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The Droimeann cattle breed has been officially approved as a native rare Irish breed by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.
The Minister has recognised the efforts of a dedicated team of breeders over many decades in collecting and selective breeding of these animals.
The breed will now be recognised as a key part of the rich and unique history of Irish cattle breeds.
The Droimeann Cattle Society was recognised by the Department as a breed society and approved to maintain a breeding programme in 2018.
Culture
Minister Creed said: “There are many factors such as cultural, historic and genetic diversity that make the Droimeann a breed with a rich history unique to Ireland. They have an adaptability that has allowed them to thrive in Irish production conditions.
“There are historical references to the Droimeann breed for many years, and thanks to a lot of work by many people and the advent of modern genotyping techniques, we have finally been able to prove their uniqueness as a breed.”
The minister said the number of animals were very low and the breed can be considered “at risk”.
However, he was confident the dedication of the Droimeann society would allow numbers to increase in the coming years.
Supports
Recognition of the breed as endangered and native may mean it will be eligible for payments under any future agri environmental scheme the Department may launch in future CAP programmes.
The current list of cattle breeds recognised as being native and rare include Kerry, Dexter, Irish Maol and Droimeann cattle.
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