Nicola and Matthew secured the "Brogholme" affix in September 2005. This name is based on the word "Broghill". That is the name of the tower next to their house and is also the logo they use along with a Berner's head.

They live just outside a village in the south of Ireland. There are plenty of woodlands, fields and beaches nearby for the dogs to enjoy. There is a river, a large stream and a lake near their home and the dogs all have fun swimming in them.

Matthew's family has always had a dog. Nicola bought her first dog in 1996. It was an English Springer Spaniel called Holly. After Nicola and Matthew got married in 2002, they looked in to getting another dog as a companion for Holly. They also wanted to get involved in showing. On September 11th 2003, after waiting a year for the right pup, they collected Tika. And so it began...

Both have been members of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Ireland since 2003. Nicola has been on the committee since 2004 and Matthew was voted in as a committee member at the 2005 A.G.M. Nicola is the Club's Treasurer. She also created and maintains the club's offical website (www.berneseireland.com). Matthew is currently the Club's secretary as well as being its southern representative.