Long before Ireland’s forests fell silent, wolves roamed the island and shaped both the land and its culture. To protect livestock and hunt these powerful predators, the ancient Irish developed the Irish Wolfhound, a towering sighthound prized for strength, speed, and courage. Irish wolfhounds were more than hunting dogs; they were symbols of status and loyalty, gifted to kings and warriors across Europe. As wolves were driven to extinction in Ireland by the late 1700s, due to deforestation, bou