On Saturday 13 February, the Irish Limousin Cattle Society held its annual spring premier show and sale in Elphin Mart, Co Roscommon, which saw 52 of the 68 bulls catalogued brought forward for sale.
The yearly spring sale was met with a 77% clearance rate after 40 of the bulls went on to find their new homes.
Topping the lots was first prizewinner, Keltic Seimon from the herd of Teleri Thomas, Longwood, Co Meath, The September 2021-born Tomschoice Lexicon son was bred from an Ampertaine Foreman cow, boasted a full page of five-star figures and sold for the highest price of €8,000 on the day.
It was another great day in the ring for the Oldcastle, Co Meath brothers, Karl and John Connell, when their pair of bulls scooped the junior and reserve junior champions in the show ring before their September 2021-born reserve junior champion bull, Carrickmore Sparticus ET hit the show ring.
Sired by Sympa, out of the world congress champion, Baileys Ice Princess, Sparticus sold for the second highest price of the day at €6,800.
The Connell brothers’ success continued as their second entry, when September 2021-born Carrickmore Saint Ledger ET, who carried the same breeding and the same excellent figures as his stablemate, sold for €5,600.
Selling for €6,200 on the day, was Kelly Stevenson’s August 2021-born Glenford Sam.
The reserve senior champion was sired by the well-known Mereside Godolphin and was bred from an Ampertaine Elgin dam by the Donard, Co Wicklow breeder and was purchased by Dovea Genetics.
Selling for the next highest price of the day was September 2021-born Rutland Shandy from the herd of Noel Ruttledge, Ballina, Co Mayo. The Ampertaine Metric son was bred from a Queenshead Altea dam and sold for €4,700 on the day.
PJ McGrath with the reserve senior champion, Glenford Sam sired by Mereside Godolphin that sold for €6,200. \ Alfie Shaw
The success continued for Ruttledge as his second entry, Rutland Shifty sired by Mullary Intrepid, again out of a Queenshead Altea cow, sold for €4,500.
Following on were a host of bulls that sold for €4,600 on the day. The first of these lots was Oldtown Sean, a June 2021-born bull sired by Elderberry Galahad (EBY) out of an Ampertaine Foreman dam from William and Brenda Hogan, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
Only a couple of minutes later, Ballylin Stamp from Brian Frawley, Croagh, Co Limerick, followed suit when his Kaprico Eravelle son secured the same figure. This June 2021-born bull was again sired by Ampertaine Foreman.
This time from Dundalk, Co Louth, Malachy Byrne’s Lurgankeel Sterling secured the €4,600 figure. The September 2021-born bull was sired by Tomschoice Lexicon out of a Ronick Hawk dam, and similar to the other bulls selling at this price – he had all the figures to back him up.
The final bull to sell for €4,600 on the day was Padraic Golden’s Clew Bay Smokey. The Westport, Co Mayo breeder’s bull was born in November 2021 and was sired by Plumtree Fantastic out of an Ampertaine Foreman dam. The group of bulls that sold for €4,600 at Saturday’s sale was followed on by a group of bulls that sold for €4,500. The first of this group was John Flanagan’s, Lochanboy Simon.
Oisín and Saoirse Connell from Oldcastle, Co Meath, with their father Karl (left) and uncle John (right) with the reserve junior champion, Carrickmore Sparticus ET that sold for €6,800 and the junior champion, Carrickmore Saint Ledger ET that sold for €5,600. \ Alfie Shaw
The Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo-bred bull was sired by Lodge Hamlet out of an Ultime Ri dam and was born in May 2021.
Ballina, Co Mayo breeder, Gerry Walsh’s Gerrygullinane Sultan ET, was the second bull of the day to secure this sum. The July 2021-born bull was sired by Gerrygullinane Glen and was bred from a Nenuphar dam.
Eleven of the bulls on the day went for export, with four going to mainland UK and seven going to Northern Ireland
Also selling for €4,500 on the day, was September 2021-born Bostonia Sammy.
From the well-known Bostonia Herd of Brendan and Greg Feeney, Enniscrone, Co Sligo, the Ampertaine Elgin son was bred from a Wilodge Cerberus dam in September 2021.
The final bull to secure this figure was Moohane Scott from the herd of Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare breeder, John Meehan. The September 2021-born bull was sired by Loyal out of a Aultside Hulk dam.
Saturday’s sale in Elphin saw 40 bulls sell for between €8,000 and €2,800 to an average price of €4,200 with bulls that had top-class figures behind them selling particularly well.
This sale average was up slightly on the 2022 sale, which saw an average of €4,170.
Eleven of the bulls on the day went for export, with four going to mainland UK and seven going to Northern Ireland, including three bulls purchased by James Alexander.
