The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has today welcomed the participation of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in a North South initiative which will increase collaboration in the conservation efforts of rare breeds.
Connemara National Park – which is managed by the Department’s NPWS - has today gifted Connemara Pony, Park Sarah, to Tannaghmore Rare Breeds Animal farm in Craigavon in exchange for SilverwoodSunflower lll (the third), an Irish Moiled Heifer, a rare breed.
William Cormacan, NPWS Regional Manager, Western Division said
we are delighted to participate in this cross border initiative and look forward to future collaboration on the conservation of rare breeds. Together we can raise awareness of the cultural and agricultural heritage of these rare breeds, the importance of preserving them and their importance in the management and conservation of our habitats.
Tannaghmore Farm is the only Rare Breed Survival Trust approved farm in Ireland, and is playing an important role in the conservation of a number of breeds native to the British Isles, which are in need of conservation, including Irish Moiled cattle. Tannaghmore Farm, as part of Armagh City, Banbridge, Craigavon Borough Council, also use conservation grazing with native breeds to manage for biodiversity on a number of ecologically important Council properties. Significant expertise has been acquired in managing for certain species and habitat types, including in the control of certain invasive species. Tannaghmore Farm will now display the iconic Connemara Pony to the public and commence a breeding programme.
Connemara National Park has six Connemara Ponies and has become an important part of the breeding of these iconic Connemara ponies since the late President of Ireland, Erskine Childers, presented a herd to the State.
It has also developed a small herd of Irish Moiled cattle with a view to using this rare Irish breed for conservation grazing within the National Park. In addition to these rare breeds, the Park has Shetland Sheep, Highland cattle, Galway sheep and Tamworth pigs. The new addition today will significantly contribute to the breeding programmes already established there.
Connemara National Park and Tannaghmore Rare Breed Animal Farm will continue to work together on the conservation of traditional rare breeds and share knowledge and experiences regarding conservation grazing using heritage breeds.
Notes to the Editor:
Tannaghmore Rare Breeds Animal Farm is a facility of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.
A delegation from the Farm visited Connemara National Park in November 2018. During this visit, it was acknowledged that similar views were share by both Tannaghmore Farm and Connemara National Park around rare breeds and the importance of preserving them, raising awareness of their cultural and agricultural heritage and putting them to use to manage sites for conservation, especially state/public properties, including Nature Reserves and National Parks. It was agreed that both parties would, where practicable, co-operate and support each other on the conservation of rare breeds, and to share exchange knowledge and experiences in relation to conservation grazing and research undertaken by both parties. Also, Tannaghmore Farm as a Rare Breed Survival Trust approved farm in Ireland and through their access to the associated database of animals, is in a key position to advise Connemara National Park on the conservation of rare breeds, especially Irish Moiled cattle.