Kerry
(most common name)
(transboundary/brand name)

(local/other name):
• Kerry cattle

The Kerry is a hardy native breed of southwestern Ireland, capable of producing efficiently in harsh environmental conditions. It is thought, but not proven, that there was some influence from Alderney and Iberian cattle.

The Kerry was recognized as a breed in 1839. The first Kerry herdbook was published in 1890 and the Kerry & Dexter Cattle Society of Ireland was formed in 1917 — which became the Kerry Cattle Society of Ireland in 1919.

The Kerry is small and fine-boned, typically with a dairy conformation (lean and angular). The coat is black, sometimes with a little white on the udder or immediately in front of the scrotum. The horns are slender with a graceful upward curve.

The Kerry was once given the nickname ‘Cotter’s Cow’ due to the number of owners who were ‘cottiers’ (poor farmers) living in rented cottages on rented land. ‘Cotter’ was also another name for a peasant class of tenant farmers in Scotland.

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-18

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