Breeds of Killarney and the Kerry cow
A national park in south-west Ireland that keeps a herd of Kerry cattle, one of the oldest dairy breeds in Europe.
Breeds of this place
Best time: April to October.
The Kerry is a small black dairy cow from the mountains of south-west Ireland, often counted among the oldest cattle breeds in Europe. It once grazed small farms all over the poorer parts of Ireland. Killarney National Park keeps a herd of pure Kerry cattle at Muckross, and the same county gave rise to the Dexter, one of the smallest cattle breeds in the world.
The Kerry and the Dexter
Kerry cattle are black, fine-boned and light, with upturned horns, able to thrive on rough grazing and thin soils. They give a good amount of milk for their size. The Dexter was developed in Kerry in the eighteenth century and is said to take its name from a land agent named Dexter. It is short-legged and stocky, kept for milk and beef, and is popular on smallholdings in many countries.
Muckross
Muckross House, a nineteenth-century mansion in the national park, has traditional farms beside it where old farm life is shown, with Kerry cattle in the fields. The park, Ireland's first, covers lakes, woods and mountains around Killarney.
A trail idea for Killarney and the Kerry cow
- Muckross House The mansion and its traditional farms in the national park.
- Kerry cattle herd Black cows grazing the parkland by the lakes.
- Killarney town The busy gateway town of the national park.
- Gap of Dunloe A mountain pass with small hill farms.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Killarney National Park" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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