History of the IRWS

There are records of all red dogs in kennels at the end of the 18th century. Most authorities are of the opinion that the all red dogs came from breeding white and red dogs that had increasing amounts of red.

During the 19th century, the red dogs started establishing themselves in ever greater numbers until they eventually became the predominant variety. In the middle of the 19th century, conformation shows were established and the flashy all red Setter took the world by storm. By the late 19th century, it was difficult to find a white and red setter in the show ring, although there are reports of them being shown until WWI in the United States.

WWI brought great hardship to the people of Ireland and their dogs. The number of white and red Setters had declined to nearly zero. Anna Redlich credits Rev. Noble Huston of Ballynahinch, County Down, to saving the line and gradually building up the numbers. With the aid of his cousin, Dr.

Elliott, he was able to slowly bring back the breed. Dr. Elliott lived in a house named Eldron, and that prefix is in the names of dogs bred in the 20's and 30's. The Rev. Huston did not keep official pedigrees, but did record his litters in the parish register. Although most of the dogs were kept in Ireland, a single dog was sent to the United States, two to Spain and several to England. There were other breeders in Ireland during this time, but their contribution to the current lines are not recorded.

The next important players in this story are Mr. and Mrs. Will Cuddy. In 1940, Mrs. Maureen Cuddy (nee Clarke) was given a sickly puppy bitch. She nursed the puppy to health and called her puppy Judith Cunningham of Knockalla. It is highly probable that every recorded IR&WS today is descended from this bitch. The Cuddys were instrumental in forming an IRWS group in Ireland and gaining recognition of the breed. Mrs. Cuddy carried on a lengthy correspondence with the aging Rev. Huston and is responsible for researching and preserving much of the early 20th century history of the breed. In 1944, the Irish Red and White Setter Society was formed in Ireland. 

Between the end of WWII and the early 1980's, the Irish slowly built up the numbers of what became officially known as Irish Red and White Setters. The breed spread to England. Both the Irish Kennel Club and the Kennel Club came to recognize the IR&WS as a breed separate from the Irish Setter.

The IR&WS again came to the United States in the 1960's with the import of a few dogs by a couple of individuals. In the 1980's, breeding pairs were imported and the gradual increase in the IR&WS population began. Since that time, several other imports have arrived and an unhurried breeding program has resulted in approximately 500 dogs populating a wide area of the U. S. and Canada.

The American Kennel Club fully recognized the Irish Red and White Setter January 01, 2009. Other U. S. registries, such as the Field Dog Stud Book, recognize the breed. In Canada, the CKC accepted the IR&WS to full recognition in May of 1999. The IRWS is a favorite among international

competitors.

The Irish Red & White Setter should work at a moderate pace and range. They should cover the ground thoroughly and have an ingrained curiosity, investigating every area in which game may be present. In their quest there must be an intensity that gives purpose to the hunt for game. The concentration on the job at hand should be evident in the dogs every stride and movement. Cooperation with the handler/hunter is part of the concentration and should not interfere with the quest for game. While searching for game the head should be carried at or above the line of the back with muzzle parallel to the ground. The gait should be a lope with the back mostly parallel to the ground. Upon scenting game the Irish Red & White Setter should slow down his gait, even to a creep, and upon locating game take a definite set or draw

forward to the set as close to the game as practical without causing the game to flush. The normal stance for the Irish Red & White Setter after locating game is a standing or crouched set. The set is intense and rigid full of energy and concentration. The head should be oriented in the direction of the game and the feet should be positioned in such a manner as to produce a balanced stance. Some Irish Red & Whites Setters may crouch very low or lie flat on the ground intense and rigid, with head up and forward. This set is acceptable and considered normal. When the Irish Red & White Setter has located game and assumed the above stance, the set of the tail is normally carried at or below the level of the back, not above the back line. The tail may be in motion when the dog is seeking game but should be stationary or rigid when the dog has "made game”.