This selection of Irish animals, native or introduced, is taken from the Appletree Press title Animals of Ireland. There will be a number of extracts from the book in coming months. The book contains highly detailed full colour illustrations to complement the detailed explanatory text.

Connemara Pony
Equus caballus
Capaillín chonamara

The Connemara pony is a living symbol of Ireland's ancient past for it is believed that it is a descendant of animals brought to the country by the Celts. As such it cannot be considered 'native' and since the early years of the 20th century (when it was first bred under controlled conditions) it hardly merits the term 'feral'. The ponies have, however, traditionally run wild in the Connemara countryside and have developed many of the characteristics of the semi-wild or feral horses found in other parts of the world like those of the Camargue in the south of France.

Though it has retained much of the spiritedness of the 'free-range' animal, the Connemara has other characteristics which have made it much sought after both in Ireland and abroad. It is a sturdy, compact animal and, having good bone structure and relatively short legs, has been found to be ideal for work in awkward circumstances. Its surefootedness has made it ideal for work in uneven, rocky terrain. In the past it was much utilised in mining and quarrying activities. Because of this versatility and its acclaimed good-naturedness it has also become a valuable animal in equestrian activities. Its smallish size and reliability have rendered it highly usable by children; it is also widely used by adults in show-jumping and hunting.

Since the 1920s, when the Connemara Breeders Society was established, a register of pure bred mares has been kept. The idea has been to try to propagate for future generations the type of animal which typified the breed. Important criteria were that the ponies should have free and easy movement, compact deep-set bodies, good bone and an ideal height of 13 to 14 hands – approximately 1.4 metres (4.5 feet). The colour of the animal was once typically dun but interbreeding with Arab and Spanish stock has generated varieties of a number of different colours including bay, brown, black, grey and occasionally chestnut. The commonest colour is now grey.

Though presently kept in many Irish counties, the main stock of these ponies is still found in Connemara. They have been exported to many countries throughout the world and there are now Connemara Pony Societies in the UK, USA, Scandinavia, Australia and elsewhere.

Other Large Mammals from Animals of Ireland include:
Fallow Deer |
Feral Goat |
Red Deer |
Sika Deer