Limousin

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, which sold for €30,000, the 2011 Tully sale topper Milbrook Filio, which sold for €15,000, and Milbrook Dartangan, standing in Dovea AI.

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 the European Show in Paris 2005 and the female champion and reserve overall championship at the 2005 National Livestock Show in Tullamore.

Not stopping there, the Limousin breed added another to the list this year when Carrickmore Maximus ET sold for a whopping €38,000.

Bred by Karl and John O’Connell in Oldcastle, Co Meath, Maximus is already a familiar name among breeders after he claimed the overall national championship at Tullamore Show last August at less than 11 months old. Sired by Ampertaine Foreman, Maximus is out of World Congress champion Baileys Ice Princess.

Texel

Matching this price tag and also selling for €38,000 was a Texel ram from the Baileys flock which dispersed this year. This Texel ram was national champion in 2005 and Blessington champion in 2006. This price still stands as the highest Irish record price for sheep.

Lavalley Angie, which sold for €31,000 in 2005, holds the all-time record for an Angus sale in Ireland.

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 in 2005.

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

Cloontagh Chieftain was a snip at €31,000.

Suffolk

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.

Kilcor Iceman sold for €28,000. \ Alfie Shaw

Limousin

The Limousin breed is back on top 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.

Auroch Hillary sold for €26,000 at the Curaheen dispersal in September.

Simmental

Setting a new Simmental record was Auroch Hillary, selling for €26,000 at the Curaheen dispersal 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 Milton Majesty.

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.

Cottage Devon, owned by Gerry and Aine Butler, Cashel, Co Tipperary, pictured with Arthur Bredin, Progressive Genetics, who bought the bull for €24.000 at the Charolais Society Christmas Cracker Show and Sale at Carrick-on-Shannon. Also pictured is society secretary Nuala Houlihan.

Charolais

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