Dirnanean's Shining Knight of Bramblyn

Breeder : Overdene Golden Retrievers Breed : Golden Retriever
Location : WITNEY, Oxfordshire
26th December 2008 - 24th May 2024
Colour : Golden
Health Tested ⓘ

We are sorry to report that Dirnanean's Shining Knight of Bramblyn (known as Breacán to his friends) left us aged nearly 15½ on Friday, 24 May 2024 - almost 4 months to the day since his litter brother died in January. Breacán was the firstborn puppy in his mother Rayne's final litter of just two dog puppies by Hindringham Hot Pursuit to Bramblyn. He and his brother were the last "Dirnaneans" to be bred by me prior to my sister, Dr E C Svennevik taking over sole interest in the Dirnanean kennel name during 2009.

When 8 weeks old, Breacán and his litter brother, Bruster (Dirnanean's Wise Man of Bramblyn) went to live within a few miles of each other, their father and various other paternal relatives in Surrey, and it was always part of our plan to use the boys to help continue the Dirnanean line, subject to clear eyes and acceptable hip scores in due course. Breacán takes after his mother's side of the family, whilst his brother Bruster is much more like their father.

Breacán achieved all three Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme awards (Bronze 28.11.09, Silver 20.06.10 and Gold 05.07.10) before he was 19 months old, having also completed the Puppy Foundation Award (22.06.09). He has done agility, heelwork to music, obedience and gundog training - the latter being something for which he has always shown promise. His father, Hindringham Hot Pursuit to Bramblyn (known as Lancer to his friends) is a fully trained gundog, and in 2005, Lancer was among the first six Golden Retrievers to get the new KC Gundog Working Certificate (KCGWC) - they all won it on the same day, though in different parts of the country.

Breacán has been placed at obedience shows and working tests, and his results to date (1.12.11) include:

- 17 April 2011 - 1st at the Southern Golden Retriever Society (SGRS) Novice Dog/Novice Handler Training Working Test (at his very first try);
- 10 July 2011 - 1st Special Beginners at a SGRS Working Test day held at Farnham, Surrey;
- 25 September 2011 - 2nd in Novice Dog/Novice Handler Working Test (SRGS, Holywell Estate, Hants), which was his first full proper Working Test

And at the SGRS's Limited Obedience Show on 30 October 2011, Breacán was placed 5th (out of 16) in the Pre-Beginners Obedience.

Breacán has clear eyes under the KC/BVA scheme (last tested 23.5.13), and a hip score of 3:3 (see health test results above).

*** STOP PRESS *** Breacán achieved his Working Gundog Certificate on Friday, 30 August 2013!

Breacán sired only one litter but it is from that that all current Dirnanean and Kindrogan Golden Retrievers are descended. (His brother Bruster is behind the Overdene direct bitch line.) We have much to be grateful to these two boys for helping carry on the old dual purpose lines from which all Overdenes are descended.