Over 100 people gathered at Ballyvolane House in Co Cork to celebrate the launch of the Droimeann cattle herdbook.

The native Irish breed has struggled to gain its own pedigree status and dedicated breeders were delighted to gain official pedigree recognition for the breed.

“People said that these were mongrel cattle, that they were crossbreds between shorthorn and other breeds ... but they've proven that they're a heritage to be treasured,” Matt Hayden-English, chair of the Droimeann Cattle Society, told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Originally called Droimfhionn, meaning "white back" in Irish, the Droimeanns are thought to be one of the oldest cattle breeds in Ireland and were valued as a dairy breed.

But breeders have attested to the breed’s maternal and docile traits, with the infamous Ballyvolane House gin named “Big Bertha” after a Droimeann cow, who at 48 years old was awarded the Guinness record for oldest cow in the world.

Key stakeholders who assisted the breed along the way were invited to give a presentation including ICBF, Teagasc, Weatherbys and the Department of Agriculture.

Paul Flynn of Weatherbys outlined the work the genetic group had undertaken to help gain pedigree status for Droimeann cattle.

“We had 188 animals that we used as a base group for testing … we now have a unique Droimeann signature,” Flynn said.

Not only did Weatherbys test the Droimeann genetics against continental breeds, but also against more native and British Isle breeds, such as Kerry, White Park and Dexter, to check against any genetic overlap.

Flynn said that there was “a near ocean of space between Droimeanns and Irish Moiled” .

To make a breed like this commercially viable is not a quick buck

It has taken several years of testing and funding for the Droimeanns to identify their own genetic strain, and Nicola Hobson from the Department of Agriculture complimented the hard work and dedication of the breeders in getting it to this stage.

Funding and establishment for any burgeoning breed can be difficult and Droimeann breeder Tom Keane thanked sponsors BLF Nutrition and all the key stakeholders saying, “we owe all these people a huge debt of gratitude”.

“To make a breed like this commercially viable is not a quick buck and we’re really grateful for the sponsorship.”

The Droimeann Cattle Society now hopes to attract retailers and marketers interested in starting a targeted campaign for Droimeann dairy or beef products, and emulate the success of other native breeds.

With just over 200 breeding females in the country, it also plans to work on growing the herdbook and firmly establishing the breed for generations to come.

Read more

Dynamite blows competition away at Hereford nationals

Syndicate of five win Diageo Baileys champion cow