Bygone Days: New ‘blood’ for Ulster as farmers import cattle into province

A total of 32 cattle – 31 heifers and a young bull - had come in from England where they were bought.

Thirteen of the animals have been bought by Mr Bertie Hunter of Gilford, on behalf of himself and a number of other breeders; the remainder had been bought by Desmond Fulton of Ballymoney; Noel Lusby of Londonderry, and Pat McGuiness of Greysteel.

Farming Life commented: “The importation reflects the strong demand for Limousin breeding stock in Northern Ireland at the moment.

“It is also an indication that breeders realised that when the breed reaches saturation point in the province there will still be a premium for quality stock.”

Mr Hunter told Farming Life: “These are all quality animals. For example the mother, of the heifers I have bought, stood second in a strong entry at the Royal Show.

“Many at the ringside felt she should have beaten the cow which was first and that cow was sold for £10,000.”

Shy Sean scoops top awards

The executive committee of the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers’ Association has initiated a new award for practical farming skills among its younger members.

The first recipient is Mr Sean Bradley, “a shy and unassuming young farmer” from Sixtowns area of the Sperrins.

He had been presented with the 1986 NIAPA Trophy — Young Farmer of the Year Award.

Said NIAPA spokesman John McCohnell: “For the past few years, Mr Bradley has been building a fascinating reputation as one of the most gifted young sheepmen ever to walk a hillside. His expertise and innovative ideas have been the highlight of many a visit by agriculture college students and demonstrations by the Department of Agriculture.

“‘Sean of the Lodge’ as he was called around the Sixtowns is acknowledged all over Ireland for his knowledge and ability to pick a pen of ewes or lambs. Indeed, he has picked many a lorry load of Wicklow Cheviots at Blessington for further breeding on the Sperrins,” said Mr McConnell.

Sean and his father run around 300 Cheviot ewes and 160 Suffolk ewes crossed with Texel rams on the home farm at Sixtowns and fattened 600 small, homed wether lambs last winter.

He had also been left in complete charge of the running of a 1,000-acre mountain farm at Goles, Co Tyrone, where 500 Blackface ewes were kept. It was at the lambing of these Blackface ewes that Sean’s reputation was put to the test and, like many other farmers in the hills, he put his life at risk to save lambs.

Said John McConnell: “The week commencing April 14, 1986 will go down in history as a black week for hill farmers. It is possible we will never, see rain like it again; over 5” of rain fell in the space of 48 hours.

“During those 48 hours, Sean Bradley collected 58 pet Iambs to feed. These lambs had been abandoned to die by their mothers because of the extreme weather and Sean took them all home, put them in tobacco boxes with heaters and each lamb was given warm colostrum that had been stored in the freezer for such an occasion as this.

“When the weather improved, all the ewes that had abandoned their lambs were put into a shed and tightly surrounded by old doors or pallets and one lamb fostered onto each one. One ewe out of 48 did not foster a lamb and only a gifted and practical farmer like Sean could achieve such, a feat as this.

“It is well-known that many farmers stayed awake those two nights of the storm to keep an eye on their flocks but we understand that Sean only slept six hours in the six days of that week.”