All modern Irish Water Spaniels can trace their ancestry back to a dog named Boatswain. He was bred by a Mr Justin McCarthy from what is now called Albert Road, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland in 1834. This is Boatswain, on the left.
Bell Of The Falls
Irish American Boy
The Kennel Club has introduced breed health standards. Genetic diversity key for health testing for Irish water spaniels