Wagyu Look At That!

Finnow Farm is located just outside Millstreet, Co. Cork, at the foot of Ballvouskill Mountain, surrounded by lakes, waterfalls and forestry. Running alongside the farm is the River Finnow, a tributary of the Blackwater. Conor farms beef cattle, sheep and pigs with the help of wife Lavinia and their three children.

Descending from a long line of farmers, Conor is the third generation to farm in Ballinatona. Dairy farmers for over 80 years, Conor turned to beef farming in 2010 and began breeding Wagyu – a breed of cattle originating from Japan. Wagyu beef is renowned for an intense marbled appearance which results in a tender, melt in the mouth meat with a distinctive and delicious flavour.

We have dedicated almost 15 years to perfecting our beef’s appearance, ensuring quality breeding, quality genetics and a quality Irish product.

Finnow Farm is a small family business. Our Wagyu meat is processed in Cork and distributed straight to your door. This is a quality Irish product, produced locally, processed locally and distributed to the Irish market.

Conor's Logo

I started Wagyu almost 15 years ago. I was primarily a dairy farmer with some beef cattle. Bored with the monotony of milking cows, I looked up the most expensive beef in the world and found out about wagyu. It wasn’t readily available in Ireland at the time. We invested in embryos and our journey began. Wagyu is renowned around the world as a delicacy. Known for its marbling which delivers a unique umami flavour. Wagyu meat is one of the best meats you can eat, high in monounsaturated fats and omega fatty acids. The animals stay on the farm for up to four years as it takes a long time for a wagyu animal to mature. At 28 months, a marbling gene kicks in and it helps the animal to develop the beautiful marbling that wagyu is famous for.

Here, on this farm, we rear the Wagyu slightly differently to the farms in Japan. In Japan, the animals are predominantly fed grain, we grassfeed the Wagyu for four years and finish them by intensively feeding a custom, locally milled high protein and energy based feed. In keeping with tradition, we do massage the animals! I don’t do it by hand but we have a special brush which cleans and massages the cattle. This decreases stress and improves blood circulation, enhancing animal health and comfort.

Our animals are processed at an abattoir here in Cork and they are packed and stored locally also. Our meat is delivered nationwide.

I am very active on social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. It gives great satisfaction when people post up the pictures of your product online and you see them enjoying the product. It means I must be doing something right. It gives you a boost.

The Sheahan Family

New To Wagyu? Conor’s tips. I recommend cooking the steak in its own fat and serve medium rare with homemade chips.

I love the burgers in a brioche bun! They are 100% beef, no additives, no preservatives, no flavourings. We are often asked if we sell mince. Well, the burgers are 100% mince, in lovely individual portions. Just smash them up and make a delicious stew or Bolognese.