Aughalion Prince leads Limousin premier sale at €14,000

Sale season kicked off for the Irish Limousin Cattle Society with its premier bull sale on Saturday, March 13th, in Elphin, County Roscommon.

According to a society spokesperson, the sale met with a 72% clearance rate and an average selling price of €4,243. This is an increase of €277 from its March 2019 premier bull sale.

“27% of the bulls sold made €5,000 or more. Cattle from the Irish Limousin herd book are well regarded and sought-after by customers in NI and mainland UK.”

“14 bulls on offer in Elphin were acquired by this customer base. Prices ranged from €14,000 to €2,200. A number of bulls that had been catalogued were sold prior to the sale to customers both in Ireland and the UK.”

€14,000 was top-call at the sale for AUGHALION PRINCE ET (main image) from Paddy Clerkin, Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan. Prince is a September-2019-born embryo son of Telfers Munster and the renowned Whitehall Iris.

His dam is a Haltcliffe Dancer daughter, bred by Noel Brennan and now the property of Ardlea Elite for, for who she had a tremendous show career, culminating in taking the overall reserve female championship in Tullamore in 2018.

Iris is also the dam of Ardlea Nemo– Junior champion and top-priced bull at the Premier sale in March 2019, and now is consistently producing exceptional cattle for the team at Tateetra-Rathmore.

Meanwhile, his sire, a Lodge Hamlet son, Telfers Munster, was intermediate champion in Carlisle in February 2018 and was purchased in partnership by Ardlea Elite Limousin herd and the Trueman herd of the Savage Family.

Messrs. Ridley of the noted Haltcliffe herd in the UK purchased Prince.

MILBROOK PROMOTER, a 16-month old son of Mereside Godolphin sold for the days second-highest price of €7,200.

Promoter was bred in county Meath by William Smith. His dam, Milbrook Lepetal, has Ampertaine Commander and Elite Popsi Et in her sire stack.

Promoter boasts five-star ratings in replacement index, terminal index, docility, carcass weight, carcass conformation and daughter milk.

After a flurry of bids, he was acquired by P. & S. Trainor for their herd in Kilkeel, Newry.

Thomas O’Shea, Rathdowney, Co. Laois presented TEMPLEQUAIN PERRY, an outstanding Derrygullinane Kingbull son at the sale.

Perry’s dam is the homebred Loosebeare Fantastic daughter Templequain Lavender.

Perry has a muscle score of 142, which is in the top 1% of the Limousin breed. He also has five-star ratings in terminal index, carcass weight and carcass conformation. After a flurry of bids, the hammer fell at €7,050 to Peter McWilliams, Donaghmore, Co Tyrone.

€6,400 was the closing bid for ERNEVALLEY PHENOMENAL ET from Eddie Lynch’s herd, Loughduff, County Cavan.

Phenomenal is also a son of Derrygullinane Kingbull. 15-month-old Phenomenal has a grand-dam that needs no introduction – the outstanding Drummin Cliona (Et). Phenomenal has five-star ratings in many traits and heads to Fred Sunderland, Aske, County Wexford.

The Lodge Hamlet son, DERRA PERFECT, sold for €5,200. Perfect was bred by Gerry Shaughnessy, Gort, County Galway.

His dam, Derra Misty, has Ampertaine Elgin and Queenshead Altea in her sire stack. October-2019-born Perfect has a muscle score of 139 (which is in the top 2%) and has a copy of the NT821 gene and a copy of the F94L gene. Owain Llyr acquired perfect.

Three bulls found new homes at €5,100.

First at this price and steeped in homebred genetics was KELTIC PADER from Teleri Thomas, Longwood, County Meath.

Pader’s sire Keltic Handsome, OKH, has stood in Progressive genetics for many years, while his dam, Keltic Lyre, is a Cameos daughter. Pader was purchased by Eddie Lynch, Co. Cavan for €5,100.

Next at this price was BIG RED PERSISTENCE from Donal Byrne, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo.

Persistence is a son of Bavardage and the Queenshead Altea daughter – Eyrecourt Melissa. With a five-star replacement index of €155 and a five-star terminal index of €176, Persistence was purchased by Hugh John Patton, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal.

