To the Irish the werewolf is not a beast, but a guardian and protector of children, wounded men and lost people.
According to legend, werewolves were even recruited by Irish kings to fight in battle. And they are not known as werewolves, but faoladh or conroicht. They do occasionally attack sheep or cattle, but their hunting patterns are no different than a regular wolf. If surprised in wolf form they usually turn back to humans, and run off. However, after changing back into a man or woman, evidence of their lupine adventure remains on their bodies. If wounded, the injury remains. If they kill a sheep or cow, the telltale bloodstains stay on their faces and hands.
The most famous of the mythical Irish werewolves are the people of Ossory (modern day Kilkenny) whose legends live on even today. Among other lingering tales, the Ossory folk were documented by none other than Giraldus Cambrensis who, in the year 1185 transcribed what was no doubt a much older, oral folktale. According to Giraldus, the Ossory werewolves worked in pairs, male and female. A chosen couple lived as wolves for seven years before returning to human form to be replaced by a matched set of two others. During their time as wolves, they fed from the herds but this was taken as their due for watching over wandering children, healing the wounded, and guiding lost strangers to safety.