On Saturday 13 February, the Irish Limousin Cattle Society held its annual spring premier show and sale in Elphin Mart, Co Roscommon, which saw 52 of the 68 bulls catalogued brought forward for sale.
The yearly spring sale was met with a 77% clearance rate after 40 of the bulls went on to find their new homes.
Topping the lots was first prizewinner, Keltic Seimon from the herd of Teleri Thomas, Longwood, Co Meath, The September 2021-born Tomschoice Lexicon son was bred from an Ampertaine Foreman cow, boasted a full page of five-star figures and sold for the highest price of €8,000 on the day.
It was another great day in the ring for the Oldcastle, Co Meath brothers, Karl and John Connell, when their pair of bulls scooped the junior and reserve junior champions in the show ring before their September 2021-born reserve junior champion bull, Carrickmore Sparticus ET hit the show ring.
Sired by Sympa, out of the world congress champion, Baileys Ice Princess, Sparticus sold for the second highest price of the day at €6,800.
The Connell brothers’ success continued as their second entry, when September 2021-born Carrickmore Saint Ledger ET, who carried the same breeding and the same excellent figures as his stablemate, sold for €5,600.
Selling for €6,200 on the day, was Kelly Stevenson’s August 2021-born Glenford Sam.
The reserve senior champion was sired by the well-known Mereside Godolphin and was bred from an Ampertaine Elgin dam by the Donard, Co Wicklow breeder and was purchased by Dovea Genetics.
Selling for the next highest price of the day was September 2021-born Rutland Shandy from the herd of Noel Ruttledge, Ballina, Co Mayo. The Ampertaine Metric son was bred from a Queenshead Altea dam and sold for €4,700 on the day.
PJ McGrath with the reserve senior champion, Glenford Sam sired by Mereside Godolphin that sold for €6,200. \ Alfie Shaw
The success continued for Ruttledge as his second entry, Rutland Shifty sired by Mullary Intrepid, again out of a Queenshead Altea cow, sold for €4,500.
Following on were a host of bulls that sold for €4,600 on the day. The first of these lots was Oldtown Sean, a June 2021-born bull sired by Elderberry Galahad (EBY) out of an Ampertaine Foreman dam from William and Brenda Hogan, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
Only a couple of minutes later, Ballylin Stamp from Brian Frawley, Croagh, Co Limerick, followed suit when his Kaprico Eravelle son secured the same figure. This June 2021-born bull was again sired by Ampertaine Foreman.
This time from Dundalk, Co Louth, Malachy Byrne’s Lurgankeel Sterling secured the €4,600 figure. The September 2021-born bull was sired by Tomschoice Lexicon out of a Ronick Hawk dam, and similar to the other bulls selling at this price – he had all the figures to back him up.
The final bull to sell for €4,600 on the day was Padraic Golden’s Clew Bay Smokey. The Westport, Co Mayo breeder’s bull was born in November 2021 and was sired by Plumtree Fantastic out of an Ampertaine Foreman dam. The group of bulls that sold for €4,600 at Saturday’s sale was followed on by a group of bulls that sold for €4,500. The first of this group was John Flanagan’s, Lochanboy Simon.
Oisín and Saoirse Connell from Oldcastle, Co Meath, with their father Karl (left) and uncle John (right) with the reserve junior champion, Carrickmore Sparticus ET that sold for €6,800 and the junior champion, Carrickmore Saint Ledger ET that sold for €5,600. \ Alfie Shaw
The Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo-bred bull was sired by Lodge Hamlet out of an Ultime Ri dam and was born in May 2021.
Ballina, Co Mayo breeder, Gerry Walsh’s Gerrygullinane Sultan ET, was the second bull of the day to secure this sum. The July 2021-born bull was sired by Gerrygullinane Glen and was bred from a Nenuphar dam.
Eleven of the bulls on the day went for export, with four going to mainland UK and seven going to Northern Ireland
Also selling for €4,500 on the day, was September 2021-born Bostonia Sammy.
From the well-known Bostonia Herd of Brendan and Greg Feeney, Enniscrone, Co Sligo, the Ampertaine Elgin son was bred from a Wilodge Cerberus dam in September 2021.
The final bull to secure this figure was Moohane Scott from the herd of Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare breeder, John Meehan. The September 2021-born bull was sired by Loyal out of a Aultside Hulk dam.
Saturday’s sale in Elphin saw 40 bulls sell for between €8,000 and €2,800 to an average price of €4,200 with bulls that had top-class figures behind them selling particularly well.
This sale average was up slightly on the 2022 sale, which saw an average of €4,170.
Eleven of the bulls on the day went for export, with four going to mainland UK and seven going to Northern Ireland, including three bulls purchased by James Alexander.
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