Noel Fennessy of the Wood Road herd, based in Castleconnell, Limerick, accepted €5,100 for WOOD ROAD PROSPER.

This November-2019-born bull’s genetics include the two outstanding donor cows, Claque and Nadia B.

Prosper’s sire, Wood Road Malachy Et, and dam, Wood Road Irene (Et), both enjoyed success in the show ring, including national show titles. Sam Stuart, Magheramorne, Antrim purchased Prosper.

MILBROOK PRIORITY ET was one of two bulls to make €5,000.

Priority is a son of Lodge Hamlet and Milbrook Ester (Et), a Sympa daughter. Priority, who has a five-star terminal index of €173, was bred by William Smith and now heads to Strabane, Tyrone to Richard Black’s herd.

Also selling for €5,000 was NEWTOWN POKER BOY ET from Stanley Richardson, Newtowngore, Co. Leitrim.

Poker Boy is a multi-starred son of the highly sought after Bavardage. His dam, Newtown Emma Et, has Wilodge Vantastic and Ideal 23 in her back pedigree.

Frank Garrett, Castlehill, Co Mayo was the top bidder for Poker Boy.

MAYBE PLANTATION, from local breeders Michael and Evan Gunn, sold for €4,700.

Plantation was born in Scotland and was acquired at the Maybe herd’s dispersal sale as a calf with his dam, Maybe Microscosm.

Plantation’s sire is Lowflan Lee, a Gunnerfleet Eros son. Plantation came to the ring with five-star ratings in many traits. He carries one copy of the F94L gene and one copy of the Q204X gene and was acquired by John Craden, Ballina, County Mayo.

Cavan-based farmer, Paddy Carolan, purchased WOOD ROAD PHILIP for €4,500. Philip is an August-2019-born son of Bavardage and Wood Road Gerada Et (Sympa X Nadia B). P

Philip has five-star ratings in replacement index (€167) and terminal index (€168). Philip was bred by Noel Fennessy, Castleconnell, Co Limerick.

The Grangeford Jojo Et son, REDBAWN PHENOMENAL sold for €4,500, for Ian Kilgallon, Ballina, Co Mayo. Born in September 2019, Phenomenal has an array of five-star ratings. His dam Redbawn Ispringen has Virginia Andy and Ramses in her sire stack.

Local breeder, Pat Bruen, accepted €4,500 for his October-2019-born bull CARROWREAGH PATRICE 2.

Brian Coleman purchased Patrice for his herd based in Coolaney, Co Sligo. Patrice has Plumtree Fantastic, Ampertaine Gigolo and Eleazar in his sire stack.

William Hogan, Thurles, Co. Tipperary sold OLDTOWN PRICE for €4,400. Price has Ronick Hawk, Dauphin, and Palmares in his lineage.

Born in September-2019, Price has five-star ratings in most of his traits and was the pick of Sean Doherty, Buncrana, Co Donegal.

Eddie Lynch returned to the ring with an Ampertaine Gigolo son – ERNEVALLEY PITCHPERFECT ET. Born in December-2019, this young bull sold for €4,200.

Pitchperfect’s dam is Foxhillfarm Mary, herself a daughter of Wilodge Vantastic and the noted Bankdale Alice. With an array of five-star ratings, Pitchperfect was purchased by Martin Kavanagh of Kinvara, Co Galway.

Also from Eddie Lynch was ERNEVALLEY PRESTON. 16-month-old Preston is a son of Ampertaine Magnum and the Wilodge Drummer daughter, Ernevalley Jailbird Et. Gordan Buchanon, Innishmore, Fermanagh purchased this entry for €4,000.

The On-Dit son, RHYNE PANTER, sold for €4,000. Panter was bred by Mark Hagan, Killoe, Co. Longford.

Panter’s dam, Norman Micole, has Whinfellpark Iago and Claragh Franco in her sire stack. Carrying two copies of the F94L gene, Panter was acquired by John Carragher, Cootehill, Co Cavan.

Other prices:

Upcoming sale

For those who are on the lookout for a new stock bull or indeed a quality breeding female, the Limousin Society’s next sale is in Tullamore on Saturday, March 20^th at 1pm.