Hopes that a Longford bull will be a match for a short horned cow on Tory Island.
With only one remaining short-horn cow remaining on Tory Island, a group came together to search for a suitable match to ensure the future of the breed.
She was all alone, the last of the Tory Island cows and with her, the breed would live or die out completely.
A syndicate comprising the Genetic Resources Trust, various academics and the United Farmers Assocation, searched high and low for a suitable match and found Felix the bull in County Longford to keep Tory's last remaining cow company.
Felix has now been transported to Tory Island and matchmakers are thrilled at the prospect of repopulating the island with cattle. The short horned cow is one of the rarest domestic breeds in the world and is indigenous to Tory Island. Felix must now carry out a noble duty with historic implications.
The signs for the future of the cattle popluation on Tory are looking good.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 29 June 1998. The reporter is Eileen Magnier.
