A YOUNG Donegal boy has landed a starring role in a new National Dairy Council campaign.
Born in Cavan and now living in Rossnowlagh, seven-year-old Seamie Sean Brennan plays Seání in Irish Dairy. A True Irish Legend., alongside Dublin actor Gavan O’Connor-Duffy as legendary Irish warrior Cú Chulainn. The pair were selected following a nationwide casting call held by the National Dairy Council earlier this summer.
The advertisement celebrates Irish dairy and the pride people across Ireland feel in the sector. Filmed on Dermot Phibbs’ dairy farm in Blessington, Co Wicklow, the advertisement centres on a humorous misunderstanding between Seání and Cú Chulainn. As Cú Chulainn proudly recounts his legendary feats, Seání assumes he must be talking about Ireland’s pasture-based dairy cows – the ‘true Irish legends’ in his eyes.
Seamie Sean also joined the National Dairy Council at the National Ploughing Championships, where he watched the campaign advertisement on Farm TV for the first time.
Seamie Sean said: “I had great fun making the ad and dressing up as Seání. It was really exciting seeing the ad at the Ploughing. It was the biggest TV screen I’d ever seen! I can’t wait for everyone at home in Donegal and Cavan to see it too.”
Emma Walls, CEO of the National Dairy Council, said: “The campaign celebrates the farmers, cows and pasture-based system behind the dairy products that are part of everyday life in Ireland, while helping a new generation understand what makes Irish dairy distinctive. Seamie Sean brings that story to life brilliantly, and we are delighted to have him at the heart of the campaign.”
It launches as new National Dairy Council research reveals strong national pride in Irish dairy, while also pointing to a weaker connection among younger adults.
Almost three-quarters 74 per cent of Irish adults say they feel proud of the Irish dairy sector. However, this falls to just 55 per cent among 18-24-year-olds.
Irish Dairy. A True Irish Legend. will also encourage consumers to look for the National Dairy Council Guarantee when buying milk and cream. Some 68 per cent of Irish adults associate the mark with quality dairy they trust.
The National Dairy Council Guarantee provides independent assurance that qualifying milk and cream have been farmed and processed in the Republic of Ireland.
The campaign is running nationwide across television, streaming, radio, digital, social media, and outdoor advertising.