Country/Date of Origin: Ireland/16th Century
Originated in County Cork, Ireland in the 1700s as a farm dog. The dogs were jacks-of-all-trades; watching the barnyard, guarding the children, hunting for varmints, tracking larger game, retrieving water fowl, and warding off prowlers at night. The Irish Terrier breed, one of the oldest terrier breeds, was refined and standardized in the late 1800s in Ireland and England. The Irishman came to the US soon afterwards and was one of the original breeds shown in the American Kennel Club.