Some of Ireland’s young poultry keepers have been vying for the title of Ireland’s largest egg in recent weeks.

Four-year-old twins Michael and Aaron McDonald from Tullamore had one of their six hens lay a 124g egg in early May. The average hen egg weighs between 50g and 70g.

The Maran chicken is minded daily by the Offaly boys, who attend Little Scallywags Playschool, Ballinamere. Their beef and tillage farming parents Emma and Tom are very proud with Emma saying “it was nearly like an ostrich egg, two yolks and all”.

Meath

Twelve-year-old Meath teen Seán Guy had a jumbo find when one of his 12 Rhode Island Red hens delivered a 117g egg, also in early May. The Boardsmill National School sixth-class student also keeps Guinea foul and ducks and grows his own vegetables before school.

Seán’s mam Barbara said he came running in shouting: “Get out the weighing scales. I have a huge egg.”

Twelve-year-old Seán Guy with his brother Conor (eight), their Rhode Island hen and her large egg.

The hen in question “lays a big one the whole time but this was the largest”, said Barbara.

The large egg contest started with 16-year-old Wicklow farmer Craig Evans, with one of his 31 hens laying a 117g egg.

Young Evans, from Ballymanus, Aughrim, Co Wicklow, made it the whole way to The Late Late Show with his find.

“I looked it up to see out of interest and I couldn’t find a bigger one,” he said at the time.

Limerick

Elsewhere, 14-year-old John O’Brien of Lisnagry, Co Limerick claims his hen laid Ireland’s biggest egg, at 124g.

Fourteen-year-old John O’Brien of Lisnagry, Co Limerick and his giant egg.

“I came upon the giant egg and I saw the Irish Farmers Journal article a few days later. That one was 117g and when I weighed my own egg it was 124g.

“All I know is that it was a Black Rock hen, a well mature one,” he said.

Young poultry keepers weighed and measured their eggs as they jostled for the largest egg title.

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