Table: Total number of suckler and dairy calves by county in 2025
The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine has published the Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) Bovine Statistics Report for 2025.
The lengthy report outlines the key statistics for animal movements, calf births and disposal of animals, as well as key herd data, for last year.
The report is divided into a number of chapters, including one on calf birth registration data.
Within that chapter, the report provides data on the total number of suckler and dairy calves (defined by breed of dam) by county.
The data is outlined in the table below:
| County | Suckler calves | % Suckler | Dairy calves | % Dairy | Total calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow | 10,438 | 34.5% | 19,828 | 65.5% | 30,266 |
| Cavan | 32,495 | 43.5% | 42,252 | 56.5% | 74,747 |
| Clare | 54,889 | 62.7% | 32,609 | 37.3% | 87,498 |
| Cork | 54,278 | 12.6% | 376,717 | 87.4% | 430,995 |
| Donegal | 31,250 | 56.3% | 24,253 | 43.7% | 55,503 |
| Dublin | 2,412 | 51.3% | 2,292 | 48.7% | 4,704 |
| Galway | 75,792 | 63.1% | 44,414 | 36.9% | 120,206 |
| Kerry | 33,589 | 25.5% | 97,945 | 74.5% | 131,534 |
| Kildare | 11,371 | 34.4% | 21,663 | 65.6% | 33,034 |
| Kilkenny | 20,937 | 16.8% | 103,477 | 83.2% | 124,414 |
| Laois | 21,831 | 27.9% | 56,353 | 72.1% | 78,184 |
| Leitrim | 19,440 | 91.2% | 1,886 | 8.8% | 21,326 |
| Limerick | 24,779 | 17.6% | 116,126 | 82.4% | 140,905 |
| Longford | 17,811 | 58.9% | 12,429 | 41.1% | 30,240 |
| Louth | 7,803 | 27.6% | 20,498 | 72.4% | 28,301 |
| Mayo | 56,945 | 76.7% | 17,271 | 23.3% | 74,216 |
| Meath | 22,294 | 26% | 63,565 | 74% | 85,859 |
| Monaghan | 23,093 | 37.2% | 38,910 | 62.8% | 62,003 |
| Offaly | 20,345 | 32.9% | 41,511 | 67.1% | 61,856 |
| Roscommon | 37,957 | 77.7% | 10,917 | 22.3% | 48,874 |
| Sligo | 23,292 | 73.3% | 8,474 | 26.7% | 31,766 |
| Tipperary | 38,350 | 17.3% | 183,060 | 82.7% | 221,410 |
| Waterford | 13,144 | 12.9% | 88,788 | 87.1% | 101,932 |
| Westmeath | 25,235 | 43.4% | 32,852 | 56.6% | 58,087 |
| Wexford | 20,980 | 20.1% | 83,427 | 79.9% | 104,407 |
| Wicklow | 14,935 | 36.6% | 25,905 | 63.4% | 40,840 |
| Totals | 715,685 | 31.3% | 1,567,422 | 68.7% | 2,283,107 |
The highest number of overall calf births was in Cork, with 430,995 births, of which 54,278 (12.6%) were suckler calves and 376,717 (87.4%) were dairy calves.
Tipperary saw the second-highest number of calf births, with 221,410, of which 38,550 (17.3%) were suckler calves and 183,060 (82.7%) were dairy calves.
The third-highest number of calf births was in Limerick, with 140,905, of which 24,779 (17.6%) were suckler calves and 116,126 (82.4%) were dairy calves.
Five other counties - Galway, Kerry, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford - saw calf births in excess of 100,000.
In four of these five counties, the majority of calves were from a dairy dam, with the proportion of dairy calves out of the total varying between 74.5% in Kerry to 87.1% in Waterford.
The exception among those counties was Galway, where 63.1% of calves were born to a suckler dam.
Looking at the lower end of the scale, the fewest calves were born in Dublin, with 4,704 calf births.
Of these, 2,412 (51.3%) were suckler calves and 2,292 (48.7%) were dairy calves.
Leitrim saw the second-lowest number of calf births, with 21,326, of which only 1,886 (8.8%) were dairy calves, with 19,440 suckler calves.
Louth had the third-lowest number of calf births, with 28,301, of which 20,498 were dairy calves (72.4%) and 7,803 were suckler calves (27.6%).
In total, 2,283,107 calves were born in Ireland in 2025, of which 715,685 (31.3%) were suckler calves and 1,567,422 (68.7%) were dairy calves.
