It is believed that the Irish Terrier is one of the oldest
terrier breeds. The breed is thought to be two thousand years old,
but the earliest images we have of it is in a painting of the
1700's. The exact breeds it descended from are unknown, but they
were originally found in Country Cork, Ireland. The Irish Terrier
was used to hunt den animals such as otter, and water rats and as a
retriever and war time messenger. The Irish Terrier was recognized
by the AKC in 1885 and a United States' breed club was started in
1896. Some of the Irish Terrier's talents include: hunting,
tracking, retrieving, ratter, watchdog, guarding, police work, and
military work.