Virginia Show opens entries for 2025 Baileys Cow
Celebrating the excellence of Ireland's Holstein Friesian dairy herds, the event remains a showcase of the quality behind Baileys signature ingredient, Irish dairy cream.
Attending its launch in Dublin recently minister for agriculture, food and the marine, Martin Heydon, praised the long-running competition as a symbol of pride in dairy farming and the herds behind the 'hero' ingredient in Baileys.
Launching the competition, Minister Heydon said the competition was a "proud celebration of the excellence, care and commitment that define Irish dairy farming".
"This stand-out event highlights the grass-based dairy breeding practices that our skilled farmers are known for and underpins the success of one of our most iconic global brands and our all-island geographical indication, Irish cream," he said.
'The success of our Irish cream is a testament to the quality of our agri-food sector, which continues to deliver premium produce enjoyed around the world.
"I commend Diageo and Tirlán for recognising the vital role of Irish dairy farmers and for continuing to spotlight the best of Irish agriculture through this competition, for showcasing our quality Irish cream globally and for supporting the future sustainability of the agri-food sector. I wish all entrants the very best ahead of this year's Virginia Show.'
Shane Kelly, Diageo Ireland Corporate Relations Director, added: 'We are delighted to champion the exceptional quality of Irish dairy cream – the heart of every bottle of Baileys. This annual event is a stand-out moment in the year to recognise dairy breeding practices.'
Entry to the Diageo Baileys Cow is open to members of both the Irish Holstein Friesian Association and Holstein NI. The competition's top prize, Diageo Baileys Champion, comes with a cash reward of €3,000 and the Virginia Milk Products Cup Reserve Champion and Honourable Mention will receive €1,500 and €800, respectively.
Additionally, the event will feature numerous other category prizes, including Junior Cows in their second lactation, with a total prize fund of €1,550. The popular Best-Heifer-in-Milk category will also offer €1,550, with €750 awarded to the first-place winner.
Entries can be submitted online at virginiashow.com/baileys-cow or by contacting Patrick Gaynor on: 087-2898707.
Read More
EU gives Irish dairy high marks, but goat ID and cold store gaps need action
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Brittany Ferries increasing Rosslare-Cherbourg services as passenger volumes up 40% and freight units double
Brittany Ferries is increasing its presence at Rosslare Europort after confirming on Tuesday it will increase sailings to Cherbourg following Stena Line's decision to leave the service. Brittany Ferries, which is long established in Cork, will increase both capacity and frequency of sailings from Rosslare to the French port from the end of September, with departures rising from five to seven every week. Brittany Ferries launched their Rosslare to Cherbourg service in 2021 in a post-Brexit response to demand from hauliers, to obviate the need to cross the UK-landbridge when moving freight between Ireland and France. Passenger volumes have soared nearly 40% this year while freight units have doubled. Brittany Ferries says the increased service can ensure business continuity for Irish hauliers, as well as offering more choice to holidaymakers. 'News that our competitor was stepping back, started the firing pistol in a concerted effort to secure port slots and better serve customers in Ireland and France," said Brittany Ferries chief executive Christophe Mathieu. 'It means greater choice for holidaymakers and even more opportunity for freight operators seeking to by-pass the UK entirely, cutting down on bureaucracy and delays at the UK border. Our new train connection in Cherbourg only adds further strings to the multimodal bow.' The company's first train is being rolled out, which will utilise rail line links from Cherbourg and Bayonne, carrying unaccompanied trailers over 970km of the French rail network. Glenn Carr, director of commercial business units for Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail-Port Authority for Rosslare Europort said since Brexit, direct sailings between Rosslare Europort and the European continent have increased six-fold. "Our priority has been to ensure we maintain that capacity and choice for industry and tourism alike." Stena announced its decision to withdraw its existing three-day Rosslare-Cherbourg service after "an extensive review" with the intention of strengthening the company's investment in the Irish Sea, where it said it will strengthen its Irish Sea network. "We have recently announced investments of almost £40m in our Liverpool and Belfast terminals, as well as the upgrading of the Fishguard port infrastructure. We will also be increasing capacity across the Irish Sea with two new freight vessels planned for the Belfast–Heysham route and an additional freight vessel for the Dublin–Liverpool route," said Stena trade director Johan Edelman.
