Summary of Article About Dexters

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"The Contemporary Geography of Indigenous Irish Livestock" - Part III

by Richard Yarwood, Nick Evans and Julie Higginbottom

The Contemporary Geographies of Native Irish Livestock (pages 21-26)

The authors examine the distribution of the three surviving breeds of cattle which originated in Ireland: the Kerry, Irish Moiled and Dexter. "It might perhaps be expected that these animals are predominantly found in Ireland and for two breeds, the Kerry and Irish Moiled, this is true. In the case of Kerry cattle, 80 percent of adult animals and 74 percent of registered herds are found in the Republic of Ireland (Figures 1 and 2)."

Figures 1 and 2: Distribution of Kerry cattle and herds

(Click on maps to view larger versions)

"Figure 2 illustrates that these are mainly concentrated around the south west of Ireland and, in particular, in County Kerry itself. By contrast, 55 percent of Irish Moiled cattle are found in Northern Ireland, with most animals located in counties Down, Antrim and Armagh (Figures 3 and 4)."

Figures 3 and 4: Distribution of Irish Moiled cattle and herds

(Click on maps to view larger versions)

"Dexter cattle, however, show little association with their area of origin in County Kerry and instead, as Figures 5 and 6 demonstrate, are predominantly found in Britain" (page 21)."

Figures 5 and 6: Distribution of Dexter cattle and herds

(Click on maps to view larger versions)

The authors point out that the growth of Dexter numbers in Britain has been attributed to an increase in smallholdings and part-time farmers (Bowler, 1985). "Rare breeds are particularly suitable for smallholders, compared with breeds of 'modern' stock which have been developed for intensive conditions (Clutton, 1991). Indeed, in the nineteenth century, Dexters were originally created as a suitable dairy cow for small-holders by crossbreeding dwarf and miniature versions of Kerry cattle (Henson, 1982). Two Dexter cows will eat the same amount as a standard cow and so, by staggering calving, it is possible to achieve milk all year round. This is confirmed by the survey which shows that 65 percent of British owners keep Dexters for their produce, compared to just seventeen percent of Irish owners, demonstrating that they are still 'working animals' for the part-time farmer, rather than simply unusual visitor attractions. As part-time farming has increased in Britain so has the popularity of Dexters and 63 percent of the owners, who were surveyed in Britain, were engaged in part-time farming" (page 22).

Estimations have been made that up to 30% of farmers in Northern Ireland and 25% in the Republic of Ireland are part-time (Gillmor, 1989), yet, the authors note, Dexters are not as popular in Ireland as in Britain. "This is unusual given the breed's Irish origins. However, their growth in Britain has been recent as well as rapid, so it is speculated that the breed may also become more widespread in Ireland if it is suitably marketed" (page 22).

The authors go on to discuss the geographic distribution of Irish horse breeds, especially the Irish Draught horse and the Kerry Bog pony, then the Galway sheep breed.

Conclusions (pages 26-29)

The authors begin their conclusion by referring to traditional explanations for the location of livestock which have often referred to a breed's ability to thrive in local climatic conditions. However, there article has shown a limited relationship between breed type and the environment in which it is to be found in the contemporary period. "For example, the origin of Dexter cattle in the south-west of Ireland has usually been explained by their ability to thrive in the poor, upland conditions found there. This does not explain, though, why Dexter cattle are not found there or, indeed, why some herds are found in less harsh, lowland environments. Instead, there are other reasons for the revival and distribution of Irish rare breeds" (pages 26-27).

According to this research, most farmers do not keep Irish livestock for productive reasons. Instead, the revival of Irish rare breeds can, in part, be linked to a recent interest in heritage as expressed in the rise in farm tourism ventures and the fact that many owners of rare breeds keep animals as visitor attractions. But, the status of native Irish breeds remains precarious and the authors argue strongly for a strong and well-supported organisation to conserve Irish livestock, such as the the Irish Rare Breeds Society formed in January 1996.

The authors acknowledge that some Irish rare breeds have strong place associations. Galway sheep and Kerry Bog ponies are almost only found in Ireland. By contrast other Irish breeds, such as the Dexter, are almost exclusively located outside of Ireland. Furthermore, some breeds, like the Kerry, are clustered around their region of origin whilst Galway sheep are found in a diversity of parts of Ireland. 

Finally, the authors consider the question: Should farmers be given aid to preserve certain types of livestock in certain localities, in the same way buildings, landscapes and the environment is protected? They point out that Ireland has been one of the few countries to do this. "In 1925, the Irish Government passed the Livestock Breeding Act which defined a Kerry Cattle Area where only Kerry Bulls could be used (Alderson, 1989: 80)" (page 29). Places differ because people make them different, and local culture, including farming, has been an important influence in the maintenance of this local distinctiveness. Rare breeds are sometimes part of a distinctive regional character and may be used to reinforce it.

References (page 30)

Include:

ALDERSON, L. (1989) The Chance to Survive. A.& C. Black, London.

BOWLER, I. (1985) Some consequences of the industrialisation of agriculture in the European Community, in, Healey, M. and llbery, B. (eds.) Industrialisation of the Countryside. GeobookS, Norwich, 75-97.

CLUTTON, O. (1991) Why we must preserve our Rare Breeds, The Smallholder, August, 28-29.

CURRAN, L. (1995) Cattle, in, Irish Rare Breeds Directory: a Directory of Rare and Minority Domestic Farm Animals 1995. Common Ground, Castlebaldwin, 13.
 

EVANS, N. and YARWOOD, R. (1995) Livestock and landscape, Landscape Research, 20, 141-164.

EVANS, N. and YARWOOD, R. (1996) Rare breeds, livestock and the post-productive countryside, in, Bowler, I. (ed.) Progress in Research in Rural Geography. Leicester University, Leicester, 27-28.

GILLMOR, D. (1970) Spatial distributions of livestock in the Republic of Ireland, Economic Geography, 42, 587-597.

GILLMOR, D. (1989) Agricultural development, in, Carter, R.W.G. and Parker, A. (eds.) Ireland: A contemporary
geographical perspective. Routledge, London, 171-199.

HENSON, E. (1982) Rare Breeds in History. Olivant & Son, Cheltenham.

HOGAN, S. (1995) Rare breed pigs, in, Irish Rare Breeds Directory: a Directory of Rare and Minority Domestic Farm Animals 1995, Common Ground, Castlebaldwin, 19.

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