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Canon P. Doherty.
Canon P Doherty the President of the Irish Red and White Setter Club.
May he rest in peace.
TRIBUTE TO CANON P. DOHERTY
BY
TERRY O'LEARY
It was through my first involvement with Irish Red & White Setters in 1977 that I first became aware of Canon Pat Doherty or ‘The Canon’ as he was affectionately known to those who later came to know and admire him. Sean Walsh, a very good friend of mine and founder member of the Irish Red & White Setter Club, told me how he first met the Canon walking a red dog with a white blaze on his face, chest and four white feet. The colour of the dog intrigued Sean so he approached the Canon to ask him about this dog.
This was the start of a friendship that was to last over the years for they both had a common passion for shooting over Irish Setters and in later years Irish Red & White Setters. Although the Canon and Maureen were well known for Champions and Best of Breed winners from their Sheebhin Kennels, it was the Canon’s passion for hunting that I will most remember him for. It was his belief that no matter how good a dog’s confirmation was or how pretty it looked that it must also be able to hunt. A man who fully understood that an Irish Red & White Setter should be fit for function long before this term was commonly used and widely discussed as it is today. I have always felt that the Canon would have made an excellent Fieldtrial Judge had he been a younger man. The wealth of experience he gained over the years of hunting with his dogs gave him an insight on how a dog should work that cannot be gained by the mere reading of books.
The Canon was in the true sense of the word a gentle man but over the years in his capacity as President of the Irish Red & White Setter Club he showed himself on more than one occasion to be a strong and decisive individual when needed. I attended the Canon’s Requiem Mass in Rathmore, Co. Kerry on 25th July 2009. The Irish Red & White Setter Club was represented by David Byrne, Mark Ruymbeke, Trudy Walsh and myself. The Mass was also attended by Tom Creamar a former president of the IKC and his wife Kay. A message from Sean Delmar President of the IKC was read out at the Mass expressing his condolences and acknowledging the Canon’s involvement in the revival of the Irish Red & White Setter.
Despite the fact that the Canon was retired as Parish Priest of Rathmore since 1995 one could not but be impressed by the huge turnout of the Rathmore parishioners young and old alike. The Canon was laid to rest in the church ground as is the tradition in the parish.
Afterwards we were invited to lunch in the community hall which is within the church grounds. It is there that I discussed the Canon and his love of dogs and hunting with Donal O’Leary (no relation) a long time friend of the Canon’s, who used to handle the Canon’s dogs in the odd fieldtial and one or two of the Canon’s old shooting buddies. We all agreed that seeing as how the Canon had given a lifetime of service to the Church, surely, when he got to Heaven there was a hillside waiting for him where he can run his much loved Irish Red & White Setters and hunt woodcock!
Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
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