Judge was Mr Per Lundström from Sweden. The results of all classes can be seen here:

I have never been to a showground which is more suitable for its cause than Hillsborough Fort. It felt as if I had walked into the past when I entered the showground, the green bank with an old stonewall and the old buildings, created a very special atmosphere.

I was thrilled to be invited to judge in the breed’s native country, and the experience quite exceeded my expectations. I had excellent stewards in Mr W & Mrs J Westren, which helped me out with the ring procedure which was new to me. Although it was raining all day long, both dogs and people where in a good mood.

When I judge I try to look for the overall proportions and balance of the dogs in front of me, finding the important points for a Sighthound and the details for the Irish Wolfhound. Then I like to see them move, confirming their construction.

I look for dogs that are high on their legs, showing daylight beneath them. Long curvy s-lines from the occiput to the top of the tail. For me a wolfhound should have self confidence and feel proud over themselves. Movement that is both easy and active and with reach and drive. (without being exaggerated) carrying themselves with style and pride.

• PD (3, 1a)

  1 McConnon’s Coiredubh Corkai, a very youngish boy which is high on his legs. Well shaped head, soft expression and nice pigmentation, today a bit upright in pastern and upperarm, well laidback shoulder, good length of neck, which nicely set into shoulders, very good body for his age and size, very good under- and topline, very good hindquarters but a bit steep in croup, excellent feet and bone, exc. coat. Moves very well for his age;

  2 Stafford’s Owenmore Domhnaic; good head and expression. Could have a stronger underjaw. Strong neck, which is nicely set on, nice angulations in front and rear, well developed brisket, nice bone and feet, harsh coat. Moves well, when he wants to.

• JD (9,1)

  1 Macaulay’s Gartlove Graffiti; A sound and strongly built wheaten brindle junior, excellent head & expression with strong pigmentation, a bit floppy ears, long beautiful neck which is excellent set on, excellent front with a very good forechest. well developed brisket, but a bit long in loin, excellent hindquarters with nice width over thigh and hocks, very good tail set, harsh coat. Moves easy and active from side and true coming and going;

  2 Finney’s Gulliagh Hagrid; Also a sound and strongly built junior, which gave number one a hard fight. He had big bursas on his right elbow which affected his movements this day. Very good head with that lovely soft expression we are looking for, excellent angulations both in front and rear, lovely width in thigh and hocks, strong bone and feet, harsh coat;

  3 Barnbrook & Smith-King’s Bribiba Chieftain of Scotland, very good size and proportions, very good head and expression, a bit upright in pasterns, could have a better laid back shoulder, excellent body and bone, nicely angulated in rear but a bit cow hocked on the day. Moves easy but could carry himself better.

• ND (2, 1)

  1 Clark’s Shalico Celtic Storm at Tarlog, a big pleasing wheaten male with black mask, good head and expression, excellent pigmentation, correct bite, balanced in his angulations,.strong body. He had a lot of fun on the move, trying to play with his handler.

• YD (1)

  McConnon’s Coiredubh Corkai. 20-month old grey brindle who is a very nice typical dog with good head, dark eyes, good ears and correct bite. He has a good topline and underline. He has correct forehand angulation and medium rear angulation. He had a tendency to pace when moving today and overall he would benefit from some grooming and general tidying up to improve his appearance.

• UGD (3, 0)

  1 Finney’s Gulliagh Albus, a masculine young dog with excellent proportions, very good head and expression, strong nicely set neck, excellent front with a nice forechest, strong oval bone, well developed ribcage, a bit flat in topline, strong well angulated hindquarters with lovely width, long strong croup, exc. tail set, harsh coat, moves well from all sides carrying himself proudly.

  2 Flood’s Kilcorrig of Nutstown, nicely built male, well shaped head, good expression, correct bite, well laid back shoulder and upper arm, well bodied, very good under- and topline, nicely angulated in rear. Moves very well from all sides.

  3 Connolly’s Macara of Nutstown; Standing he is a male of very good size and proportions. Correct masculine head, adequate, balanced angulated in front and rear. On the moved very loose in pastern and cow-hocked in rear.

• PGD (5, 1)

  1 Barnbrook & Smith-King’s Santir Pride of Scotland at Bribiba, a masculine handsome, grey brindle male, very good head with nice set ears, strong powerful neck well set on, very nice front, stands with his elbows well under, very good forechest, strong brisket, excellent croup, very good hindquarters, nice oval bone and strong feet, excellent muscle condition, moves very easy and active covering a lot of ground.

