The Irish record for a Limousin female was set at William Smith’s Milbrook production sale in October 2003. Milbrook Senhorita ET, a March 2001-born daughter of Ferry and the highly regarded Milbrook Kathryn, sold for €42,000.

The All-Ireland heifer champion in 2002, her dam Milbrook Kathryn has 48 registered progeny in Ireland and as well as Senhorita, she bred Milbrook Vintage, who sold for €30,000, the 2011 Tully sale topper Milbrook Filio, who sold for €15,000, and Milbrook Dartangan, standing in Dovea AI.

Milbrook Dartangan – Maternal brother to Milbrook Senhorita /Alfie Shaw.

Not far behind, Ardlea Tammy sold in 2006 at Dan Tynan’s production sale for €40,000.

Tammy is a daughter of one of Ardlea’s most influential herd sires, Lino, and the imported Fidele daughter Lilas.

Tammy had enjoyed a stellar show career including clinching the Limousin championship at the 17th National Limousin show, senior Female of the Year 2005, Junior female champion at European Show in Paris 2005 and the female champion and reserve overall championship at National Livestock Show in Tullamore 2005.

A €31,000 Angus

Selling at €31,000 was Angus maiden heifer Lavally Angie. Bred by John and Mary Mullooly, Lavally, Strokestown, Co Roscommon, she sold at the October Carrick bull sales back in 2005.

Sired by Bohey Jasper, Angie claimed the junior championship at the All-Ireland finals in Strokestown the month previous.

The Suffolk Sheep Society also saw a top price of €31,000 for Liam McGonigle’s Cloontagh Chieftain. He claimed the overall championship at the society’s premier sale August 2015 before changing hands for the top price.

Cloontagh Chieftain was a snip at €31,000.

Big bad Limousins

The Limousin breed is back on top for the male record price with Kilcor Iceman. Iceman sold at the premier sale in February 2015 for €28,000.

He was presented at the sale by Gerard Davis, where he was purchased by R and J Graham of the renowned Graham's herd based in Stirling, UK. Iceman is by Fieldson Alfy with back-breeding to Rocky and Uchon, he was bred by Robert Gill.

Kilcor Iceman /Alfie Shaw.

An Irish record smashed

Setting a new Simmental record was Auroch Hillary, who sold for €26,000 at the Curaheen dispersal back in September.

Bred by the Wall family in Newcastle, Co. Dublin this nine month old heifer overtook the previous record title which went back to before the euro was introduced when John Stone of the Milton herd achieved £20,000 for his heifer.

Sired by Hillcrest Champion, Hillary comes with a wealth of breeding. Her full brother Auroch Ace sold for the Tullamore Society sale record price of €11,000, her half-brother Curaheen Whiskey sold for €17,000, and a half-sister, having bred Curaheen Bossman, is now in Progressive Genetics.

And finally, the Charolais

Setting the breed record for the Charolais society is Cottage Devon, a Texan-Gie son who was bought by NCBC for €24,000 at the Christmas Cracker in 2009. Bred by the Butler family, Co Tipperary, Cottage had previously stood male champion at Tullamore and weighed in at 865kg at 13 months old.