The ancients esteemed the Irish Wolfhound, and wove the dog called “cú” (hound or Irish hound) into their literature, art, mythology, and music as a symbol of nobility and integrity. It was common for warriors and even kings in that time to place “cú” in front of their names, the implication being that they were as worthy of respect as a cú. Indeed, to be called a hound was an honorable moniker for a courageous warrior.

As an aside, we dare not call the earliest Irish people Celts. Ancient DNA reveals that the Irish were not Celts but something very different than what most of us have always thought. That topic is for a different site entirely.

In this post, we focus on music and the breed. Wolfhounds were only slightly lower in the hierarchy than humans, and in Gaelic songs they had their fair share of fame. To our frustration, however, actually finding a track or video of someone singing one of those ancient songs has been elusive. We continue the search, but what we did find was an 800 year old form of singing called Sean-nós that surely must have included the Wolfhound in a song or two. That’s our fantasy, anyway. The nine minute video below will explain more, and it will enchant you (especially the duet at the end). Fast forward through the commercial. Check it out:

And here we switch gears.

In 1916, Walter A. Dyer wrote an article for Country Life entitled, “The Hounds of Celt and Gael,” in which he wrote about the history and characteristics of the Scottish Deerhound and Irish wolfhound. After a bit of time had passed, the author received a correspondence from one Joseph A. McAleenan. Now McAleenan was not a dog fancier in the sense of how we use the term on these pages, but he was a keen friend of the dogs of Ireland. In his note to Dyer, he wrote, “The old Irish dog has had his day and the bards of ancient Ireland have endowed him richly in their songs, weaving a romance about him that will never die. These old pagan songs are well worth the reading and the wild rhythm of their cadence bespeaks strong men and momentous events. But it is the modern dog that counts now.”

“It is the modern dog that counts now?”

Okay. To satisfy the ghost of Mr. McAleenan, we conclude with a video that ties the “modern” Irish Wolfhound to Irish song. Clearly the dog is a music critic.  Enjoy!

Image: “Snow Day” was designed and sold by DigiDog Designs right here in Colorado. We believe they are Wolfhound people, and their artwork is a “must have” for all dog people, but especially other Wolfhound folk. They also have a Facebook page.