All of the larger breeds that were native to Ireland—the Wolfhounds, Red Setters, Red and White Setters and Water Spaniels—were connected, to a greater or lesser extent, with the landed gentry, and therefore with Unionist politics. The Glen of Imaal Terrier certainly did not have that connection. However, as a dwarf breed, it may not have had sufficient stature—both in figurative and in literal terms—to represent an independent Irish nation. It was also virtually unknown even within Ireland, and its probable origins did not lie in a proud Celtic past, but in the more recent history of English colonisation. The Soft-Coated Wheaten was not yet recognised by any Kennel Club as a distinct purebred, or even as a separate breed. Neither was the Kerry Beagle, which was also associated with fox hunting, the archetypal pastime of the Irish gentry. The Irish Terrier had been developed as a breed in the heart of Unionist Ulster. It may also have seemed compromised in the eyes of radical Nationalists by its connection with English royalty, as well as by the high-profile and active role the dog had played during World War One in regiments of the British Army.
That left the Kerry Blue as the only native breed with sufficient credentials of appearance and pedigree to be considered as Ireland’s alternative National Dog. The fact that its founding sire was supposed to have been Spanish, Russian or Portuguese was discreetly ignored.
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