Synonymous with breeding pedigree cattle, Sean McKiernan and his son Gary have developed the Corlismore herd prefix established by Sean’s father John Philip in 1939.

Farmed on the banks of the River Erne in Co Cavan, the herd has enjoyed unrivalled success recently, claiming top spots across a number of sales and shows.

“In 1939, John Philip purchased a pedigree Hereford heifer from Mrs Hamilton of Castlehamilton, Killeshandra, Co Cavan, for £17. The herd has consistently grown since then,” Gary said.

The herd now includes more than 40 Hereford cows, with pedigree Angus, Simmental and one Charolais added over the years. When choosing all cattle, the herd has been based on type backed with strong family lines and good bulls. Bull power has contributed greatly throughout the years, with the first bull purchased at the RDS getting the herd off to a great start.

We use stars as a tool or a guide, but it’s the animal first

“The first stock bull was bought in 1969, KYE Playboy. He was the RDS champion and was purchased for 1,100gns. Playboy would serve up to 180 cows per year from breeders all over the country. His highlight came in 1973 when he sired six first-prizewinners at the RDS.”

Since then, Corlismore has ensured that only the best of bulls take up residence on the Cavan-based farm to maximise the impact they have on the herd.

“When choosing stock, we look for shape, style, colour and the pedigree has a big impact. We place great emphasis on cow families and bloodlines.

“We also look at the animal that is standing in front of us. We use stars as a tool or a guide, but it’s the animal first. We have had a few influential sires throughout the years thankfully.

“Knockmountagh Caesar, bred by Sean’s brother Eamonn, was purchased in 2000. He was the champion at Roscommon premier sale and secured by Progressive Genetics, but his semen was not good enough so we took him. He was the start of the cow makers.

“Corlismore Pompeii by the Australian sire Yaramm Pompeii Vo55 made a massive impact. His first son sold for €4,200 and he bred numerous other sale toppers throughout the years. We exported two heifers to Scotland by him in 2008. One of his best sons, Corlismore Poll 1 Lad 530, was the national Hereford champion in 2012 and is the sire to most of the best cows in the herd today.”

However, it was one bull that set the Corlismore name apart and who Gary calls the herd maker. That was Grianan Firecracker (pictured), who was purchased from the Fitzgerald family in Moate in October 2007 for a private deal worth €10,000.

“Firecracker was only nine months at the time and we were after seeing him at summer shows with his mother Dominique. He won the Beef Expo in 2008 and the National Hereford Show in 2011; he won everything there was to win. The year he won the national championship, his first two daughters also won their class at the show and we sold them privately for €4,000 each.”

Firecracker went on to breed a number of high-priced animals and show champions and although gone, he continues to leave his impact on the breed, siring the female champion and reserve at the 2017 National Hereford Show.

“We continue to use his semen, but he will be nearly impossible to replace.

“Some of the newer bulls introduced in more recent years were Solpoll 1 Cruiser, Cill Cormaic Leo and Moyclare Mariner. Cruiser was purchased at eight years and has since bred two calf show champions. Leo’s first-born son, we exported to the well-known Haven herd in England. Mariner was purchased at the premier sale in 2015 for the top price of €6,100 and he was the sire of the male champion at the 2017 calf show.”

The latest sire to join the Corlismore herd was Shiloh Farm Dynamite from the Murray family in Moate early last year. This bull has already produced the goods on the show circuit for the McKiernans, claiming eight breed championships and four interbreeds in 2017.

While a strong bull is half the battle, these need to be crossed with exceptional cow families to be able to produce show success year on year. The Corlismore herd has these lines in abundance.

“In 2001, three poll Hereford female heifers were purchased from the Udel herd of David Carroll and family, Campile, Co Wexford. These were Udel 1 R51 Sydney Gem, Udel 1 Unwed Lady and Udel 1 Spotlit Gem. These were all sired by Doonbiddie Hustler and all have bred a national champion. So far, we have retained all daughters from these lines.

“Other notable lines are the Milletts, Oysters and Taras, which have all produced sale toppers and show champions.”

Showing cattle has become a big part of the herd’s success, with Gary and his wife Evelyn (pictured) seen at most major Hereford events.

“We show our cattle to show people the type of cattle we breed and to advertise what our cattle is about. The herd actually started showing in the 1970s and have continued ever since. It’s a way to advertise and promote while also being very enjoyable at the same time.”

This has led to Corlismore-bred animals winning all the major accolades, from RDS and Beef Expo championships to premier show and sale championships.

“Some of the highlights include RDS champion in 2002 and a number of overall and reserve national Hereford titles as well.

“The national calf show has been particularly good since it started up. We claimed both male and female overall championships in 2015, junior female in 2016 and male champion in 2017.

“The sales have also been very good to us, with a number of topping bulls. We also hold the record for the highest-priced Hereford bull at a society sale with Corlismore Tauras selling for €8,150.”

Future outlook

“I think the major challenge facing farming is the weather and the ever increasing costs, such as meal and fodder bills. The weather puts major pressure on us when we can put cattle out to grass, getting out fertiliser, slurry and making fodder. It’s a major concern in our part of the country.

“The farm currently consists of 170 acres, 50 of which are rented. Expansion to deal with weather in this part of the country is very difficult because of the major expansion of dairy farms and the price to buy or rent land, but hopefully that will change.

“However, this increase in dairy herds has led to an increase in demand for traditional bulls. I think the Hereford breed has made huge strides in the last 15 years and they have become very popular in the dairy industry.

“I think the breed needs to continue to push for easy-fleshed, well-shaped, easy-calving, soft-haired cattle with all the popular traits you need.

“One of the main challenges facing the breed short-term is to get a good Hereford stock bull with different genetics, particularly due to the BDGP scheme, which is getting breeders to use only proven lines to assure stars.

“I don’t think the BDGP scheme is doing a lot for the different breeds, as I don’t think it’s accurate enough and there isn’t enough information yet. There is a lot of the better cattle being left behind. No matter how good a bull is, if he isn’t a four- or five-star bull, a man who is in the BDGP scheme can’t buy him or he won’t qualify. The ICBF is forcing his hand and I think this is wrong.”