The Large White Ulster, or Ulster White, was a breed of domestic pig. Primarily bred for bacon production, it was the favoured breed of farmers in the north of Ireland up until the mid 20th century. The breed has been extinct since c.1960, with the last boar registered in 1956. Origin and characteristics By the end of the 19th century, the breed of pig seen in the northern counties of Ireland was of consistent type and differed from the crosses favoured in the south. A number of potential origins have been suggested for this breed. Up until the 1870s, the Berkshire pig had been the most popular breed in Ireland, but in the latter half of the century 'improvement' efforts were concentrated on white-skinned Yorkshire types, particularly the Middle White, and it is probable that the Ulster White was the result of such crosses with local strains. Some authors asserted that it had some ancestry from the "Old Irish" or "Greyhound Pig" landrace of earlier times. The latter had been a long-legged, coarse-haired pig with white skin, and it has also been suggested that the Ulster White was either the direct product of selective breeding of the Old Irish or of early 19th century crosses between it and the Berkshire. Whatever its exact origins, the Ulster White bred true to type. It was a medium-large sized pig, long and very deep in the body, with distinctively pendulous ears (like the Old Irish pig) and white, rather thin skin. It was finer-boned and haired, and shorter legged, than the comparable Large White pig of England. It was popular with farmers as it was prolific, docile and easy to look after, with the sows making good mothers. The breed put on weight quickly and had a tendency to run to fat: it produced very fat bacon which was prized for its rich aroma when cooked. By the early years of the 20th century, the breed's characteristics had been refined and standardised. Extinction The Large White Ulster remained by far the most common breed in Northern Ireland until the 1940s, and was also prevalent in Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan. At that time both the UK and Irish governments began to recommend standardisation of pig breeds: the Large White Ulster fell out of favour due to a demand for leaner bacon and particularly due to the fact that the breed's thin skin made it