  2 Maltman’s Tonuchaka Merlyn Magic, a wheaten male which is a bit unbalanced between front and rear, his front is excellent with a strong forechest but a bit upright in pastern and flat feet, very good body, very good hindquarters but a bit to short in second thigh. Movements are ok.

  3 Messenger’s Tibridarn Thane, a nice picture from side, standing with his elbow well under. Unfortunately his elbows are turning out both standing and going. A bit round in his brisket, nicely shaped hindquarters but cow hocked, moves wide in front and very narrow behind.

• LD (5, 0)

  1 Pask’s Baronglen The Jaywalker, a big and very stylish masculine male with excellent proportions, excellent head and expression, a bit floppy ears, nicely constructed front with very good forechest, excellent oval bone, strong powerful neck, excellent top- and underline, very good croup and hindquarters. Moved sound and typical;

  2 Lloyd-Jones’ Rynchanon One Wild Knight at Nightwing, a black powerful male very nice standing but a bit loose in movements from all sides, very good head and expression. excellent neck and topline, very good front and hindquarter angulations, very good brisket and bone.

  3 Finney’s Gulliagh Sequoia; A fantastic head with that masculine and soft look, perfect rose ears, very good and balanced construction with a lot of nice breed points. But today he gives a more quality picture stacked than on the move.

• OD (7, 2)

  1 Macaulay’s Ch Gartlove Galenkelso, a big upstanding dog, masculine head and expression with nice rose ears. He combines substance and elegance in a lovely way. Long strong neck which has very good set on. Excellent brisket and forechest, excellent front and hindquarters, long strong croup and a very good tail set. Moves well from all sides. CC, RBIS

  2 Finney’s Int & Ir Ch Gulliagh Zest An Ch 2003, CW 2006, a big masculine male with super lines, which gave number one a hard fight, and on another day, these two easily could have changed places. Excellent head and expression, strong long neck which is nicely set on. Excellent angulations in front and rear, a fully developed brisket, long strong croup. Moves easy and active and showed a perfect silhouette on the move. RCC

  3 Pinkney’s Ch Hydebeck Currant Tyme, a big wheaten male with excellent proportion, very good head and expression, excellent pigmentation, black ears, long strong neck, well laid shoulder and upperarm, strong bone and feet, nice bend of stifles. Moves not as well as the two first today.

• PB (4, 1)

  1 O’Keeffe’s Calcara Gra, very feminine and curvy bitch puppy, excellent head & expression, excellent construction in front and rear, very good top- and underline, excellent movements with style, freedom and strength. a most promising puppy. BPIS

  2 Connolly’s Calcara Gurm; Also a very feminine and nicely built bitch puppy, but not really the quality of the first, still very promising, very good angulations both in front and rear. Moves easy and active.

  3 Finney’s Rathdaws Charity to Gulliagh; very good head & expression, nicely constructed with a lot of nice points. Didn’t really want to show today.

• JB (13, 3)

  1 Macaulay’s Gartlove Gartrallie, a beautiful feminine junior bitch built on lovely s-lines, excellent head and proportions, dark soft eyes, correct.bite, beautiful neck which flows smoothly into shoulder, well laid back shoulder and stands with her elbows well under. Excellent under- and topline, strong angulated hindquarters, a bit steep in croup, nice depth of chest for her age, very good bone and feet, harsh coat. Moves easy and active from all sides.

  2 Mullen’s Midnight Emma of Nutstown, black junior bitch with very good head and expression, proper length of neck, correct shoulder and upperarm but a bit low on front leg, very good brisket, very good hindquarters, strong croup, harsh coat. Moves without enough reach and drive and could carry herself with more pride.

  3 Donnelly’s Cu Antroime Clodagh, feminine head and expression, nice set ears, correct bite, a bit straight in shoulder and upper arm, straight pastern, excellent underline, but a bit flat topline, very good hindquarters. Moves nice from side, but very loose coming and going.

• NB (6, 2)

  1 Peiler’s Knocknarea Neillagh, long classic head with proper head planes and slight stop, dark eye, strong under- and upper-jaw, excellent thin rose ears, well laid back shoulder and upperarm, a bit straight in pastern, very good under- and topline, very good hindquarters, excellent bone and feet, harsh coat, strong croup with lovely width and very good tail set. Moves easy and very balanced.

  2 Finney’s Gulliagh Jardis, similar in type and quality to my number one, but didn’t really liked being handled today. Moved very well from all sides.

