Cows from Ireland’s top dairy herds to compete for 2024 honours in Tullamore

There will be three Dairy breeds on show and there is over €21,000 worth of prize money in the Dairy section this year, with a couple of big money classes up for grabs.

Entries have surpassed all expectations this year with a large number of dairy cattle competing in all the dairy classes.

Jersey: There are six classes in this section culminating in the Champion Jersey.

There is also a Young Handler class in the Jersey section. Last year’s Jersey championship went to Daniel and Emer Curtin.

Dairy Shorthorn: There are 10 classes in this section. There are two Young Handler classes, under 14 and under 18.

These will be followed by the Irish Shorthorn Society Registered Pedigree Dairy Shorthorn Cow In-milk class, finishing off with the Dairy Shorthorn Championship.

Holstein Friesian: We always run classes confined to local breeders from Offaly, Laois and Westmeath. A number of National Livestock Classes will take place at the show. The main attractions in this section will be:

Showmanship Challenge

There is a Young Showmanship Challenge. The winners gather points from various shows during the year and qualify for a final at the National Dairy Show in October.

There are three classes for various age groups. Martina Neville, head of the dairy section and chair of the livestock section said: “We are really looking forward to this year’s show of dairy cattle. There have been big numbers out at local shows around the country and we’re expecting very busy dairy rings on Sunday 11 August in Tullamore.