchs Of Ireland They
were collared with the motto Gentle
when stroked fierce when provoked Il
is worthy OF note that the Welsh laws OF
the ninth century made Il an Illegal act
to MAIN or kill an Irish wOlfdog further.
tho fine WAS heavy and larger than most
imposed for tho wilful wounding OF de-
structiOn Of the ordinary greyhound. TIN.
irish volfdog was valued among the ma
t'ons but he appears to have died out IN
the eighteenth century. u is supposed
that tho last wolf was killed az Dlnglc.
Ireland. IN 1910
The Rev Edmund Hogan in his "IIis-
tory of the IRISH Wolfdos" tells that in
he first century of the Christian era
the King ~ ConUaugl,t and the King OF
lister each offered the King Of Leius,er
COCO cows, a chariot and horses for
.omous volfnouHd and went 10 war TO
decide tho issue.
Goins back OYER the centuries it is in
'cres;iGE To- noto tnat rliny relates a
combat in which tn dogs Of Epirus bore a
rart lie describes them as much taller
than r'ae,lGs and OF gre, hound form. de-
falling an account % their contests with
loh all ar elephant The allus!on to
the SreyhouHdliks dog and bigger than
the ma5;in ccrta'H'y points to the Old
irish wultdJg. II = dltficut to imagine
that any dog would hay the strength or
tie physica! proportions to withstand the
strike OF Hon o. the swing or stamp
OF the elephant. but II is admitted the
Irish deg vas very strong and PERTAINS
tNen mere 80 iu the days OF the old Roman
{ REM. Strpbo. K. e. "a. 4. u. q, de-
s,rbeS a large aad pow rful greyhound
- having been I'm use among the Celtic
nd British nations and az being held In
such high 'tdmat,o b. them as to have
been imported mo Gaul for the purposes
or tho chase. Sclius describes a large and
powerful s"c! Ioaai as having been i'm
ported into ireland by the Belgac. thus
identifying the Irish wolrdog with the
celebrated Beige dogs OF antiquity, which
wer7 taken to Rome
Dir James war; In his Antiquities OF
Irels nd thus writes rcr2 riding the Irish
wolfdog about 1890: II mus; here take
notice OF those hounds which from their
hunting of wolves are commonly called
wolfdogs--heinE creatures OF great size
and strength and Of fine shape Camden
bout 1865 says. "Tae Irish wolfhound
Is similar in shape - ia" greyhound, big
ger than mastin and tractablo as a
ipaniol." Stamhursts description Of Ire =
land about 1860 contains this short ac-
count of the Irish wolfdog ireland IS
stored Of COWS, excellent horses. Of hawkes..
fish and fowlc. They are not without
wolves and greyhounds to hunt them.
bigger OF bone and limb than a colt" In
November 1862, the Irish chicftan Shane
ONeill forwa rded to Queen Elizabeth OF
England through Robert Earl OF Leices-
ter present OF two horses. two
hawks and two Irish wolfdogs and In
5s5 Sir John Pcrrott. who was Deputy
Of ireland, sent TO Sir Francis Walslng-
ham. then Secretary Of State, in London a
brace OF good wolfdogs, one black. one
white. When Sir Thomas Rove was Am
hassador at the court of the Great Mogul.
in the year 1913. that emperor desired
him to send for some Irish grcyhounds as
the most welcome present he could make.
Toward the end OF tho eighteenth cen
fury, as before written, the true WOLF
dogs OF ireland were getting scarce.
Smith ono in his History OF Water
ford" says that the dog formerly abound
ing in the country was becoming nearly
extinct; that the dog was much taller
Than the mastiff. but made more like a
greyhound. Pennant, 1776-si. remarks
that the dog was then scarce. Beuick
1909, asscrts that the Irish wolfdog was
the largest or it's kind and tho most
beautiful. II was al one time selviceable
TO- hunting the fox, the stag and the hare
The antiquity OF the Irish dog is
manned the Scottish deerhound. his off
sioot and the German boarhound OF the
Ugh: type to breed from: and from this
alliance and careful after breeding, tho
quality Of tie decrhound being kept In
sight tho present day Irish Wo'fhound was
produced Tina; ne is magniiic n: an
nal no one will doubt and. further, he
IL nd a t1pll- ~ Wnlf al