The FBD National Hall of Fame Awards took place on Sunday, 4th May in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone. Mary Purcell, past secretary of the Irish Shorthorn Society was a very worthy winner for 2025.

Mary’s first encounter with the Shorthorn breed was as a child in the 1970’s when her father still had a few red Shorthorn cows in amongst the Friesian dairy herd.

It was in 2001, when expanding the dairy herd, she decided along with her husband Michael to purchase a number of Dairy Shorthorns at the Ballingarrane Dispersal Sale. The Venus herd was established in Thurles later that year.

Getting involved with the Shorthorn Association meetings seemed a natural choice at the time. At those meetings in Birr a seed was sown. Then the Irish Shorthorn Society was formed in 2004 and Mary was elected to the Shorthorn Council at its first Annual General Meeting in Galway in 2005. Mary initially served as a Council Member and also as Treasurer before taking on the role of Breed Secretary in 2008.

Over the following twelve years she worked constantly for the benefit of the breed. Attending Industry meetings, organising a presence at Regional Shows and the Ploughing Championships each year and also running the office and maintaining two herdbooks. She always enjoyed her interactions with the Shorthorn members who were always so courteous and kind. It was an extremely busy schedule but also equally rewarding. Mary retired from the Secretarial role in March 2021.

Congratulations to Mary, from all at the Irish Shorthorn Society!