The Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association held a social evening and dinner at the Mullingar Park Hotel over the weekend. The event was designed to incorporate a social aspect to the yearly activities and afforded the membership a prime opportunity to relax and enjoy each other’s company and bring down the curtain on a productive and successful 2018 in style. The event was very well attended on the night and provided an extremely fitting and appropriate setting for the presentation of the President’s Medal. The Medal, which was presented by Irish Aberdeen-Angus President, Mr. Mack Crowe was formally awarded to Louis Byrne of the Tomriland Aberdeen-Angus Herd, Annamoe, Bray, Co. Wicklow. 

Louis, alongside wife Chrissie and family members were present on the night and accepted the award in light of his near 30 year association with the Aberdeen-Angus breed. Louis began his pedigree herd of Aberdeen-Angus in 1990 with the purchase of 4 heifers at Carrick-On-Shannon. Cow numbers have grown to 30 cows and followers at the present time with stock bulls from Liss and Richhill Aberdeen-Angus herds currently in use. The Tomriland Aberdeen-Angus Herd won the recent Connaught/Leinster Junior Calf Championship at the club’s annual herds competition last October with Tomriland Esmerica U348 and also won the 2017 Leinster Provincial Trophy with Tomriland Enigma S293 to name just a few of the herd’s latest successes. 

In addition to their showing endeavours, Louis is also a distinguished member of council, (first being elected to council in 1996 and serving concurrent terms since then), a former President of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association and former representative from Ireland to the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society council in Scotland. Louis has also worked closely with the Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) and the Pedigree Cattle Breeders of Ireland on behalf of the Aberdeen-Angus Association and boasts a record of near-unrivalled service to the breed. Consequently, it came as little surprise to the Aberdeen-Angus breeders at home and abroad that Louis was chosen as this year’s recipient of the President’s Medal. Speaking after receiving his award in Mullingar, Louis had the following to say, 

“I am completely honoured and humbled to receive this award tonight. It has been my privilege to serve the breed that I am so passionate about and it has been a pleasure to work so closely with so many like-minded individuals and play my part in driving our breed forward to its current position of the #1 beef breed in Ireland. I have also made some firm, lifelong friendships over that time, many of whom are present here tonight and I would like to especially thank Mack Crowe, our President and Kathryn Bradshaw, our Secretary with whom I have had the pleasure of working with over the last number of years. Finally, thank you to everyone who has supported me by attending tonight’s event and I wish all of the Aberdeen-Angus membership the very, very best for 2019 and into the future. 

In addition to the President’s Medal, a number of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society medals were presented to breeders who had won breed championships on the show circuit over the summer. Albert & Jennifer DeCogan of the Mogeely Aberdeen-Angus Herd, Thomas Beirne of the Drumbeera Aberdeen-Angus Herd, John McEnroe of the Liss Aberdeen-Angus Herd, Kenton, Stephen & Avril Crowe of the Aughakil Aberdeen-Angus Herd and Pat & Finbarr Cahill of the Shankill Aberdeen-Angus herd all received medals on the night.  

Finally, the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association would like to congratulate Louis once again on his richly deserved award, thank everyone who attended on the night and wish the entire membership a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Some photos from the event are shown below:

Shown above is Louis Byrne receiving the President’s Medal from Mack Crowe, President of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association.

Shown above is Albert DeCogan receiving his summer show medal from Mack Crowe, President of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association  

Shown above is Thomas Beirne receiving his summer show medal from Mack Crowe, President of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association  

Shown above is John McEnroe receiving his summer show medal from Mack Crowe, President of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association  

Shown above is Kenton Crowe receiving his summer show medal from Mack Crowe, President of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association 

Shown above is Pat Cahill receiving his summer show medal from Mack Crowe, President of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association.