The Drummin Limousin herd of John, Paula, Jean and Eoghan McInerney was the first pedigree port of call for this year’s International Limosuin Congress and people left in awe of the cattle on display. The pedigree herd is farmed in Bunratty, Co Clare, alongside a working dairy farm.

“We currently farm 65 hectares, all in grass, on which we milk 80 cows and run our pedigree Limousin herd,” said John McInerney.

“We use dairy AI for six weeks to breed replacements, after which time a Limousin bull runs with the cows for the following six weeks. Heifer calves are kept on farm, while the bulls are sold at between three and five weeks of age.”

The Drummin Limousin herd consists of only 10 cows, but also runs a strong embryo programme which produces an extra 10 calves per year. Each year the herd will flush one or two cows and use the Limousin-cross heifers from the dairy herd as recipients, allowing the herd to remain fully closed.

“The farm was purchased by my parents in 1973. At the time, they lived three miles away and operated a fragmented holding. Their foresight to purchase a farm which was all in one block enabled the farm to operate as a viable holding.

“In 1985, having just completed my Inter Cert, the decision was taken to leave school and stay at home to begin farming with my parents ... I didn’t need to be asked twice. The commencement of my farming career coincided with the introduction of milk quotas by the EU. This limited the farm to the output it had in 1983. It was this restriction which would force us to seek an alternative source of income and eventually lead to the setting up of the Drummin Limousin herd.”

Having been first introduced to the breed through AI bulls used on the dairy herd, John has vivid memories of how those calves, though small at birth, quickly developed into terrific cattle which commanded premium prices when sold and states this is how he got hooked.

“In the early 1990s my brother Mike and I purchased our first pedigree Limousin. We travelled to the farm of Liam Williams in Kilrush, Co Clare, and purchased our foundation female – Normande Bianca. She had a very good heifer calf at foot (Poulnasherry Francesca) and was back in-calf again.

“Bianca’s first calf born here, Gail, was born on 19 November 1991 and with her the Drummin herd was formed. Since these beginnings the Limousin herd has established itself as a vital cog on our farm. In 1998, having acquired his own holding, Mike and I divided the Limousin herd between us, Mike than began his own Limousin herd under the prefix Brickhill.”

The year 1999 saw Drummin Peach born. She was by a French bull called Moustic out of a homebred Dauphin cow, Drummin Lady (a granddaughter of Bianca). Peach turned out to be a tremendous breeding cow for the family and John says is “responsible for putting the herd on the map”.

“Peach had three male calves in her first three calvings. Then on her fourth calving she finally produced a female, and what a female she proved to be. She was by Mas Du Clo and we called her Veronica. Veronica was my first show animal. She won reserve All Ireland calf champion in 2005 and intermediate champion in 2006,” John added.

However, it was in 2008 as a second calved cow that she achieved the ultimate reward. At the biggest show of cattle ever held in this country (Beef Expo 2008), Veronica was crowned overall Limousin champion.

“Due to the quality of calves being produced by Peach, we decided to try flushing her. Hugh McGovern of Bovi Genetics was chosen to do the embryo transfer work. On her first flush she produced 10 embryos resulting in seven live calves. Between embryo and natural births, Peach has produced 54 calves to date.”

Throughout the last ten years, the herd has been fortunate enough to have had a number of successes at both shows and sales. Up to the present time at the national Limousin shows, the herd has had 10 All Ireland Calf Championships with a further two won by embryos which were sold.

The herd has enjoyed much success at sales down through the years. A number of bulls have been purchased by pedigree herds in the UK, where their offspring are enjoying much success in show and sales rings. Drummin ladies are much sought after and have formed the nucleus of many herds both in Ireland and the UK. At the Premier heifer sale in 2014, 14-month-old Wilodge Vantastic daughter, Im 2 Sexy, topped the sale, and was purchased by the Westland herd of Joseph Rafferty, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.

This point was further proved last week when the herd continued its success in the sales ring to the International Limousin Congress Elite Sale. It was here that summer show heifer Drummin J-Lo secured the top price of €16,200 from Northern breeder Michael McNally. The family also secured €10,500 the second top price for a heifer for Drummin Kailee an ET full sister to J-Lo.

On the bull side, all pedigree bulls are sold either at sales or at home, with a number of embryos sold sometimes too.

John uses all AI as he finds he is able to choose from the genetic pool the best fit for each cow. “The type of Limousin I aim to breed are easy care cattle with the current beef market in mind.”

Sires that have had a major breeding influence in the herd include: Mas Du Clo, Wilodge Vantastic, Fieldson Alfy, Navarin, Dauphin and Cloughhead Umpire.

“You can use all the sires you like – but the dam line needs to be strong,” John emphasises.

John has served on the Limousin council since 2008, serving as president from 2009 to 2012. During this time, John got the opportunity to meet some wonderful exponents of the breed both in Ireland and abroad and says that his involvement with the Limousin breed has opened the door to many new friendships.