Introduction

The Sporting Irish Water Spaniel Club is a well established club with an active membership aiming to promote and assist in the training of IWS's. It runs several events each year which aim to be educational as well as sociable and competitive occasions.

The older of the two United Kingdom breed clubs, The Sporting Irish Water Spaniel Club was originally formed in 1908 under its President, Lady Dunleath. The Club ran several breed confined field trials for a few years, but then seems to have disappeared, presumably with the onset of the First World War.

On 14th May 1989 an inaugural meeting was held at Newbury in Berkshire for the purpose of reforming this historic Club. Already able to boast a membership of well over one hundred, its founder members include professional full-time gamekeepers, top professional gundog trainers and field trialers, the top handlers in the breed for two decades in the United Kingdom in both field trials and working tests, and owners who rough shoot, pick-up and beat with their Irish Water Spaniels, and it is the only breed club in the world solely catering for the welfare of the working Irish Water Spaniel. At the inaugural meeting a Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Committee of four were elected, and a Constitution and set of Rules were adopted.