The courage and curiosity of an unsung breed
SIR – Your charming picture (January 1) of an Irish terrier and its owner emerging from the historic Bishop’s Eye in Wells prompts me to write about this wonderful, yet rarely seen, breed.
Over 28 years, I had the privilege of the companionship of two Irish terriers. These dogs are loyal, courageous and inquisitive – qualities that made them invaluable in the trenches during the First World War as message-bearers and soldiers’ friends. I would urge anybody thinking of getting a pedigree dog to find one.
They were to the Royal family a century ago what corgis have been to the Queen. Only once did I experience a difficult moment when Roscoe, my second one, cocked a leg on the pedestal of a baptismal font in a quiet Hertfordshire church, resulting in a bank note being stuffed guiltily into the donations box. Brian Emsley Kennett, Suffolk