Northern Ireland

Ronnie Marshall: North Antrim farmer had a passion for pedigree livestock

RONNIE Marshall was very well known and widely respected in north Antrim farming circles.

Born in Portglenone in May 1939, he and older sibling Joseph had farming on both sides of the family in parents Thomas Duff Marshall and Esther (Cameron).

Ronnie was involved in all things agriculture from a young age, and throughout his life had a passion for pedigree livestock.

At just 23 he enjoyed a lot of success with his Finkiltagh herd of pedigree pigs.

A feature in the August 1962 edition of Pig Progress magazine described him as one of the youngest owners of a pedigree herd in the Accredited Herds Scheme, and he was commended for his conversion of an existing barn into three modern pens each to hold 30 pigs.

Ronnie continued to work on the family farm at Finkiltagh before taking a job at the agricultural college at Greenmount, as a grass seed sales agent for Samuel Stewart, and then for Hunters of Chester seeds.

After moving to full-time farming, he ran his Kirkhills dairy herd of British Fresians, before expanding into pedigree beef cattle forming the Crosskeys Charolais and Waterloo Aberdeen Angus herds with daughter Kathryn on the family farm at ‘Waterloo’ in Ahoghill.

Ronnie Marshall died aged 81 on April 4 and will be missed by many, especially his wife Shirley, daughters Heather, Anne, Fiona and Kathryn, sons-in-law Paul and Stephen and much loved grandchildren Emily, Amy, Patrick, Lucy, Henry, Cameron and Jacob.