CHAROLAIS ANGELS! THREE TYDAVNET CHILDREN OPT TO AUCTION HAND-REARED CALF BORN DURING LOCKDOWN FOR CANCER CHARITIES AT BALLYBAY MART’S HALLOWEEN HEIFER SALE

By Veronica Corr

The term good news story is grossly over-used, but The Northern Standard are confident that this heartwarming tale of a farming family and their beloved pet calf reared during lockdown, qualifies as such. Three Tydavnet children have decided to part with their cherished Charolais heifer named George, now twoyears- old, in a show of solidarity with all those who are suffering from various forms of cancer within their community and beyond. George, a heifer calf was born on October 8th 2020, but her birthname given to her by the McCarra children, just stuck!

George was their lockdown project, and she was their sole focus when they were off school and all of their other activities were on-hold because of the pandemic. The calf didn’t take to her biological mother, so husband and wife team, Seamus and Olivia McCarra tasked their three children: Shannon (13), Peter (11) and Nadine (9), with bottle- feeding and rearing the calf between them.

The children took their duty of care very seriously, George thrived and is now a maiden heifer ideally suited to a suckler herd, who is ready for pastures new. Although George may be ready, Seamus conceded that his children would find it very hard to let her go. Since it was determined that it was the right time to sell George, the children felt…