Sunday World
4 hours ago
- Sunday World
Conor McGregor adds €17,500 red wine to Black Forge menu
McGregor charges €6.50 for a pint of Guinness in his pub, compared to his own-brand Forged Irish Stout's €6 price point Conor with Stephanie Simons in the Black Forge with two bottle of Petrus worth €35k Conor McGregor has been whining this weekend about losing his appeal case against Nikita Hand but he also enjoys a wine of a different nature — which is undoubtedly the most expensive served in an Irish pub. The MMA star has on his drinks menu at his Black Forge pub a bottle of Petrus 2005 red wine for an astonishing €17,500. Other bottles of red wine are in the more affordable bracket for most punters, ranging in price from €32 to a still pricey €690, while the cheapest bottle of white is €32. A rosé starts at €36, while bottles of champagne range from €150 to €780. McGregor charges €6.50 for a pint of Guinness in his pub, compared to his own-brand Forged Irish Stout's €6 price point. Most lagers in the pub are priced at €7.30. The Black Forge wine list 'I was taken aback at how someone going to a pub in a working class area like Crumlin would be even thinking about spending nearly twenty grand on a bottle of wine,' remarked one person in the pub, who highlighted the startling price on the menu. 'I was told that of course no one from Crumlin or Drimnagh would spend €17,500 for a bottle of wine, but that it is 'Conor's favourite', and he drinks it from time to time when he's in the pub.' It's unclear whether McGregor actually puts the huge cost of the French wine on his bill, but he would still be hit deep in the pockets either way. That's because online wholesale prices for that same bottle of wine show that it's fetching around €5,600 on the open market, leading to a profit of just over €12,000 if any customer decided to fork out for it in the Black Forge. The 2005 Petrus on the Black Forge wine list for €17.5K . 'Petrus is often considered the pinnacle of the Pomerol appellation and is undoubtedly one of the most revered wines in the world,' says one expert. 'The 2005 Petrus is dazzling. Rich, ample and explosive, the 2005 possesses magnificent density from start to finish.' McGregor is currently on holiday with his family on his yacht in the Mediterranean. On Friday he issued a rambling statement after Nikita Hand's latest victory, in which he vowed he would not be paying his pal James Lawrence's legal costs after the High Court threw out both of their appeals. Conor with Stephanie Simons in the Black Forge with two bottle of Petrus worth €35k McGregor had tried to challenge the outcome of a civil rape case Nikita Hand won against him last year when a jury found he had assaulted her in a Dublin hotel in 2018 and awarded her almost €250,000 in damages. McGregor had asked the Court of Appeal to allow in new claims that Ms Hand was punched and kicked by her then partner just hours after she says she was raped by McGregor in 2018. However, the allegations, made by Samantha O'Reilly and Steven Cummins, former neighbours of Ms Hand, were dramatically withdrawn by McGregor's legal team on the morning the case opened in July. Nikita Hand slammed the allegations as 'lies' and is now suing both the couple and McGregor for damages, claiming they had been involved in 'malicious abuse' of the processes of the Court of Appeal. The Sunday World called to the home of Samantha O'Reilly in south Dublin on Friday but a neighbour told us: 'She doesn't want to talk.' Conor with Stephanie Simons in the Black Forge with two bottle of Petrus worth €35k News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, August 5th
Irish Independent
6 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Transparency about where money goes can help get a grip on insurance costs
The open consultation process that informed this plan is a model for how policy reform should be approached, enriched by diverse perspectives, with over 70 submissions focused on outcomes that benefit consumers, businesses, and the wider economy. The plan sets out a structured schedule of actions and is built around six core themes, which reflect a comprehensive approach to reform. The emphasis on legal reform, innovation, and affordability aligns well with the challenges facing the sector. It is also encouraging to see 10 priority actions, which target the most pressing issues. The plan's emphasis on enhancing the efficiency, authority, and impact of the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB) is welcomed. Action 3 is a priority reform aimed at reducing litigation, lowering costs, and improving the speed of claims resolution. Preventing claimants from modifying their claims post IRB and introducing legal costs for its claims are pragmatic steps that will encourage early resolution and discourage unnecessary litigation and delays. This will promote consistency in how injuries are assessed as currently, the IRB and the court are effectively assessing different cases due to the introduction of additional reports for those claims going into court. This has prevented the IRB from reaching its full potential. Another positive step is the commitment to report on accepted IRB assessments, rather than just those issued, half of which are typically rejected. This will enhance transparency and support future improvements. Action 4 proposes benchmarking Irish injury awards against those in the UK and other European countries. This raises questions, as similar analysis was believed to have informed the 2021 Personal Injuries Guidelines. Insurers are now compiling data to support this work. While the focus is currently on the UK, it's vital that the scope includes European jurisdictions with less prevalent compensation cultures. These systems offer valuable insights into achieving fair compensation while maintaining market sustainability. It's been over 20 years since the Troika identified Ireland's high legal costs as a barrier to competitiveness. Yet legal fees remain a major driver of insurance premiums. The development of legal cost scales under Action 6 is long overdue, having first been proposed in the 2020 Action Plan. Although scoping was completed in June 2022, further progress was deferred pending sufficient data on the impact of the Judicial Council's Personal Injuries Guidelines, likely in the hope that reduced awards and litigation would lessen the need for further reform. However, legal costs remain a persistent issue. According to the 2024 National Claims Information Database (NCID) mid-year report, motor injury claims under €100,000 that settled through litigation saw legal costs rise on average to €18,859, compared to just €836 through the IRB, some 22 times higher. These costs now represent 94pc of the average compensation award and 48pc of the total claim spend in the litigation channel. While average compensation has fallen by 17pc, the total cost per claim has only decreased by 1.6pc, meaning the benefit of lower awards has been largely offset by rising legal fees. Similarly, tougher penalties and enhanced intelligence sharing on fraud in Action 12 would help protect honest policyholders and restore trust in the system. Further investment in the Garda Fraud Bureau will be key to ensuring the success of this initiative. Action 21 proposes amendments to the Judicial Council Act that could extend the review period for the guidelines from three to seven years. The current review cycle is too short to allow reforms to take root, contributing to instability and unpredictability, which are precisely the issues the guidelines are meant to address. These changes, along with mandated consultation with the IRB in the review process and clearer Oireachtas oversight, will help ensure that the guidelines remain relevant and balanced. While proposals such as the introduction of pre-action protocols and case management in personal injury claims have not been prioritised in either the 2020 or 2025 reform plans, they have the potential to deliver significant impact. Pre-action protocols encourage early resolution of claims and reduce the need for litigation. Where court action is necessary, structured case management would ensure claims are handled efficiently. Together, these measures could help reduce legal costs, speed up outcomes, and ease the burden on all parties involved. Learn more Insurance reform is not a one-time fix. It's an ongoing process that requires persistence, adaptability, and more importantly, collaboration between government, industry, legal professionals, and consumers. The new Action Plan offers a strong foundation. It reflects a shared commitment to change and a recognition that lasting progress only happens when insurers, policymakers, legal professionals, and consumers work together. Lisa Dennehy is chief claims officer at Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC
