The writer holds no brief for Mr. Krehl or any one else, but he must say, in fairness to those who have expressed opinions adverse to those of Mr. Hugh Dalziel, that he has at some considerable trouble made personal inquiries in almost every part of the land of the shamrock, from Londonderry in the north to Limerick and Waterford in the south, and from Dublin in the east to Galway in the west, and has it on unimpeachable authority that the breed has been well known and kept in various parts of Ireland as long as the oldest living man can remember. A personal friend of the writer in County Wicklow, whose veracity may be vouched for, told him many years ago that he had kept the breed for upwards of thirty years. And this is typical of many assurances from men whose statements are beyond suspicion, which might reasonably be accepted as sufficient proof that the Irish Terrier is not quite of the mushroom-like growth that Mr. Dalziel would have us believe.

Although good specimens were known in Ireland long before dog shows were in existence, it must not be taken for granted that collectively they were of the high class we are so accustomed to see now. A change has naturally come about with this, as with many other breeds that have been carefully bred for exhibition for thirty years. They were rather a scratch lot, or perhaps more correctly described as bad specimens of the present type. They were dogs that in many cases were light in colour, and had coats sufficiently long to kink or curl, that were woolly in texture, while they varied in weight from between 16 1b. to 40 1b. This can readily be understood when it is remembered that there were no shows or other inducements to improve the breed. So long as Pat would catch a rabbit, retrieve a wounded bird, watch the house at night, and give any intruding tyke (be he little or big) a rough ten minutes if required, he answered all practical purposes for his owner.

Irish Terriers were first exhibited at Dublin in 1873, and the breed's subsequent successful career is almost wholly due to the zeal and energy of the pioneers, Messrs. Morton, Erwin, Ridgway, Montgomery, Jamison, Corbie Smith, Dr. Marks, Dr. Carey (the present Hon. Sec. of the Irish Terrier Club), Mr. G. R. Krehl, Mr. W. Graham, and a few others. These gentlemen had the uphill part of the business to do in bringing the breed to the front. Many were the ideas and opinions at that date as to what was a typical Irish Terrier. Consequently at shows where the breed was represented, one saw a very mixed lot. And the judging, too, was most erratic. First one dog would get the premier award, then another, and eventually both were headed by a specimen that had no right to be in the class. This naturally caused the greatest dissatisfaction to exhibitors, and finally in 1879 resulted in a club being formed, and a description of the breed drawn up. Later on specialist judges were appointed, and this did wonders in healing the breach brought about by previous bad judging, and cemented the bonds of friendship between the English and the Irish contingents.

From that time the popularity of the breed was assured, and was not long in reaching its zenith. Having a standard to breed to, the merest novice had a guide, and a direct incentive to try his luck, and at the present time the chance of a really good dog at any show being left in the cold is reduced to a minimum. The Irish Terrier has not had the benefit of a pretty face and genteel appearance to help him, but has won his way to the fore on sterling merit.

It is pleasing to record that our beloved King Edward VII., who, as every one knows, is one of the finest sportsmen in the world, has added an Irish Terrier to his famous kennels. This augurs well for the breed, and as an Englishman is nothing if not fashionable and patriotic, we may in the near future reasonably expect to find many more of his Majesty's loyal subjects going in for a "Dare-devil."

Mr. Vero Shaw in his book says that at Belfast, in June, 1878, Mr. Despard's Tanner (afterwards first, Birmingham), took first, second going to old Sport, and third to Mr. W. Graham's Sporter. In bitches Kate was first and Moya Doolan second. At Newtownards, in September the same year, the opinions of experts were encouraging. The eye had not the same chance of being offended at shows as in former years, the majority of the weeds having disappeared. Mr. Graham won, with Sporter, the champion cup for best dog or bitch exhibited. In open dogs Parnell and Tanner II. were first and second respectively. In the bitches Moya Doolan beat Colleen Dhas.

At Birmingham, in December, 1878, Tanner was first and Fly second. Fly had no right to her place, and it was characteristic of the judging that Spuds was quite passed over.

In December, 1878, at the Alexandra Palace, Fly (the second-prize winner at Birmingham) was first, and Spuds second, Paddy II. commended, and Moya Doolan not noticed. This erratic judging caused the dissatisfaction already alluded to, and at the Irish Kennel Club Show in April, 1879, at Dublin, Spuds and Moya Doolan were first and second in champion class. Tanner II. and Paddy II. were respectively first and second in open dogs; and Sting, still a puppy, made her first appearance, and won in open bitches, beating Rags and Kathleen. Gaelic was very highly commended, this being his first appearance. At the Alexandra Palace in July, 1879, Gaelic was put over Sporter and Erin, and a new bitch over Moya Doolan.

It was about this time that Mr. G. R. Krehl put his heart and soul into the Fancy, and this gentleman can honestly claim to have been instrumental in starting the breed in this country. By his purchase of Belle, Splinter, Sporter, Pagan II., and other good dogs, he founded a famous kennel, and a glance at the pedigree of many of the best dogs of the present day will reveal the fact that they contain not a little of the blood of his famous dogs. In the writer's humble opinion Pagan II. was a little too much of the horse-chestnut colour, but in every other respect he was absolutely the best Irishman he had seen up to that time, and he always regretted not using him to his bitch Grovelands Moya, to be referred to later on as having killed a hedgehog smothered with cayenne. This was a cropped bitch, a trifle light in colour, but a rare sort, and was one of a brace purchased in County Wicklow by Mr. Wickens, of Hurst, for £ 70. This was the time when she was second to Pagan at the Henley Show, and when Mr. Barnett's Bogie Rattler was a puppy, and exhibited for the first time.