The ban on showing Northern Ireland cattle at agricultural shows in the Republic has been lifted, the Department of Agriculture confirmed yesterday.
Northern Ireland cattle were banned from coming south because of the high incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the North.
Because of the economic links between the North and Britain a very high proportion of cattle from the North became infected with BSE, a disease which is thought to have been caused by cattle feed becoming contaminated with infected sheep brain.
However, the EU has now lifted the ban on the export of Northern Ireland cattle and beef, and the department in Dublin confirmed that for the first time in over a decade Northern Irish cattle can be shown here.
Freda Kinnarney, secretary of the Tullamore and AIB National Livestock Show, the largest show in the Republic, said the news that the ban had been lifted was very good news.
"It will mean some problems for us because we are going to have to find extra space for cattle exhibits, but we had already planned for an expansion of that area anyhow.
"There has always been a great interest in the national livestock show from breeders in the North, and many of the 50,000 or so people who come to the event come from the North.
"We are delighted that they will now be able to bring their animals here and show them because there are many serious cattle and sheep breeders in the North."
The removal of the ban, she said, was certain to swell the number of cattle being shown at the event, which was close to 1,700 last year.
"There are 140 classes for cattle at the national livestock show as it stands but we will be expecting a lot of entries from the North.
"We are also checking on the status of sheep. Sheep from the North were shown here up until 2001, but because of the foot-and-mouth disease they were banned.
"It may be possible that our next show may feature sheep from the North again."
The Tullamore show opens on August 13th.