THE SPORTING SPANIEL. 



271 



believe, still alive, continued breeding and 

 exhibiting till nearly the end of the 'eighties, 

 his best dog after Doctor being probably 

 Mickey Free (k.c.s.b. 10,393). 



Another old-time breeder and exhibitor, 

 Mr. N. Morton, only died as recently as 

 1906, though he had long ago given up 

 showing dogs, and devoted himself almost 

 entirely to horses, with which he was very 

 successful at the great Ball's Bridge Show 

 in Dublin and elsewhere. He had, how- 



characteristic energy, and for several years 

 carried all before him, showing such good 

 specimens as Harp (k.c.s.b. 22,518), Spal- 

 peen, Belshrah, Shann, Erin, Shamus, and 

 Eileen II., nearly all of whom attained 

 championship honours. It was a great 

 loss to the breed and to everyone con- 

 nected with it when the Colonel gave up 

 showing about the middle of the next decade, 

 and someone of his energy and personality 

 is badly wanted at the present day to re- 



MR. C E. WRIGHTS IRISH WATER SPANIELS. 



PATRICK O'CONNOR. HEMPIE, RODERIC O'CONNOR, and KATHLEEN O'CONNOR. 

 Photogtaph by T. Fall. 



ever, at the beginning rendered the great- 

 est service to the breed, and his kennels 

 produced some very notable specimens, 

 including Larry Doolin (k.c.s.b. 4,384), 

 the ancestor of many dogs destined to win 

 fame for themselves in later days. 



Between 1880 and 1890 many good Irish 

 Water Spaniels were exhibited, and the 

 breed increased greatly in popularity. In 

 this period the names of the brothers R. B. 

 and T. S. Carey, and of Colonel the Hon. 

 W. le Poer Trench first appear as breeders 

 and exhibitors, names which are still house- 

 hold words to all Irish Water Spaniel men. 

 •Colonel Trench took up the breed with 



vive the waning interest in this quaint- 

 looking and useful dog. 



Other successful owners of this period 

 were Captain J. H. Dwyer with Blair, 

 Mr. T. K. Penson with The Shaughraun, 

 Mr. J. S. Nisbet with Kate Kearney and 

 Free O'Donoghue (the latter a very hand- 

 some and typical dog), Mr. G. W. Thomp- 

 son with Barry Sullivan, and Mr. G. J. 

 Doherty with Madame Blair, a bitch not 

 only good herself, but phenomenally success- 

 ful as a breeder of the highest class of Water 

 Spaniels. The Messrs. Carey's greatest suc- 

 cesses were scored a little later, after 1890, 

 and probably the best animal owned by 



