Wolves in Ireland : a natural and cultural history / Kieran Hickey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hickey, K. R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wolves--Ireland--History.

Wolves.

Wolves--Social aspects--Ireland.

Social aspects.

History.

Ireland.

Physical Description:

155 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Dublin : Open Air ; Portland, OR : Four Courts Press, [2011]

Summary:

From prehistory to the present day, the wolf has always loomed large in the human imagination. An iconic symbol of the untamed and the wild, the wolf, as Ireland's last great predator, has always provoked fear, excitement, and wonder. This book examines a vast array of sources relating to wolves in Ireland. The book considers archaeological remains, name evidence (place and person, both in Irish and in English), and folklore. It also looks at the historical records of wolves in Ireland, including wolf attacks on livestock (and more rarely people) and describes how the extermination of wolves took place, with the last wolf being killed, most likely, in 1786. The causes of extermination are discussed in detail, including legislation, the role of bounties and professional wolf hunters, and deforestation. The book closes by assessing whether the Irish wolf could have been a unique sub-species and considers the controversial possibility of re-introduction.

Contents:

1 Introduction 13

Why a book on wolves in Ireland? 13

Last wolves in Ireland and Britain 14

Wolf-human interactions 15

Some basic wolf facts 16

2 Archaeological evidence 20

Introduction 20

Evidence from cave deposits - mostly glacial dates up to 13,000 years ago 20

Evidence from post-glacial sites - last 13,000 years 24

3 Names 29

Introduction 29

Irish names for the wolf and their explanation 29

Place-names in Irish, their origin, explanation and distribution 30

Place-names in English, their origin, explanation and map of their distribution 33

Ogham inscriptions 34

Personal names 35

Heraldic crests 36

4 Mythology, folklore and superstitions 37

Introduction 37

Wolves in ancient Irish myths and legends 38

Wolf encounters in the lives of Irish saints 40

Wolf references in the Brehon Laws 42

Wolves in more recent folklore 43

References to Irish wolves in literary works 48

The use of wolf parts in medicine and as medical charms 50

The belief that some Irish could change into wolves and werewolves 52

5 The historic record up to AD1786 and beyond? 60

Introduction 60

Chronology of recorded wolf incidents 60

Discussion and analysis of recorded incidents 79

Wolf incidents possibly later than 1786 83

Wolf-dogs in Ireland 83

6 Population estimates and wolf zoology from the historic data 88

Introduction 88

Population estimates for Ireland 88

Aspects of the zoology of the Irish wolf with reference to preferred habitats and breeding 95

Aspects of the zoology of the Irish wolf with reference to food requirements 98

Wolf attacks on humans 99

7 Causes of the decline and extermination of the wolf in Ireland 101

Introduction 101

Legislation dealing with the wolf problem in Ireland 101

Bounties and bounty hunters 102

Deforestation and habitat change 104

Human population change 106

Attitudes 106

8 Final comments 108

Introduction 108

The loss of one of our foremost predators 108

The possibility of the Irish wolf as a unique sub-species 108

The possibility of reintroduction 109

Wolf tourism 111

The threat from privately held wolves and wolf/dog hybrids in Ireland 112

Future research on Irish wolves 113.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 133-145) and index.

ISBN:

1846823064

9781846823060

OCLC:

707230219

Publisher Number:

99946502998