SCHOOL EDITION 22 MARCH 2023 - Flipbook - Page 8
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FEATURE
FARMWEEK
JANUARY 28 2021
Americans
eye up Irish
Moiled breed
H
OWDY Partner, those
rootin’-tootin’ Irish Moiled
are mighty ne and dandy.
We sure could do with a
few of them back home in
the United States of America!”
Although he may well have
spoken with a lovely American
accent, when Dr J G Lipman from
the USA was introduced to Irish
Moiled cattle on a County Antrim
farm in 1928, it’s very unlikely
that our opening words, perhaps
somewhat stereotypical, would
have been an exact transcript of
what this learned man spoke.
That said, this quite possibly was
the rst time that this eminent
agriculturalist saw cattle of “ye
ancient breed” in the esh and
it’s not hard to imagine him being
somewhat impressed with all that
was happening within the Irish
Moiled cattle scene at that time!
Described as “one of the most
foremost scientists in America,”
Jacob Goodale Lipman (1874-1939)
visited the Emerald Isle in June
1928, en route to attending the
prestigious World Dairy Congress,
which took place in London in
early July. Born in Russia, he had
emigrated to America with his
family when he was around
14 years of age.
Young Jacob developed a great
interest in agriculture by working
on the New Jersey farm which,
after some years living in New
York, his father had purchased.
In 1894 Jacob attended Rutgers
College to study agricultural
science before attending Cornell
University to study advanced
chemistry and bacteriology.
Having worked as an instructor
and then a professor, the now Dr
Jacob Goodale Lipman, by this
time in his late thirties, became
director of the Rutgers New Jersey
Agricultural Experient station.
After some 17 years in this post,
this learned gentleman found
himself on a County Antrim farm
MEMORIES
from the farmyard
By Paul Callaghan
being introduced to the “ye ancient
breed,” otherwise known as … the
Irish Moiled! “But whose farm did
this learned man visit?” FarmWeek
readers will now be asking.
Well, back in 1928 one of the
biggest names in the world of Irish
Moiled cattle was the veterinary
surgeon Captain James Gregg
OBE, JP, MRCVS. During the First
World War this gentleman had
been stationed in America and
successfully worked to develop a
serum which combatted shipping
fever in horses.
Back home on his 32-acre farm
and Gentleman’s residence at
Tobarcooran, Carnmoney, County
Antrim, Captain Gregg had more
time to follow his interests. He
was the leading inspiration behind
the formation of the Irish Moiled
Cattle Society in 1923, becoming its
Honorary Secretary and Registrar.
And so, over 92 years ago
in the company of others, the
aforementioned director of New
Jersey Agricultural College, Dr
Jacob G Lipman, travelled the
country roads to Captain Gregg’s
EARLY YEARS: During 1926 a group of people in Ulster formed
themselves into a society for the purpose of grading up what remained of
the native Irish Moiled cattle of the country. Agricultural shows provided a
great shop window for the breed during these early years.
YE IRISH MOILED BREED: In this week’s Memories from the Farmyard feature we wind the old clock back to
1928 when a leading agriculturalist from America visited a County Antrim farm owned by Captain J Gregg, OBE, JP,
MRCVS. The farm was home to the Tobarcooran Herd of Irish Moiled cattle.
PICTURE: Paul Callaghan (2014) courtesy Sam and John Smiley
‘Tobarcooran residence’ in
Carnmoney.
Turning down a neat shrub-lined
avenue, the visitors would have
approached the dwelling house
which had four reception rooms,
seven bedrooms and its own wine
cellar.
From old records we know that
the property also had excellent
fruit and vegetable gardens and
the grounds were beautifully laid
out and tastefully planted.
There can be little doubt that
Dr Lipman would have taken time
to drink in the view from Captain
Gregg’s farm at Tobarcooran.
Pointing to the basaltic hill
overlooking Belfast in the distance,
Captain Gregg may have been
heard saying “that’s Cave Hill over
there, Doctor Lipman, and if you
turn this way you can see Belfast
Lough and the County Down
coast.”
At the time of the visit, the farm
buildings attached to Captain
Gregg’s residence included a byre,
stable, loose-box, lofts and hay
shed. As the visitors walked on
towards the pastures on that day
in June 1928, they may well have
noted how the elds were well
fenced, well sheltered and being
grazed by beautiful Irish Moiled
cattle.
Strolling across the pastureland
at Tobarcooran, Captain Gregg
may have given his distinguished
American guest a little history
lesson on the Irish Moiled breed.
How, immediately after the Great
War, Captain Dixon of County
Kildare had started a herd of
Moiled cattle on his estate but his
plans to progress were interrupted
by political unrest.
Captain Gregg may also have
mentioned how a meeting of Irish
Moiled cattle fanciers in the Old
Town Hall, Belfast, on Tuesday,
January 12, 1926, had led to the
formation of the Irish Moiled
Cattle Society and how the breed’s
promotion had gone from strength
to strength, not least by the
provision of classes at Balmoral’s
Great Cattle Show!
Pointing to a particular cow in
the eld on that summer day in
June 1928, Captain Gregg may
have been heard telling Dr Jacob
Lipman all about her: “That ones
called Tobercooran Bridget, she
took a third at our great Balmoral
Show last month and is out of
my Tobarcooran Biddy. She was
the second cow entered in the
register.”
Another thing Captain Gregg may
have told Doctor Jacob Lipman on
that day was how the
previous month, around the time
of that year’s 1928 Balmoral
Show, he’d received a letter all the
way from Wisconsin University,
USA.
It had been sent by Dr Alexander,
who asked to be informed “when
the breed was xed because
certain people of Irish extraction
were making inquiries”!
Before making his journey
onwards to the London Dairy
Show, Dr Jacob Goodale Lipman
attended other farms in County
Down and perhaps we will pick up
the thread of his visit in a future
Memories from the Farmyard
feature.
After what may well have been
something of an arduous journey
to Great Britain and Ireland, it’s
easy to imagine Dr Jacob Goodale
Lipman back home, reminiscing
on his trip and most especially,
his visit to the home of the
Tobarcooran Herd!
Perhaps he’d have been heard
saying something like this: “I sure
do love those rootin’-tootin’ Irish
Moiled cattle on the Emerald Isle!
Why they’re mighty ne and dandy
and it’s high time we brought some
over to the USA!”