Rare breeds set to strut their stuff at Offaly show

MOUNT Briscoe Organic Farm is set to host the inaugural ‘Mount Briscoe Rare and Traditional Breeds Show’ on Sunday July 30 near Daingean, County Offaly.

The event aims to showcase and promote Ireland’s native and traditional breeds in cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and goats. It also hopes to raise awareness about endangered heritage breeds of livestock.

Founder Margaret Edgill says many of Ireland’s traditional livestock breeds have been replaced with more “improved” breeds in modern animal agriculture.

She says this has happened at the expense of a massive loss in genetic diversity.

Worldwide it is estimated that around one domesticated livestock breed is lost to extinction every month.

The Kerry, Irish Moile (Maol), Dexter cattle, Irish Draught horse, Connemara pony, Kerry Bog Pony and Galway sheep currently range from endangered to ‘minority’ on the Department of Agriculture’s watch-list.

“Our rare breeds need to be showcased and celebrated. Show’s like this are very important to show support for our agricultural heritage,” said Margaret, who started breeding Irish Draft horses a decade ago.

Two years ago, the organic and Hereford suckler farmer bought two Irish Moiled cattle and started showing them as a hobby.

“Why Irish Moiled? Their docile nature, their uniqueness, their disposition - you simply can’t help but love them. They truly do have a personality. I call my two girls Coco and Chanel, plus this year’s heifer calf is ‘Mount Briscoe Chantal’ in keeping the French theme,” she said.

“At one stage recently there were just 35 Irish Moiles left, they were scarily low in numbers, thankfully they have now come off the watch-list as endangered,” she said.

The show, supported by the Irish Rare Breeds Society, will take place on her family’s 32 hectare holding and is an opportunity for livestock conservation organisations’ members, breeders, farmers, fans, and sponsors to advocate for conservation of heritage breeds in agriculture.

“The Mount Briscoe Rare and Traditional Breeds Show will give an opportunity to learn about biodiversity in agriculture and sharing information about heritage breeds. We are hoping it will become an annual event,” she said.

The show schedule is available on www. mountbriscoe.ie and breed classes include Registered Irish Draught, Registered Connemara Ponies, Irish Moiled, Hereford and Shorthorn cattle, Jacob, Suffolk and Galway sheep. Postal entries close July 19, online July 26. Displays from Kerry Bog Pony, Dromineen, Dexter, Old Irish Goat, Hampshire Down will also feature.