Young County Roscommon farmer takes part in calf rearing challenge
Young Tulsk farmer Sinead Conry from Rathnollag Herefords reared calf Frank, who sold for an impressive €2,000 at Elphin Co-Operative Livestock Mart.
There were smiles all round as the Irish Hereford Breed Society and Irish Hereford Prime celebrated the successful conclusion of the ‘Next Gen Herefords and Irish Hereford Prime – Irish Hereford Charity Calf Rearing Programme’. This initiative saw a collective €24,000 raised for a variety of local charities through the sale of 11 calves reared by young farmers on their home farms and among them was a young Roscommon woman.
Young Tulsk farmer Sinead Conry from Rathnollag Herefords reared calf Frank, who sold for an impressive €2,000 at Elphin Co-Operative Livestock Mart, with an additional €100 donation going to Elphin Day Centre on the day.
Originally developed in 2022, the initiative was established to encourage the next generation of Hereford farmers to gain invaluable, hands-on experience in the practice and discipline of rearing Hereford calves on their family farms, while raising much-needed funds for several worthy charities in the process.
To facilitate this project, Irish Hereford Prime donated over €5,500 to five branches of the Irish Hereford Breed Society in the spring of 2022. These funds were used to purchase the 11 HEX bull calves for young Hereford breeders, who were appointed by the local branches of the Irish Hereford Breed Society. Each breeder was given €500 to help cover the cost of purchasing and feeding the calf for the first six months of its life.
Kian (11) and Paul Bohan (16) sold their Hereford Cross bullock named Dozer, on Saturday, May 4th in Aurivo Livestock Mart, Mohill for €3,220, after weighting in at 760kg. The money will be going to the Leitrim branch of The Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland.
The O’Reilly Family of the Bridge House Herd in Mohill sold calf Rodney on Monday, May 6th in Carrigallen Mart for €2,300 after weighing 700kgs, with full proceeds going to North West STOP suicide prevention organisation.
Speaking as the initiative drew to a close, Niall O'Mahony, Chair of Irish Hereford Prime said: “We are thrilled to confirm that the Irish Hereford Charity Calf Rearing Programme has not only showcased the exceptional talent and dedication of young Hereford breeders, but has also significantly contributed to various local charities. The success of this initiative underscores the ongoing commitment of the Irish Hereford community to both agriculture and charitable causes, and we look forward to the next charitable program in the future.”
