1923. ScHARFF— (9w the Origin of the Irish Cattle. 67 



In a subsequent paper, Sir William Wilde incidentally 

 stated that, as the result of his continental travels, he had 

 modified the views previously expressed on the breeds of 

 Irish cattle. He did not there and then define the particu- 

 lars in which his opinions differed. He evidently meant to 

 do so later on, but did not.'^ 



Anyhow, William Youatt, who was always held in 

 esteem as an authority on cattle, was positive that about 

 a hundred years ago there existed only two distinct breeds 

 of Irish cattle. These were what he calls " middle and long- 

 horns," one being the small Kerry, plainly an aboriginal 

 breed, and the other of much larger size with long horns. 

 His suggestion is that the latter was probably an old or 

 partially improved Craven or Lancashire beast. Neverthe- 

 less, Youatt acknowledges that two kinds of such long- 

 horns, namely a larger and a smaller, may be distinguished, 

 the 'atter being principally found in the North of Ireland. 

 Although the characters of these cattle seemed to him 

 essentially different, he suggests that one may be the 

 •result of indifferent or bad management of an originally 

 similar stock. It seems strange that the author omits all 

 reference to the Irish hornless breed which has been alluded 

 to above. ^ 



Another later writer agrees with the opinions expressed 

 by Youatt concerning the presence in Ireland of two breeds, 

 viz., the Kerry and the long-horn. . He contends that the 

 latter was originally an inhabitant of the western parts of 

 the British Islands, and that it extended over nearly the 

 whole plain of Ireland and even the greater part of the 

 mountains. He says that it still forms the prevailing race 

 of the country. And yet, he continues, in the west there 

 exists a race which differs in almost every respect that 

 constitutes a breed from the long-horns. Whereas Ireland 

 and the western parts of England have had for an unknown 

 period a race of cattle having long horns and furnished with 



3 Wilde, W. : On the unmanufactured animal remains belonging to 



the R. Irish Academy. Proc. R. Irish Academy, vol. vii., 1859. 



* Youatt, W. : Cattle, their breed, management and disease. London, 



1834. 



A2 



