"A Veteran Sportsman," author of "A Correct Delineation of the Canine Race," writing in 1803, says: "The sporting gentlemen of Ireland are more partial to Setters than Pointers, and probably they are better adapted to that country. Setters, it is presumed, cover more ground than Pointers, are not so liable to be footsore, and can bear the changes of weather much better than the latter, which they term the Smooth Spaniel. The fields in many parts of Ireland are large, very rugged, and stony; the rains sudden, sharp, severe, and driving. Setters, therefore, particularly suit the country they go over; to this may be added the grouse-shooting, which is excellent, and it is a universally received opinion that this variety of dog only is equal to the fatigues of it."

The writer above quoted does not -attempt any description of the Setter in use in Ireland in his sporting days, nor does he dwell on the dog's points, after the manner of our modern dog-show critics; but, instead, he gives briefly the fact that the dog selected by Irish sportsmen was one especially adapted to the circumstances of the country and climate in which he had to work - a most important fact which dog-show promoters, judges, and others cannot have too often brought under their notice, for there is undoubtedly an evil tendency in our dog-show system to forget the fitness of the dog for his work which should exist, and indeed should be made a sine qua non, and to exalt far above their legitimate value points of beauty and arbitrary standards of perfection, giving undue weight to matters of comparatively little moment, such as the existence of a few dozen white hairs more or less, the colour of the eye, and the precise carriage of the tail to a line minutely described and insisted upon. Most unquestionably, beauty and utility may be combined, and it is this combination all true sportsmen and lovers of the breed should strive for, as, unfortunately, the tendency of the day is to attach more importance to bench winnings than to field performances. Great care should therefore be exercised that desirable characteristics are not sacrificed to fancy standards and fads of show judges.

Although, under the management of the Kennel Club, dog shows have much improved, so far as Irish Setters are concerned they are not an unmixed blessing, and championships are much too easily secured, with the result that the shooting man who wants to breed is quite bewildered, and probably ends by crossing with the nearest dog whose field performance he knows, but whose pedigree may be anything. To make dog shows really useful for improving the breed, championship wins should not be given to dogs who had not distinguished themselves at field trials. The result certainly would be fewer champions (an undoubted blessing to any one who knows some of the champions of the present day), a tendency on the part of owners of good-looking dogs to have them trained for competition at field trials, with the consequent weeding out of worthless ones, and the perpetuation of the qualities supposed to be sought for - good looks combined with good work.

The origin of the.Irish Setter is apparently unknown, and any description of points is of comparatively recent date, while the representations in old sporting books are quite unreliable, if their worth is measured by similar engravings of animals whose appearance is known not to have changed. It is consequently impossible to know if the type was at all permanent or fixed until sixty or seventy years ago, although unquestionably an Irish Setter of some sort was bred and used on the Irish mountains and bogs, and highly valued for his hardy constitution and great endurance, his fine nose, keenness in hunting, and width of range - all most necessary qualifications where game is none too plentiful.

That an undeniable type is not even yet established can hardly be questioned, as probably no two show judges, if asked to give the name of the most typical dog of the day, would give the same answer; while the general diversity of opinion has brought from exhibitors the frequent remark that they don't know what to breed up to. Although it may with truth be asserted that a really good Pointer or an English Setter will beat the average Irish Setter at his own work and on his own ground, the same is equally true of a really good Irish Setter as regards the average English Setter or Pointer; but taking the average of all breeds, for his own work and on his own ground nothing can beat the Irishman. To prove that this is no extravagant statement one has only to examine the records of the Irish field trials during the last ten or fifteen years, where the red dog, pitted against all comers, has over and over again proved his worth.

The "Veteran Sportsman," as shown by recent facts, was therefore not far astray, and it is certain that the dog long ago selected by the Irish gentlemen was the one best adapted for their country; but there is undoubted danger of deterioration of the breed if some restriction as to championship wins at ordinary shows, as before indicated, be not made, as it is the general public, who know little about shooting or field work, who do most of the breeding, and whose bench wins and dogs are therefore more widely known and referred to.