The Kerry Blue is first documented in 1847, when it was described as bluish slate in colour, marked with darker blotches and patches, and often with black about the legs and muzzle. These dogs were supposedly more common in
Kerry, but were also seen elsewhere. With the development of dog shows in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the breed became standardised and "tidied up" for the show ring. The Irish nationalist leader
Michael Collins owned a famous Kerry Blue named Convict 224. Collins even made an attempt to have the Kerry Blue adopted as the national dog of Ireland. The first show of the Dublin Irish Blue Terrier Club took place outside official curfew hours and was entered both by those fighting for and against an Irish republic. The Dublin Irish Blue Terrier Club was so successful it led directly to the foundation of the
Irish Kennel Club, and a Kerry Blue was the first dog that club registered. In the early days of competitive dog showing, the
Irish Kennel Club required that dogs pass a "
gameness" test – known as
Teastas Mor certification – to become eligible for showing. == Characteristics ==