‘They’re docile, easy to manage cattle with great milk and fertility – I think they are the ideal suckler’

LIAM FITZGERALD was drawn to Parthenaise because they are “docile, easy-to-manage cattle with great milk and fertility”.

“I think they are the ideal suckler,” he continues.

“I had been keeping another breed of commercial continentals and found them to be difficult to manage because some of them could be very wild and they were heavy animals as well, which was not best suited to my farm, up to half of which can be wet.”

Liam founded his herd in 2006 with the purchase of two Parthenaise heifers imported from France by the breed society.

“They were two of the quietest animals I have ever seen in my lifetime and came from two of the top farms in France. They were a great success,” he says.

“My herd favourite would be Alamira Brenda, who was bred from one of the first Parthenaise I purchased. She has progeny in England, Northern Ireland, Australia and the Czech Republic.

“She was the dam of Alamira Harry, who was selected for the Gene Ireland programme, and winner of a gold and two silver awards on the same day at Tullamore Show with some of Brenda’s progeny.

“That was definitely one of the highlights of breeding Parthenaise for us.”

While scoring animals in the herd, one of the top livestock judges in the country spotted a two-monthold calf which impressed him.

“You have some calf there,” he told Liam, “he’s an outstanding young bull.”

In 2011, that young bull Alamira Ferrari was shown at numerous shows, claiming the top spot wherever he went. His unbeaten show circuit success was capped when he was crowned Overall Breed Champion at the National Livestock Show in Tullamore.

“I refused big money for him on the day. There was an AI company very interested in getting him. At 11 months he went to a herd in the UK and the same man has bought three more bulls from me since,” says Liam.

In 2012, he produced another exceptional bull, Alamira Harry, who followed in Ferrari’s footsteps to claim a second National Livestock Show Championship for the herd.

Home sales

Alamira Isabel had repeat success in 2014 and 2015, winning the Junior Female Champion followed by the Senior Female Champion title.

In 2018, two of Liam’s bulls claimed first and second places in the Junior Bull class.

He has a remarkable record of home sales for his bulls to repeat customers.

“I like to build up a relationship with my customers, and it’s great when they trust me to supply them with a reliable bull year after year,” he says.

“I came home from Bantry Show after winning Champion Male with Alamira Leo and uploaded a picture of the bull on an internet site.

“I had him sold to the UK before the night was out.”

Alamira Brenda is one of the top dams in the herd and a link with the first two Parthenaise cattle purchased by Liam in 2006