Brave Herders

Brave Herders is a collective of independent family farms brought together by a love of native Irish livestock breeds & a drive to offer a non-factory farmed alternative to consumers. We represent farms across Munster and we are members of the Irish Dexter Cattle Society.

Who are the Brave Herders?

Diarmuid O'Riordan
Chief Brave Herder

Diarmuid, son of Dexter farmer Jerry, works in digital advertising in Dublin. Diarmuid set up Brave Herders in response to the Covid crisis which resulted in many beef farms, including our own, being unable to supply premium beef to restaurants. Diarmuid coordinates the Brave Herders, manages the website & customer service.

Jerry O'Riordan
Dexter Farmer

Jerry O’Riordan is a Dexter Cattle farmer in Millstreet, Co.Cork. The farm is situated on the foothills of Curragh Mountain & home to a herd of 50 free range Dexter Cattle. Jerry decided to farm Dexters having sold his dairy herd in 2017. He remembers these native Irish cattle being common in his youth.

Conor O'Riordan
Dexter Farmer

Conor O'Riordan lives in Millstreet & supports Jerry on the farm. Conor combines farming with his acting career & job with the HSE. Conor is particularly interested in the areas of animal welfare & environmental sustainability.

John Murphy
Dexter Farmer

John Murphy, Gneeveguilla, Co.Kerry, farms in partnership with his son, David. The farm overlooks the lakes of Killarney & onto Carrauntoohil mountain. John & David decided to farm Dexters following the purchase of a neighbouring farm in 2013.

Larry Fanning
Dexter Farmer

Larry has a mixed farm and has kept Dexter Cattle for the last 5 years. Based in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, he's a member of the Dexter Cattle Society & one of the premier Dexter breeders in the country.

Our History

Set up by the O’Riordan family in Millstreet, Co. Cork, our brand name attempts to bring together ideas & values about our farm and our history. “Herders” evokes a people who are less process driven & more focused on the intrinsic value of the animal, using traditional husbandry methods. “Brave” was for the decision taken in setting up something new, when in 2017 we bought Dexters having been traditionally a dairy farm.

Our history in Dairy farming informs our business strategy. Irish Dairy Cooperatives have helped generations of dairy farms thrive through the cooperative, family owned model. Having benefited from this for 50 years, we set up Brave Herders to be a cooperative model for local, family owned Dexter farmers.

We continue to grow and add more Herders, who match our values and ethics, to our collective. The journey continues.