Rathkeeland and Littlemount Herds - History

The Crawford family have a history steeped in pedigree cattle breeding, Rathkeeland being one of the leading Shorthorn Herds in Ireland during the 1960's.

The Rathkeeland and Littlemount Limousin Herds were founded back in 1980 with the importation of two females from the Pomapadour herd one of the leading herds in France today.

At the Moypark dispersal the entire female portion of the herd was purchased together with 5 cows bought privately from the Cattogs herd owned by Mr Eric Cuttle. Included in this was a cow called Margretta who enjoyed a successful show career, her most prestigious accolade was winning the female championship at the Royal Dublin Show. These females were the base for the herd.

Pelisse in her day was easily one of the top Limousin females both in the show ring and in what she bred in the UK. Rathkeeland Victory and Rathkeeland Daisy were two of her progeny. Daisy followed her mother’s footsteps winning awards all over Ireland from Dublin as a heifer to Balmoral as a cow.

Victory who was sold in Carlisle, bred Fergie who was shown a lot at home and went on to win awards with her new owners at the Royal show. Another female out of Pelissee, Rathkeeland Blossom won the female championship at the Royal Dublin show and Limerick Show in Southern Ireland.

In the 1980’s Crawford Brothers competed in 24 shows from May to August all over Ireland winning the “show team of the year” 12 years in succession. The highlight of our showing was winning the championship at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh in 1999 with our stock bull Millbrook Lancelot and going on to team up with David Dicks' Ronick herd to win for the first time in the Limousin breed history the Burke Trophy.

The following year Lancelot won the Royal Highland in Scotland placed champion by a Brazilian breeder Mr Luiz Menagel and then placed Interbreed Champion by a Canadian breeder Mr Matthews who described in his commentary “I have travelled the world and I have never seen an animal like this”. It was truly a great honour for us and the bull Lancelot went on to represent the breed in the groups and interbreeds at all the Royals in 1999 and 2000 another great honour placed on him.