Breed of the week – Irish Moiled

The Irish Moiled, affectionately know as the “Moilie” is one of the oldest of the surviving indigenous breeds of Irish cattle and the only surviving domestic livestock native to Northern Ireland. It is also a firm favourite at the Festival where it appears courtesy of the Lawson family in Fife.

The myths and legends of Ireland refer many times to ‘red, white backed cattle’ and polled (hornless) skeletal remains have been dated to 640 AD. It is believed that the Vikings raided Moilie cattle from Ireland in around 1000 AD and today in Scandinavia you can find hornless cattle with similar colour markings to the Moilie in a breed called the East Finn.

Moilies are extremely long lived, fertile and maternal good suckler cows. They can produce calves at up to 15/16 years old. They are naturally polled and easy to manage. The Irish Moiled can do well on marshy ground where other breeds would struggle and can help control scrub in such areas.

The Moilie is a dual purpose animal the Irish Moiled capable of producing both beef and milk.

Cows usually weigh about 600kg and bulls about 800kg. Yields of 4500-6500 litres can be expected on forage-based systems. Good butterfats averaging above 4% and protein of around 3.3%.

Capable of producing a suitable carcass from a forage based system- steers finish between 20-24 months weighing 220-260kg deadweight and grading at R3-O3. The beef is renowned for its flavour.

Information from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and the Irish Moiled Cattle Society