Digging up golden Irish setter history –help needed

[Henk ten Klooster]

Your help is needed to dig up some golden Irish setter history.

Recently a great grand daughter of the first breeder of Menaifrons, Edgar Rea, asked me to send some old material on this once famous dual kennels. This "to pass on this history to (grand) children."

Questions rise, like where does the name Menaifron comes from, what happened with kennelbooks when the second breeder Mary Holt (for a short time president of the Irish Setter Association of England) died, are there publications available on Mary Holt and/or Edgar Rea, what strains still contain Menaifron lineage (in my dogs via Sulhamstead, Derrycarne, Moanruad).

Best known dogs from the Rea period of Menaifron were Ch Jim O’Moy (born 1923) and his son Ch Menaifron Pat ‘Moy (1927). Last one is pictured here.

Thanks for input that may add to highlighting days when the same Irish setter won in fields and show.

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

Interesting, Henk. I will see if I can find any information.

[" Lordly " Jean en Rita Struyf-De Groof]

Hello Henk,

Digging deep I found something.

[Henk ten Klooster]

Thanks for your findings, Jean and Rita and Myra for any future contribution. References to Edgar Rea are very scarce in breedbooks and publications read here. One of the few:

IMG_0001.pdf

Remarkable that findings are so scarce, since Ch Menaifron Pat O'Moy is still given credit of winning most cc's in breeds history in Janice Roberts book The Irish Setter (New York, 1978).

The only book with more info on Rea here was Raymond O'Dwyers The Irish Red Setter (Dublin, 2007).

All info is/will be send to his gg daughter who still has a few medals of those dual winning red setters.

[Rhonda Fisher]

Wonderful to look back at the older Irish. A delightful part of Forum.