GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 46-48cm (18”-19”).
Colour: Red, red/wheaten or yellow/red.
Coat: Harsh wiry outer coat, crisp on the face. A soft undercoat.
Gait: Fore and hindlegs move free and straight with good hind drive. These lively Irishmen present a graceful and racy outline. The small dark eyes are set midway between a relatively narrow skull and a powerful muzzle. The small high set ears are ‘V’ shaped with the tips falling forward. The fairly long neck runs into a moderately long body with a deep rather than round chest. The forelegs are straight and the hind legs moderately angulated with small round feet. The customary docked tail is set high and carried erect. 
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Known as the ‘Dare Devils’, this breed has a reckless pluck about them. In the home however, they can be endearing, lovable and thoroughly enjoy the active company of young children. Beware that if they become bored they are likely to entertain themselves by digging holes in the garden. While expert care is needed with regular hand stripping of coats for show dogs, the pet owner need only strip (or clip) a couple of times a year. 
HISTORY
Arriving in Ireland in the pre Christian era - possibly with the Phoenician trading ships - a burrowing type of dog was known to be in existence some 2,000 years ago. Other early dogs in Ireland were those capable of attacking large animals and hunters who followed their quarry on land or in water (the progenitors of todays Irish Wolfhound and Irish Water Spaniel). No doubt in the early days, the varieties were freely crossed with one another until distinctive types with required characteristics evolved. The result of this ancestry is that the Irish Terriers of today, are a little longer in body than most of their English terrier cousins, and have the added virtues of being able to acquit themselves as hunters and retrievers.