How the Irish wolf went to the dogs

OF all the large animals that have become extinct in Ireland the most fascinating is the wolf.

They were once common and feature extensively in myth and folklore. Interestingly they are often portrayed in a positive way as rather benevolent animals with a habit of befriending saints.

They also feature in the Brehon Laws and there is an acknowledgement that they did pose a threat to livestock, if not to humans. If you rented land in Gaelic Ireland you were likely to find that your lease obliged you to keep wolfhounds and to engage in regular wolf hunts on your landlord’s behalf – these might be as frequent as once a week. The laws also contain an interesting reference to the compensation you were obliged to pay for damage done by your tame wolf. The fact that the laws bother mentioning this suggests that wolves were quite common pets at the time.