  3 Crawford & Poole’s Marlaw Freya Bwarned, very good size and proportions, feminine head and expression, balanced angulation in front and rear. Moves with long strides from side, but very loose coming and going.

• UGB (5, 1)

  1 O’Neill’s Gulliagh Jil Pole, a feminine quality bitch which combines volume and substance in a very nice way, lovely head with small rose ears, strong long neck which is excellent set on. Well laid back shoulder and upperarm, very good forechest, strong well- ribbed back brisket, excellent hindquarters with low set hocks, long strong croup, very good bone and feet, harsh coat. Moved well from all sides.

  2 Brown & Hanley’s Macushla Cunaardri, Beautiful head and expression, nice set rose ears, strong neck, very good under- and topline, good depth of chest which is well ribbed back. balanced in her angulations, strong croup, very good bone and feet, excellent coat texture. Stands and moves cowhocked. Nice length of step.

  3 Cocup’s Gulliagh Spice, a bitch which is very high on her legs and a bit upright in her angulations, a bit flat in croup which gives her a high tail on the move, well developed body, suitable bone, very good feet, harsh coat. Moves very easy and active, but could have a longer step.

• PGB (7, 2)

  1 Rainey & Shaw Rainey’s Lady of Nutstown with Starchelle, a very feminine medium sized bitch, very good head with excellent expression, excellent rose ears,.very good neck and topline, well laid back shoulder, very good upperarm but turning her elbow a bit out both standing and on the move. A bit round brisket with very good forechest, very good hindquarters, nice bone and feet. Moves with long and effective steps.

  2 Finney’s Gulliagh Scarlet, sound bitch of nice size and proportions, excellent head and expression, nice rose ears, very good angulations in front and hindquarters, strong broad croup, a bit short in second thigh. Moves a bit close behind and could have more drive in rear.

  3 Barnbrook & Smith-King’s Santir Spirit of Scotland at Bribiba, a nice wheaten bitch which didn’t show with confidence. Think she was a bit unhappy with the church bells. Very good head and expression with excellent pigmentation, very good angulations.

• LB (4, 2)

  1 O’Keeffe’s Calcara Failte, long feminine head with level planes, excellent kind expression, well set ears, excellent front with a nice forechest, well bodied, strong broad croup, nice tailset, excellent hindquarters, very good bone and feet, harsh coat. Completely true coming and going. From side she moves so easy and active, so it´s an enjoyment just to watching her going around. RCC

  2 O’Neill’s Tibridarn Tuesday at Ballyvonair, a bitch of excellent size and proportions, very good head and expressions, strong neck, nice set-on to shoulders, very good forechest, excellent top- and underline, strong broad croup, very good hindquarters, strong bone, nice feet and harsh coat. Moves very well from all sides.

• OB (8, 4)

  1 Howe’s Ch Mascott My Oonagh. She immediately caught my heart when she entered the ring. She has beautiful flowing; curvy outline with a long strong neck which flowed into her laid back shoulder. Excellent topline with arch over the loin. Excellent hindquarters with low set hocks. Lovely width over thigh and hocks. Very good bone and feet. Nice depth of chest which was well ribbed back. Perhaps a bit long in loin, but it didn’t disturb her outlines. On top of all that a beautiful head with excellent rose ears. Moved easy and active with reach and drive, completely true coming and going. CC, BIS

  2 Macaulay’s Gartlove Garlic Buff, also a lovely curvy bitch of excellent quality although a bit low on her legs, feminine head and expression, excellent front with elbows well under, nice depth of chest, excellent underline, excellent hindquarters, but a bit step in croup, very good bone and feet. Moved easy and active, a bit narrow behind.

  3 Tugby’s Rynchanon Cowboys ´n´Kisses, very good head and expression, strong long neck which is nicely set on to shoulders, very good brisket and underline, a bit soft in topline both standing and going, excellent hindquarters, very good bone and feet, harsh coat. Moved well.

• VB (3, 1)

  1 Peiler’s Ir Ch Knocknarea Orlando, a nine and half year old bitch who moves like a young bitch, long easy and active movement, presented in a superb condition, excellent head, expression and pigmentation, very well constructed with her elbows well under, nice flowing lines from head to feet. Congratulation to the breeder and owner of this lovely old lady.

  2 Finney’s Gulliagh Zolde, lovely head and expression, corect bite, long strong neck, very good front with nice forechest, very good hindquarters, very good bone and feet, harsh coat, well ribbed back brisket, nice width over thigh and hocks, very good condition. Moves well for age.