Wayne winning hearts with Wolfhound walks

A KELLS man who owns a pack of Irish Wolfhounds says it's his dream to share the ancient breed with the people of Ireland.

Wayne McMahon (44) who has plans to start guided historical walking tours with the majestic animals that include Tara, Connell, Mac, Bran, Cu and Kevin says he can't walk down the street with the brood without being stopped by amazed passers by.

Dog mad Wayne also owns Irish Red Setter called Oscar, an Irish Terrier called Lady MacBeth and an American Bulldog called Daisy.

The pampered pooches who weigh between an astonishing 65-75kg and are 34" standing and a jaw dropping 6.5ft on their back legs have been a labour of love for the dad of two who said:

"When I was a child, I was just fascinated with Irish mythology. Irish Wolfhounds were always featured in books and there was always something so magical about them. I was just in awe of them but you could never get near them you don't really see them very often so they were very allusive.

"Five years ago I got my first wolfhound and I was like a child, it was amazing to finally have one. If I'm out walking with them, I get a great kick out of it, they all walk calmly behind me. Lots of people can't believe what they are seeing, it can take a while to get down the street."

There are some special meanings behind the pack's names as Wayne explains:

"Connell is named after Daniel O'Connell, the great liberator, Tara, The Queen/matriarch of our pack named after the ancient Hill of Tara. We have a few Saints in our pack also! Kevin - St Kevin of Glendalough, Brendan the Navigator," Barra - after St Finbarr of Cork whose birthday was close to Barras. Cu - in honour of the Gaelic name for hound and our Red setter is called Oscar - after Oscar Wilde and he's is wildly energetic!"

Wayne who owns a novelty shop that sells joke items, costumes and wigs, says the pandemic gave him the time to focus on his passion.

"Covid has turned everything upside down, lots of people are evaluating their lives.

" I had three novelty shops in Dublin but I have closed two. I was trying to keep up with paying extortionate rents.

"I was under pressure, the only times I felt I was getting relief was when I was out with my dogs.

"I always had it in the back of my head that these dogs should be shared more to promote Ireland."

The business man turned dog whisperer hopes his new venture "The Wolfhound Experience" will allow people to get up close and personal the native hounds and learn about history along the way.

"We are hoping to start walking tours in Dublin for tourists so they can learn about the history of the area and the history of the dogs.

"I'd love to do some tours locally too, we are brainstorming at the moment so hopefully we have firmer plans later in the year."

Historians believe 'wolfdogs of Ireland' were a popular gift to give to Roman consuls, as well as to kings, shahs and other dignitaries from around the world.

Legend also has it that Cormac mac Airt, one of the High Kings of Ireland, who is thought to have reigned at some point between the 2nd and 4th centuries, had an army of some 300 Irish Wolfhounds.

"In 391 AD, the Roman statesman Quintus Aurelius Symmachus wrote a letter of thanks to his brother for the gift of seven Irish hounds, noting that “all Rome viewed them in wonder.”

"They would take things from India and all sorts of places they had conquered.

"One year they tried to get bears from India and it didn't work out and the Irish consular said I'm going to send you seven wolfhounds, they had never seen anything like it. That was 1700 years ago and it's kind of still the same today."

The Kells man gets plenty of help caring for the pack by wife Olivia and daughters Molly (9) and Muireann (7).

"Our two young girls adore the dogs and we all view them very much as family members. The girls especially love to help with feeding and grooming them.

“The majority of the dogs sleep very comfortably in our converted stables while the older ones have their own special quarters in the basement of our home.

"They are social creatures like humans in many ways, they love to meet new people. One of the reasons their instagram account, @thewolfhoundexperience has a such a strong following is because it really showcases this beautiful native Irish breed for anyone who loves dogs - and that's a lot of people it seems!"