John Holloway

Co Offaly

My name is John Holloway, and I am part of Gageboro Hereford in Co Offaly.

My grandfather named the herd after the Gageboro River that runs through the family farm.

I am proud to say that the first cattle ever sold to Irish Hereford Prime came from the Gageboro Herd. My Grandfather bought his first Hereford heifer for six pounds in 1927 from the Franciscan Monastery at a fair in Clara and she was the foundation of the herd we have today.

This is a family run farm, I worked it alongside my wife up until 5 years ago when she sadly passed on. Today my daughter Lisa, alongside her husband Niall, who is a board member of Irish Hereford Prime, work on the farm with my three grandchildren.

My grandchildren compete in the young handlers competitions at shows with the Hereford calves. They are very keen and work hard, getting up early in the morning to get ready for the shows.

When the calves are born, they get very excited, they are out straight away to decide which they want to show and which has the best conformation, they really know their stock.

We grow spring barley alongside the Herefords and the commercials, and we are happy to get a good quality yield from the land.

I am proud to say that the first cattle ever sold to Irish Hereford Prime came from the Gageboro Herd.

As a beef farmer I have always believed that the food I produce should be of the highest quality. That’s what I’m about. That’s why I breed Herefords, the quality of the meat can’t be beaten.