About the Irish Hereford Breed Society

Membership / Share Application

The Irish Hereford Society is the body responsible for the promotion and development of the Hereford breed in the Republic of Ireland. Its functions include the maintenance of a register of pedigree Herefords born to parents currently registered on the database and whose parentage can be traced back through several generations to 1846.

Births, transfer of ownership, disposals and deaths are recorded together with performance detail. Plans are afoot to record the increasing volumes of performance data and ultra sound scanning information due to come on stream in association with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation.

A number of shows and sales are held each year together with participation in field evenings, seminars summer shows, exhibitions and advertising in the various media to promote the significant qualities and advantages of the breed to a wider audience.

The Society is a member of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation which is dedicated to improvement in all aspects of Irish cattle breeding. In addition close contact and memberships of the World Hereford Council is maintained. This body is dedicated to preserve and improve the inherited constitution, purity and docility of the breed, which has enabled it to thrive in extreme climate and feeding conditions throughout its history and throughout the world. This forum provides for the standardisation of protocol for movement of pedigree Herefords from country to country and a facility for the exchange of research and technology pertinent and advantageous to the breed and to feedstock or commercial beef producers.

Policy of the Society is determined by a 13 person Council or Board of Directors, which is elected for a three year term of office by the members via postal ballot. The President (Ceremonial role) who must at the time of election be a member of Council is elected for a one-year term by those in attendance at the Society's Annual General meeting. The position of Chairman is a three-year appointment made at the first meeting of each newly elected Council. All positions are honorary. The Society is fortunate to have availed of the services of many dedicated members who have over the years put their talents at the disposal of the breed for the sheer joy of doing so.

Members of the Society are Hereford Cattle breeders who come from many walks of life. Some are doctors, nurses, clergy, accountants, bus drivers, government officials, web site designers, auctioneers and many who are farmers. All have one interest in common - a love and belief in the Hereford Breed and in cattle breeding. The challenge in shaping the breed, the commercial returns and the many social contacts and camaraderie among fellow breeders are just some of the reasons for becoming involved. New members are welcome.

If you are the owner of one pedigree Hereford breeding female why not join in and be part of a world-wide love affair with Herefords. Herd size is in general small with an average of six breeding cows though variations exist from one to one hundred cows.

In order to negative the limits of scale artificial insemination is widely used to provide access to sires and genetics not easily available otherwise. The use of such technology together with embryo transfer provides the opportunity to also secure genetics from outside Ireland and thereby widen the gene pool available. DNA technology is widely used in parentage identification. It is necessary for all sires and also donor dams and calves resulting from embryo transplant to be DNA profiled.