'It's great to be back' as Supreme Female Champion owner gears up for the season ahead

Michael Laffan from Kilfinny holds his Supreme Female Champion with judge Laura Cornthwaite and Philip Lynch from Chapter 23 Credit Union.

Many competing on the weekend said that the Kingdom County Fair was a great start to the season for them.

Michael Laffan from Kilfinny, Adare, Co Limerick, certainly agreed, as in the dairy classes on Sunday, he took home the Senior Champion and Supreme Female Champion titles for 2023 for Everground Hagley Gail 51.

"It’s great to be back," Mr Laffan said, and the animals may have known they were gearing up for something too because in advance, "you’re washing them, and they would have got a little extra feed, just getting ready for today".

"For a cow like this, you start with a nice udder that looks like it's high and wide; good teat placement, from a milking point of view that they’re in the right place; and then we like a high-yielding cow so a cow with the capacity to yield," he added.

As Mr Laffan was competing, he said he took notice of a lot of young people in attendance at the show – which instills great confidence in him about the future of these competitions, and brought back some memories for him.

"We started showing when our children were small and even though they’ve grown up, myself and my wife Margaret kept showing away," he explained.

"We enjoy it, it’s nice to do of a Sunday, and it’s nice to take out the cows now and again," according to Mr Laffan, who said his children continue to help out on the dairy farm and to prepare the cattle for competitions.

In the dairy section on Sunday at the Kingdom County Fair, the Junior Champion, Reserve Junior Champion, and Reserve Senior Champion titles went to Daniel and Emer Curtin from Listowel, Co Kerry.

Meanwhile, in the Young Handlers U-12 dairy class, Stephen Harty came first, Clodagh Kennelly in second, and Nora O'Carroll in third. 

Jennifer Harty placed first in the Young Handlers 13-16 class, with Sarah O'Connell and Jacqui O'Connell in second and third.