Diarmuid, son of Dexter farmer Jerry, works in digital advertising in Dublin. The O'Riordans 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 is a Dexter Cattle farmer in Millstreet, Co. Cork. The farm is situated on the foothills of Curragh Mountain & home to a herd of 80 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, with the last Dexter leaving our farm in the 1970's, due to the installation of a milking machine - and the excellent milking Dexter was too small to fit into the new milking stall.
Conor O'Riordan has a herd of 14 Dexter cows in Millstreet, Co. Cork. The cattle graze in peace and quiet on Curragh Mountain.
Founded by the O’Riordan family in Millstreet, Co. Cork, our 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 Dexter Cattle, having been a dairy farm since 1914.
Brave Herders is Munster’s Dexter Beef Collective, founded by the O’Riordan family farm in Millstreet, Co. Cork. Our home farm sets the standard, and a trusted network of small Dexter farms across Munster follow the same practices, allowing us to deliver premium, grass-fed, slow-grown Dexter beef year-round.
With over 150 Dexters finished annually, our beef is served in some of Ireland’s finest restaurants and Michelin-star kitchens, consistently offering exceptional flavour, marbling, and quality. The Brave Herder Standard ensures every animal is ethically raised, fully traceable, and raised in harmony with the land, making our beef as good for the plate as it is for the environment.
Every cut of Brave Herders Dexter beef comes from our home farm in Millstreet or from a handful of trusted Dexter farmers in Munster we know personally. All farms follow the Brave Herder Standard — small herds, slow-grown cattle, grass-fed on Munster pasture, and individually traceable.
This collective model ensures year-round consistent supply without compromising the traditional, small-farm quality that makes Dexter beef unique.
We sell exclusively in bulk, half or whole cows, giving families access to full cuts from each animal, while supporting your local butcher and cutting down on packaging. It’s better for the environment, better for your table, with beef that’s trusted by Michelin-level chefs. This is how we enjoy it at home, from our freezer, and the best part is we can share it with the wider family and friends also. Dexters are ideal here, because they are ~½ the size of an Angus, so it’s more manageable from a cost and freezer space perspective.
