For nearly a year, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park have been without their beloved Irish Wolfhounds Méabh and Saoirse but today two new arrivals came to the grounds.
Méabh and Saoirse had spent over five years in Bunratty until Méabh passed away last year and Saoirse had to be rehomed.
12-week-old Rían, meaning king, and one-year-old Míde, named after the fifth province of Ireland in Celtic times, today took up permanent residence on the grounds of the Co Clare visitor attraction.
Breeders James and Melissa Hussey of Cúdáráth Irish Wolfhounds delivered the dogs to Bunratty Castle today.
They have eight dogs in their kennels in Co Longford but the new additions to Bunratty will be a great spectacle for tourists to the site.
James said: "We don't see a lot of wolfhounds around, they're few and far between, so for Bunratty to take on these two and show them to the world, it's an amazing thing."
Among the largest of all breeds of dog, Irish wolfhounds were regular guests at Bunratty Castle from the early days of its medieval banquets in the 1960s.
The dogs would roam the great hall and dining areas as would have been the custom in medieval times at the castle.
Niall Moloney, farm manager at Bunratty, explained that Irish wolfhounds are known for being gentle, friendly and very intelligent and they inhabited Ireland long before the arrival of Christianity and the written word.
"For many visitors, especially children, the sight of wolfhounds wandering throughout the site is the highlight of their visit. We are grateful to Cúdáráth Irish Wolfhounds for their support, and we look forward to hosting Rian and Míde for many years to come," he added.
