Co. Armagh Cow wins the 2023 Baileys’ Cow

Lumville M Danoise a 6 year old Holstein Friesian cow owned by Clive and Joel Richardson from County Armagh has been crowned the 2023 Diageo Baileys® Irish Champion Dairy Cow. Annaghmore Holsteins Herdsman, Joshua Ebron, was presented with their cheque for €3,000 and the Virginia Milk Products Cup at the 80th Virginia Show in Co. Cavan today by Irish Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Martin Heydon T.D. and the competition’s co-sponsors Diageo Ireland and its cream supplier Tirlán. Speaking at the event Minister Heydon said, “It has been a pleasure to present the winning prize at the annual Bailey’s Cow Competition at The Virginia Show. Ireland has a deserved international reputation for quality dairy products and this competition is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and showcase the sector. The sustained and proven excellence of Ireland’s grass-fed dairy practices and sustainable milk production is owed entirely to the skill and dedication of its farmers. I want to acknowledge the continued and dedicated support of the organisers, Diageo and Tirlán for the dairy sector and congratulate the owners, Clive and Joelle Richardson and their herdsman Joshua, for their exceptional cow.”

Pictured at 2023 Diageo Baileys Champion Cow competition at the Virginia show in Cavan were Min Martin Hayden TD Min of State Dept of Agriculture, Mark Logan Event Judge, John McCormick who won honourable mention with ‘Hiltara Undenied Apple’, Antony Farrelly, Tirlan, Patrick Gaynor, Competition Co-ordinator and Shane Kelly, Corporate Relations Director Diageo Ireland. 

Holstein Friesian breeders from across the island of Ireland competed at the event which recognises and rewards dairy breeding excellence. The judge commented on how the winner ticked “all the dairy boxes”, moving well and with an extra ‘dairyness’. The cow also won the certificate for Best Protein.

Pictured at 2023 Diageo Baileys Champion Cow competition at the Virginia show in Cavan were Paul Murphy, Handler, Bryan O’Conner & John O’Conner, owners of Reserve Champion ‘Bawnmore Pepper, Almeric’ Jim Bergin CEO Tirlan and Shane Kelly, Corporate Relations Director Diageo Ireland.

The competition has been running for the past 40 years and is regarded as the ‘one to win’ for top dairy breeders who only enter their very best cows. Strength, body conformation and proven excellence in quality milk production are base-line criteria upon which a winner is selected.

Pictured at 2023 Diageo Baileys Champion Cow competition at the Virginia show in Cavan were handler Andrea Rafferty, Shane Kelly, Corporate Relations Director Diageo Ireland, Brendan Hayes, Tirlan Vice Chairperson and owner of winner of the Junior Cow Competition Hallow Diamondbacks Twizzle 3, Philip Jones.

Bawnmore Pepper Almeric owned by Bryan and John O’Connor from County Cork was declared Reserve Champion and also Best Exhibitor Bred. Honourable Mention went to last year’s overall winner, Hilltara Undenied Apple, owned by Sam and John McCormick from County Down.

Other prizes were awarded in specialist categories. These included Best Heifer in Milk which was won by Lambda Twizzle owned by Gary and Izzy Jones from County Wexford and Best Junior Cow was Hallow Diamondback Twizzle 3, owned by Philip and Linda Jones, also County Wexford. Best EBI Award went to Monamore Lustrees Haniko owned by Patrick Colton, Karl Colton and David Buchanan, from County Monaghan.

Acknowledging the farmers who took part, Shane Kelly Corporate Relations Director of Diageo Ireland said, “Diageo is delighted to mark 40 years of this competition with Tirlán, who supply the cream for Baileys from its site here in Virginia. This event celebrates the quality and provenance of the brand’s ingredients and its links back to the community of Virginia. Congratulations to the owners of the winning cows today and thank you to all our entrants who put on such a fantastic spectacle for the crowds."

Also speaking at the event Tirlán Chairperson, John Murphy said, “Competitions like this showcase the dedication of the farming community and the commitment to high quality breeding, sustainability and animal welfare standards. The Virginia Show showcases how the agricultural sector is a key driver of our rural economy. Family farms are the heartbeat of rural Ireland, and no other sector reinvests more in their local economy than farm families as we’ve seen today.”

Pictured at 2023 Diageo Baileys Champion Cow competition at the Virginia show in Cavan were Shane Kelly, Corporate Relations Director Diageo Ireland, Karl Colton with ‘Monamore Lustrees Haniko’ Best EBI award winner, pictured along with Aoife Murphy, Director of Ingredients Tirlán.

Pictured at 2023 Diageo Baileys Champion Cow competition at the Virginia show in Cavan were Shane Kelly, Corporate Relations Director Diageo Ireland, Joshua Ebron, Herdsman and Mark Henry, Handler with Irish Diageo Baileys Champion Cow 2023 and Best Protein winner Lumville M Danoise along with Aoife Murphy, Director of Ingredients Tirlán.