Munster herds dominate Holstein Friesian awards
MUNSTER-BASED herds dominated in the Irish Holstein Friesian Association National Herds of the Year 2018 contest, taking half of the awards, which were shared by Cork, Limerick and Kerry entries.
The results were announced at the IHFA National Open Day which was held at Balgeeth, Ardcath, Co Meath on Wednesday.
Leading the field in a tight contest among the larger herds in the over 80 cows class was the renowned Laurelelm Herd of Rickey Barrett at Adamstown, Ballinhassig, Co Cork, edging a whisker ahead of the Kilwarden Herd of Brochan & Joseph Cocoman, Kill, Co Kildare, which received the Judges Choice Award.
The results in the section for herds of under 80 cows added another award for the Hallow Holstein Herd of Philip and Linda Jones, Killowen, Gorey, Co Wexford, whose super dairy stock has swept the boards over the past three years, taking almost every possible honour, including the RUAS Championship, Diageo National Dairy Cow Championship, IHFA National Champion Dairy Cow 2017, and so on.
In second place in this section was the Borkilbeg Herd of Dermot Jackson, Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, the host herd of the inaugural National Open Day more than a quarter of a century ago which was revisited for the event last year.
The competition is always tight for the honours in the Spring Calving Herd section and this year the honours went to the Everground Herd of Michael and Margaret Laffan at Croagh, Co Limerick, whose herd has been coming to the fore with some force in recent years and is now ranked top within its section in the country.
The close contender in this section was the well known Radney Herd of Henry and Liam O’Keeffe in North Cork, whose ‘super’ cows performance has been profiled in these pages.