Welcome to the Irish Wolfhound Lure Coursing Club.

Our website is devoted to the Irish Wolfhound, although our gallery pages and articles pages contain all manner of canine related subjects.................some funny.........some serious.........you'll find it all here.

What we do ask of all our viewers is that you contribute to this website. The more of you that submit articles or pictures for the gallery the greater the success of this site will be. We also welcome any suggestions for things that you would like to see on this website or perhaps how we could improve this website. You could submit your thoughts to us by e-mail from the "Contact Us" page or you could post a message on the "guest" book or even the "Forum" Page.

A Brief History of the Club

Going back a decade. the Irish Wolfhound Magazine published Croxton-Smith's view of the sporting qualities of the Irish Wolfhound. Ireland is renowned for the ability to produce sound sporting animals such as racehorses, hunters, greyhounds and of course the Irish Wolfhound. Croxton- Smith mentions that the Annals of the Venerable Bede record "they (the Irish) crossed over into Alba (Scotland) bringing with them great dogs".

The article also tells how Mrs Nagle (Sulhamstead) instigated a coursing meeting under National Coursing Club Rules and subsequently helped launch the Irish Wolfhound Coursing Club with over 50 members. The recent biography of Mrs Nagle by Ferelith Somerfield, recalls the importance that Mrs Nagle attached to the hunting qualities of the breed. In 1924 a meeting was held in conjunction with the then Irish Wolfhound Association to course rabbits (hares always seemed to escape under the fence!). There were also tracking tests using a stuffed rabbit skin.

In 1978, Sue Hudson (Brabyns) restarted the IWCC and organised an 8 hound stake in Gloucestershire along with Saluki owners. No hares were reported killed. Sue Hudson's great friend, the sporting artist Michael Lyne, kindly offered his support and became President of the IWCC. He later awarded a fine watercolour of two coursing Irish Wolfhounds, reputed to be the Bairds' Outhwaite Torquail and the wheaten Kellybourne Rose belonging to Les Groom, as a prize for the final winner of the Champion stakes. In those days Michael Lyne, acting as judge, cut a memorable figure mounted astride a splendid steed.

Further meetings were held at various venues including Barry (N. Wales), Swanbourne (N. Bucks) and Wincanton (Somerset). Then the lure mysteriously disappeared and the IWCC lay dormant for a couple of years, during which the winner's painting was handed back to Michael Lyne for safe-keeping.

Another lure machine was introduced and there were 4 meetings a year plus a final up to 1977, when there were only 3 meetings. Over the years membership has declined as venues were reduced to the Home Counties. Rita Mason (Clanellan) was the lynch-pin of the IWCC member interface, providing both venues and good meals. Unfortunately Rita had an earlier cancer return and we lost her early in 1998. Rita's place on the IWCC committee was never filled and the Club appeared to die with her.

There are still keen, capable lure coursing Irish Wolfhounds as depicted in a recent Kennel Gazette photograph of a BSFA meeting where Shannon, Wilf, Eilish, Cabel, Jewel, Herbert and Fin are eagerly awaiting their turn of chasing the lure. It was decided that a new club would rise from the ashes of the old. The phoenix is the Irish Wolfhound Lure Coursing Club. Thanks to international help from other Irish Wolfhound enthusiasts a new lure coursing machine and pulleys were imported from the States and Irish Wolfhound lure coursing is now alive and racing.

Venues will be announced on this site and in the Dog Press, Suggestions and queries are welcome.