HISTORY was made at last month’s Bantry Agricultural Show when the first ever class for Droimeann cattle in Ireland was held at the popular West Cork show.

It’s a breed of cattle that many outside the farming world may be unaware of, but several West Cork famers have been instrumental in bringing the once common breed back into prominence.

The fact that the class was held is testament to how important this breed, which is translated as ‘White Backed’ and how it has been associated with ancient Celtic history and had existed all over Ireland.

However, trends changed and other breeds were brought into the country and it lost favour so to speak. But now it’s making a comeback thanks to these dedicated farmers.

Droimeann or ‘DroimFhionn’ cattle are small to medium framed animals with good body length and are generally short horned with dark tips.

They have a placid temperament and have a good character along with longevity of life, high fertility and ease of calving. They are also highly intelligent and make excellent mothers.

James Casey from Ballydehob is one such farmer who is leading the way in ensuring Droimeann cattle become part of Irish farming life going into the future.

“It was the first ever class at an agricultural confined to just Droimeann cattle in Ireland. Credit must be given to Dan McCarthy who asked the organisers of the show to include the class in their show. They obliged and we all supported it,” said James.

“There were four exhibitors at the show with five Droimeann cattle in total on display. All the exhibitors like myself were local and I had two cattle in this class. There was a good crowd there watching the judging and we had signs up explaining the history of the breed too.”

James said the Droimeann breed are probably one of the oldest native cattle in this country and can be traced back to St Brigid’s time.

“However, they were nearly extinct by the 40s and 50s because the frieisians were brought in and they were able to out produce them. A Mrs Hand from Kenmare spent her life preserving the breed and when she passed away a Fergus O’Sullivan brought her herd and only for his effors the breed would have been extinct.”

In the intervening years some farmers continued with the Droimeann breed and the Droimeann Cattle Society was established in December 2016.

“I started breeding them from around 2007 and I was the first one here in West Cork to have them officially as there were a lot of diluted animals. I brought tow heifers and a bull from Dan O’Sullivan in Killorglin and then picked up a few more locally that were diluted but were from Droimeann ancestry.”

James has 34 Droimeann cattle between cows, calves and bulls and the breed was officially recognised by the Department of Agriculture in 2018 and it was also recognised by the United Nations as being a critically endangered species.

The last breed of cattle to be recognised in the State was back in 1926 with the Irish Moiled, which is now celebrating its centenary this year.

“Our society only started in 2016 so we had to build up a breeding programme and we then got an official breed code in 2020. Once we set up the society we met up with the ICBF, the department and Teagasc we were the first ever society to have DNA samples taken for them all.”

This has now meant that the herd has expanded from about 300 females but with only about 20 pure breed to over 1,000 breeding females with 200 to 300 pedigree females.

James is hopeful that other agricultural shows in West Cork will follow Bantry’s example of having sole Druimeann class.

“Hopefully now it’s a start. When I started in 2007 I was the only one with Droimeann cattle but now we have 16 famers in West Cork with the breed and there are about 150 breeding females of high purity.”   

James described the Droimeann cattle as good foragers.

“They eat bushes, briars and leaves of the trees. They do quite well on rough land and terrain down here in West Cork and South Kerry suits them. As well as being good foragers, they are highly fertile and also have a very short gestation period.”

He is confident that the future is secure for the Droimeann breed with more farmers coming on board all the time and the fact that are 16 in West Cork alone also bodes well.