Overdene Aoibhgreine with Bramblyn

Owner : Overdene Golden Retrievers Breed : Golden Retriever
Location : WITNEY, Oxfordshire
29th July 2009 - 1st December 2025
Colour : Golden
Health Tested ⓘ

We are very sad to report the passing of our lovely Grian, aged almost 16½ on Monday, 1 December 2025.

Aoibhgréine meaning "sun" or "sun goddess" in old Irish, but known as Grian to her many friends, was the puppy which we kept from Aoife's 2nd litter by Hindringham Hot Pursuit to Bramblyn.

Although initially Grian wasn't considered the "looker" amongst the 3 bitch puppies, she quickly came into her own when her siblings left home, and happily settled into being a "bigger girl" with her Granny Kyriaki, Auntie Rayne and older sister, Niamh (as well as her mother Aoife, of course). Despite having a bit of a stubborn streak on occasions (probably inherited from her mother!), she proved to be a quick learner most of the time. She was a joy to take around as she was an excellent traveller (not always the case at first with Overdene youngsters), and although a little reserved at first, and inclined to sit and think as she took in new things, once she had worked it out, there was no stopping her.

Despite taking time to settle down, Grian made a promising start to her show career in 2010, and she was placed at every Open Show she attended over the time which had elapsed since, gently handled by Rachel Reeve, whom Grian absolutely adored. In 2016, as a veteran, Grian returned to the show ring, qualifying for Crufts 2017 and 2018, and picking up a Best Veteran in Breed award at the City of Birmingham championship show in September 2016 in the process.

As is the case with all our bitches, Grian was DNA profiled. She had clear eyes under the KC/BVA scheme, and her hip score came back at 6:6 (see results of health tests above). Sadly, however, Grian only had one litter and after she became a grandmother in June 2014 when her son Rufus sired his first litter, the decision was made and Grian was spayed in July 2014. Her line continues through her granddaughter, Iris (Dirnanean Raynebow over Overdene) who came to live at Overdene in August 2014, and her daughter Rúadhnait from whose first litter we kept Sibéal in 2015, and Dearbhaile from her final litter in 2019. Eventually Sibéal gave us Eithne, and then in 2025, Dearbhaile had a litter from which we had Nike back from Dirnanean - both Eithne and Nike are our direct bitch line as a result.

We were thrilled when Grian placed 3rd in the Open Bitch class at the Gundog Society of Wales championship show on 11 October 2017 - that gave her her Stud Book number. She was our first home-bred Golden to gain a Stud Book number.

With nothing more to prove in the show ring which she never really liked anyway, in June 2018, Grian went to live with Bruster, her 1/2 brother by another mother (our late Rayne), in Surrey following the death of his elderly companion. She quickly made herself at home, and after Bruster's death in January 2024, Grian became companion to her nephew, one of Bruster's sons out of our late Niamh, called Finzi. Finzi was particularly smitten with Auntie Grian from the first time he met her after he went to his new home at 8 weeks! And latterly, Eithne's son Bamse (Bruster's great grandson) joined the family; whilst Grian wasn't always impressed, she was at least, as she always had been with puppies, gentle and fairly tolerant.

Grian celebrated her 15th birthday on Monday, 29 July 2024 with a party, including presents and cake. We were also able, finally, to get a photographs of her with her Stud Book number certificate, awarded in 2017. Better late than never! We were also able to give her another birthday party on 29 July 2025 when she turned 16; although one of her 1/2 sisters (same father) reached 18 in 2024, passing away 6 weeks after that milestone, I think we always suspected that her 2025 birthday would be her last.

Overdene has much to be grateful for to Grian, who is also behind our family's Dirnanean and Kindrogan lines through her son, Rufus (Overdene Cumhai) and daughter, Ruadhnait. She might have only give us one litter, and despite only being survived now by Ruadhnait, she made sure our family's lines were secure.