Ira Down nominee for 'The Nose of Tralee'

The adorable five-year-old Cavachon was entered into the 32-county competition by her owner Inis who happened upon it somewhere on social media and thought, “I'll nominate her and just see what happens.”

And when we meet the fast-emerging local celebrity in a coffee shop in Newry, with Inis, it’s clear to see why Ira won the Down entry for the ‘Nose of Tralee’.

The online competition that’s open to all pets, concludes on August 17, with the public votes, open now at https://tinyurl.com/irathecavachon, counted and this year’s winner announced.

“With a heart as big as her personality, wherever Ira goes, she leaves behind wagging tails, smiling faces, and new friends. She isn’t just a beautiful dog with a charming face, she is a gentle, caring companion who brings comfort and happiness to everyone she meets” reads the competition description of Ira under her profile picture.

“She loves learning tricks, meeting new people, and spreading happiness wherever she goes. For her caring nature, community work, adventurous spirit, and wonderful temperament, Ira would be a worthy Nose of Tralee.”

“I had to write a story about her, and I said that she's a pet therapy dog, and she volunteers for the Southern Area Healthcare Trust,” explained Inis.

“So far, we've been to Daisy Hill Children's Ward and it's just been so perfect. Then we went to two care homes in Newry. Most of the residents we met were over 75, mainly suffering from dementia, so that was really, really nice, because it got them to talk about when they had dogs.”

They also visited a Young Adult Centre that supports teenagers with learning disabilities, and Ira proved to be a hit there too.

“There was one young lad who interacted with her, but would never interact with anybody else. The support workers thought that this was brilliant, so we will go back to there.”

Meanwhile, Ira is sitting happily beside us, tail wagging, enjoying her puppuccino and the attention that being the Down ‘Nose of Tralee’ brings.

Apart from her credentials as a pet therapy dog, Ira has spread the love far beyond the Newry area and Forkhill where she comes from, having spent six months living in Vancouver, Canada.

“I was going to try out moving there and she’s my dog, so she was coming with me,” said Inis who described the long journey as trouble-free.

“She was in a wee pet carrier bag under the seat in front of me. She was actually really, really good.”

Ira loved Canada to, but she and Inis had to live downtown which was not ideal as the area has a lot of social and drug issues.

“It was hard to try and find somewhere that would let you live with a dog, especially short-term anyway. So, we lived in the heart of it all, which was really not nice.”

But they made some great friends during their time there.

“My best friend was there at the time, and then we met this massive Cork contingency. We made friends with them, and so they've all been voting for her as well.”

Back home, Ira spends a lot of time walking in Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor where the pair travel to from their home in Jonesborough. She is easy to spot, aside from her friendly nature and cute face, as the competition organisers, Pet Sitters Ireland, have provided her with her own personalised bandana and sash, which Ira wears with pride.

She’s up against mostly other dogs, a few cats and one goat -County Clare winner, Baaaarney .

“Now if the goat wins, fair enough,” conceded Inis with a laugh.

But Ira needs your vote if she’s to become the next ‘Nose of Tralee’. Voting and more information can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/irathecavachon