Pictured here above receiving his award from Michael Berfery FBD Trust (left of photo) & Stephen Crowley Herdwatch (right of photo)
The executive of the FBD National Hall of Fame Awards is delighted to present the National Hall of Fame Award 2026 for Irish Simmental Cattle Society to Mr. Martin Regan.
Martin Regan hails from Cloonfad, Ballyhaunis, Co. Roscommon. At the age of 17, Martin purchased his first Pedigree Simmentals from his neighbour P. J. Donnellan.
The Corrib Herd was established the following year with the purchase of three heifers from the Lanmor Herd of Raymond O`Malley and this started one of the many lifelong friendships that the Simmental breed has afforded Martin.
Martin along with his wife Mary and daughters Jacinta, Maeve and Martina were passionate in their dedication to the showing and promotion of their Simmental cattle. Going to shows became a way of life in the Regan household with every weekend taken up with two and sometimes three shows.
A taste of their show success includes the following: Lanmor Emma winning the Supreme RDS Champion in 2002. Corrib Rosette being crowned the National Yearling Heifer in Tullamore 2005. Celtic Nobleman Supreme Simmental Champion at Tullamore in 2003. Ballintlea Katie Overall Simmental Female Champion at Tullamore 2007. Anatrim Bodybuilder National Senior Bull Champion Tullamore 2014.
The purchase of Curaheen Tyson, a 10-month-old bull, at the Roscommon Premier Sale in November 2006 from the late David Wall, in partnership with Gerard Brickley Celtic Sires for €20,000 set a record price for a Simmental Bull to that date.
Martin is a dedicated member of the Western Simmental Club since and has held many roles within the Club including serving seven years as Chairman. Martin also represented the Club on the National Simmental Council for six years. Martin and his family have hosted a number of very successful opendays on their farm, with nobody ever leaving hungry or with a lasting impression of the quality of Simmental cattle.
For all sellers and buyers who have attended the Simmental Premier Sales at Roscommon over the last twenty years, the one constant is that Martin Regan would be helping out in some capacity. Martin along with the late Albert Bagnall travelled around the country doing the inspections for the Premier Sale for many years. Martin has acted as a Simmental Judge at many shows in both the North and South of Ireland.
Martin works with Progressive Genetics, in the role of Breeding Advice and Sales. It is a given that in his travels, Martin is also looking out for the next Simmental Bull that could set the headlines.
Nothing pleases Martin better than seeing the next generation of Simmental Breeders getting established and its true to say that many such breeders over the years have benefited from Martin’s help and advice in relation to which genetics would work best or how to get animal best prepared for either shows or sales.
Martins’ interest is as strong today as it was when he set out on his Simmental journey at 17 years of age, but it’s the lifelong friends that he has made along the way that has made it all the more worthwhile.
