Through dedication to its breeding the Irish Red and White Setter
continues to give companionship in the home, field and show ring, the world over.
ORIGINS
The Irish Red and White Setter is an ancient, native breed of Ireland, with many theories concerning the Breed’s origins. Today’s dogs can be traced back to the Spanish Pointer, and paintings have been found resembling the Breed from the 14th Century, where they were classed as ‘spaniels’a term used at that time for many sporting dogs.
SETTERS
In various combinations of ‘red’ ‘red and white’ ‘white and red’ and ‘white’ all became popular with the Irish sporting gentry in the 18th Century. During the latter part of the 19th Century, due partly to interest from America for a whole red dog, the Irish selectively bred out the white and in so doing introduced the more racy dog we know as the Irish Red Setter.
LORD ROSSMORE
During the 18th Century Lord Rossmore attempted to keep the breeding of the Red/Whites separate but as the ‘Red’ became the more popular setter it was feared, by the end of the 19th Century, to have disappeared.
20th CENTURY BREEDING
The Red/White survived unregistered on farms in Ireland - following the 1st World War people such as Reverand N Houston, Canon Doherty, Mr R Cleland and Mr and Mrs Cuddy selectively bred the Red and Whites to produce the forerunners of today’s dogs. Harlequin of Knockella was purchased from Mrs Cuddy by Mr and Mrs Gormley in 1977 and qualified for Crufts 1980 yet was still classed as a ‘red’ setter. However in the early 1980’s the English Kennel Club took the initiative to introduce a Breed Standard later accepted by the Irish Kennel Club with amendments to size and colour.
