Mountrath, Co Laois, is home to Ireland’s largest Limousin herd. The pedigree Ardlea herd consists of 110 females, which runs in parallel with the Elite herd, consisting of 90 females, which stands as an embryo herd. An outstanding herd of 100 Limousin-cross commercial cows make up the remaining breeding females.
This exceptional herd is grazed over 780 acres of lush Laois farmland in the townlands of Ardlea, Colt and Aghaboe. Father and son Dan and Edward Tynan are the driving force behind these great herds.
Their vision, combined with the tremendous energy and enthusiasm of their staff, led by farm manager Kevin Bohan along with Paddy Fitzpatrick, Keith Murphy and Jason Greene, built the Ardlea and Elite herds into the dynamic success they are in the Irish cattle breeding arena.
Indeed, Kevin has served as president of the Irish Limousin Cattle Society for the past three years, a task he undertook with his renowned passion and ambition for the breed.
Dan, having observed Limousin cattle in France, saw great potential in the breed. In 1994, the Ardlea and Elite herds were founded with the importation of 12 females from France.
Later that year, Seamus Cody and Mac Murphy returned to France and purchased 12 more females. In 1995, Irish bloodlines were also secured, including a Grange Balerno heifer from Ray Carolan – Carwin Isabel – and some Filsdaida heifers from the Luttrellstown herd.
A return trip to France later that year resulted in the purchase of 11 more heifers, along with a visit to the Lanaud test station where two stock bulls were acquired. These two bulls – Justicer (S019), a Guignol son, and Junior (S018), a Domino son – left an enduring legacy on the herd.
Showing
The herd commenced showing in the summer of 1995 and enjoyed considerable success, including Luttrellstown Helena taking the reserve champion crown at the Ploughing Championships in Ballacolla and Justicer taking the reserve male champion.
In 1996, Luttrellstown Hazel and her heifer calf Ardlea Lucia were shown at Balmoral, where they won the junior cow class.
The homebred Lino daughter Ardlea Tammy is regarded as one of the herd’s outstanding success stories. At the 17th National Limousin Show, she was crowned Limousin champion.
This win added to the other successes in her illustrious show career, including senior female of the year 2005, junior female champion at European Show in Paris 2005, female champion and reserve overall Limousin champion at the National Livestock Show in Tullamore 2005.
Tammy then went on to sell for €40,000 to Peter Smyth of the Ironstone Herd in England in 2006. This marked the start of a great year, with young heifer Ardlea Anable also crowned overall Limousin champion at the National Livestock show 2006.
It would not be until 2011 that the herds again won the overall at the national show, but that year they also came home with the reserve championship. These championships were won with two homebred heifers – Ardlea Electra and Elite Forever Free ET.
To date, cattle born into the herd and purchased by the team at Ardlea continue to enjoy success in both the sale and show rings.
Recipients
In 2012, the decision was made to commence breeding a commercial herd to produce homebred females for recipients, while also illustrating the type of cattle that can be bred using Limousin genetics.
These cattle are the showcase for the herd in the commercial scene. A number of these animals have gone on to be shown very successfully in the commercial arena.
The herd has left a huge footprint on the Irish Limousin genetic landscape by sourcing top genetics and allowing these bulls to be used in AI to the huge benefit of other breeders. These bulls include Ferry, Lino, Vison, Emerson, Tistou, Aultside Hulk, Goldies Informer, Bouffy, Henzo and Casimir.
Several homebred bulls are available through AI stations, including Ardlea UBoy, Ardlea Dan, Elite Popsi Et, Elite Erasmus Et, Elite Flag ET, Elite Forever Brill (TVR) and most recently Elite Ice Cream Et.
In fact, in 2014, at the National Fatstock Show in Carrick-on-Shannon, a TVR daughter sold for the top price of €5,000.
In 2015, at the same show, another TVR daughter sold for the joint top price of €4,000 and most recently at the Red Ladies Show and Sale in Carlisle, another TVR daughter sold for the second-highest price of the day – £10,000.
Down through the years, the farm has held some very successful production sales. For many, these sales were the venue for their foundation Limousin stock. Many of the cattle produced here have been exported to Northern Ireland and the UK to such herds as the Brontemoor, Greeba, Ironstone, Andjo, Cresswell, Moorhead, Tullymoyle, Lismoyle, Sloughpool and Briarfield to name but a few. Just recently, a young bull, Elite J-1080 Et, was sold to the Lagrafeuil-Puech herd in France. This young bull is a Wilodge Fastrac son and out of a homebred Emerson daughter Elite Goldie Et.
Congress
This week, the Tynans opened up their farm as part of the International Limousin Congress. The congress sees 200 international delegates travelling Ireland throughout the week with a programme packed with some of the best cattle Ireland has to offer through organised shows and herd visits, including the Ardlea and Elite herds.
Anyone who visited this herd last Tuesday came away in awe of the great love for all things Limousin that everyone involved shares and the willingness to impart both expertise and advice.
The plan is to keep developing the breed, breeding sustainable cattle that are cost-productive, profitable and manageable.
Virginia host for the North East Limousin Club's calf championships