Hats off to Galway sheep guru TJ Gormley and his determined daughter Ursula, who have successfully elbowed their way into the cattle tagging business.

The duo had to tread on quite a few toes in the process – but without doing so would have been left watching events from the sidelines.

The firm competed in previous tag tenders without success and this prompted it to launch a campaign to have multiple suppliers allowed sell cattle tags, as is the case in Northern Ireland and Britain. The Department of Agriculture resisted on the basis that it had best control over cattle identification and traceability with one supplier.

Cormac stepped up the pressure this year, calling in help from local TDs Sean Kyne (FG) and Sean Canney (Ind). It finally forced a change in policy after submitting a legal challenge to the Department. Last Monday, the firm sent out its first batch of cattle tags.

Swiss-based Datamars Ireland hopes to start selling its cattle tags from the start of January, according to sales manager Richard Nolan. Its tags are approved and it is now installing the laser printers needed to write tag numbers and an IT system capable of interacting with the Department’s AIMS database. It will operate from a premises located on the M50 around Dublin and close to an An Post facility. It operates in Northern Ireland as QuickTag, based in Ballycastle, Co Antrim.

Mullinahone Co-op, where the experienced and wily Liam Egan is in charge, will continue to hold the dominant share of the market. IT manager Paul Treacy has just switched on a newly installed fibre optic cable linking Mullinahone to the Department’s AIMS system and the co-op has also modernised its tag production areas and offices. The co-op is run by 12 hard-headed Tipperary farmers.

Meanwhile, the ICBF’s 2017 funding looks likely to suffer collateral damage from Cormac’s disruptive tactics and it remains to be seen what other unintended consequences will arise. Most farmers won’t mind if the arrival of multiple suppliers drives down tag prices, as was promised.