The Temperamental Irish Kerry

By Hugh Jordan

Kerries in Ireland are not more temperamental than Kerries in other parts of the world. We surely have differences in type and temperament within the breed but these are to be seen everywhere, with no particular country having its own Kerry type.

Many dogs in my area would not be enclosed in back yards or dog enclosures, but would be free to roam and come and go as they please, just like all members of the family. On their daily travels they would come into contact with other dogs from the neighborhood and this usually
caused conflicts. Kerries where usually the victors in these frays and therefore got the reputations for being fighting dogs.

Many dogs where Kerry crossbreeds and therefore anything gray and shaggy was called a Kerry Blue.

Another enemy of the local Kerry Blue was the coal delivery man. The loudness of the coal being emptied into the coal bunker greatly disturbing many a dog and the poor coalmen were soon put to flight, hence the notion of viciousness.

I remember back in the late sixties when trouble flared up again the north of Ireland. A curfew was put up around the Lower Falls area of west Belfast by the British army. A huge cordon of barbed wire and armored cars surrounded the area, no one was allowed in or out of the area. It was late at night and I was standing at my bedroom window. As I was looking out I saw this small figure crawling along the ground beside the houses at the far side of the street. As the figure reached the street lamp I could make out that it was a small shaggy gray dog and in its
mouth it carried a cloth bag, winding its way through the barbed wire cordon it reached the shops at the far side of the street.

First visit was the butchers shop and then grocery shop. When the little dog came out of the shops he was trailing the bag along the street. Slowly he dragged the bag along the street dodging some passing armored cars. The little dog didn't realize that through all this he was being watched by a British army foot patrol.

On reaching the front door to his house the little dog dropped the bag on the pavement. He started running frantically from side to side. Suddenly he stopped, looked up at the door and then took a run at the door leapt up and rapped on the door knocker. After a few times of doing
this a light came on in the house and a short time later the door opened. A huge figure blocked the light from the doorway. The figure bent down and picked the little dog up by the scruff of the neck and began to shake the dog violently.

On seeing this one of the soldiers ran over and confronted the person that had grabbed the poor dog.

"You should be locked up for what you have just done to that poor dog. That is the smartest animal that I have ever seen".

The person, who could now identify as Mr. Murphy started laughing, "Smart is he? Then you tell me why this is the third time this week that he has forgotten his key. Take your selves off" and at that Mr. Murphy
turned and closed the door.

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