Glen of Imaal Terrier

The Glen of Imaal Terrier’s history is centered around the geographical area of the Glen of Imaal and dates back to the late 16th century. Many of the fanciers of the Glen of Imaal Terrier claim that around 1570, Queen Elizabeth I hired Lowland and Flemish soldiers to help with the trouble England was having in Ireland. Queen Elizabeth I paid these soldiers with tracts of land that were located in the Wicklow Mountains. This area is known as the Glen of Imaal. These soldiers brought their dogs with them into the Glen of Imaal and over time bred these dogs with Irish breeds including terriers and hounds. The breed that eventually evolved was a terrier named for the glen, the Glen of Imaal Terrier. This terrier breed was bred to hunt the fox, badger and other vermin. The Glen of Imaal Terrier Club of Ireland was formed in 1933. The Irish Kennel Club officially recognized the breed in 1934. The Glen, as these terriers are affectionately called, was the third Irish terrier breed to be recognized overall. There are only four Irish terrier breeds overall that are recognized. The breed suffered a slight demise during the wars but saw a surge in the 1970s and the Glen of Imaal Terriers began to be seen throughout Europe. In 1980 England gave the Glen of Imaal Terrier full breed status in its registry. The Glen of Imaal Terrier is thought to have come into the United States in the 1930s by immigrants from Ireland. In the 1960s the first litter of Glen of Imaal Terriers was recorded.