Dermot Shaughnessy of the Lisna herd held an Elite heifer sale at Gort mart on Friday evening the 30^th of August 2024. A jam packed catalogue of 50 heifers were on offer comprising of 28 pedigree maiden heifers and 22 exceptional commercial heifers.

The Lisna herd is based in Ballinasloe in county Galway. The initial herd was founded by Martin Shaughnessy 40 years ago, Martin’s herd had the Lisnadell prefix. Martin passed the baton to Dermot 14 years ago, at which point the herd prefix changed to Lisna. Dermot has continued to breed exceptional cattle from the foundation females. The herd is highly regarded in breeding circles with the continued focus of producing females with exceptional docility, functionality, milking ability, fertility and quality – this attention to detail was very evident in the stock presented at the sale.

Such is the herds esteem – currently there are three homebred bulls standing in Irish AI – Lisna Some bull (LM9836), Lisna Sir (LM8616) and Lisna Ultimate.

Lot 10. Lisna Top of the Tops recorded the highest price at the sale when auctioneer Tom Cox drop the hammer at €6,500. Top of the Tops is a daughter of Tomschoice Lexicon and Lisna Millie, a Doudou Td. daughter – this combination was also the pedigree of the top priced heifer at the Lisna sale of 2022. Top of the Tops has five star ratings in Replacement, Terminal, Dairy Beef, Gestation length, Carcass weight, Carcass conformation and Daughter Milk. After a flurry of bids this striking lady was acquired by a Galway based customer.

Lot 4, Lisna T-90612, an eye-catching daughter of the renowned Plumtree Fantastic was acquired by a Westmeath based purchaser for €6,000. T-90612 came to the ring with five star ratings in almost every trait including a Replacement index of €126 and a Terminal index of €148. Born in October ’22, T-90612’s dam Liscarn Karina has Wilodge Formulaone and Sympa in her lineage.

Lot 6. The Grangeford Jojo Et daughter Lisna Tamazing sold for €5,300. Tamazing’s dam is the Castleview Gazelle daughter Lisna Lioness. Tamazing was born in November 2022.

Lot 8. Lisna T Superstar, a full sister to Lisna Sir was purchased by a Co Meath based farmer for €5,200. T Superstar is a very stylish heifer, with stars to burn. She has Tomschoice Lexicon, On-Dit and Rocky in her sire stack. Her brother Lisna Sir is part of the Limousin team at Progressive Genetics.

Lot 14. Lisna Urika, maternal sister to Lisna T Superstar, commanded a selling price of €5,000 from a Co. Roscommon based customer. Urika is a daughter of Aughalion Prince Et (Telfers Munster X Haltcliffe Dancer). Urika has five star ratings in Terminal index, Dairy Beef, Docility, Carcass weight, Carcass conformation and Daughter milk. This striking heifer has just turned one year old.

Lot 12. Heading to a new home in Co. Meath is Lisna Ur the One.with a selling price of €4,200. This January 2023 born heifer is a daughter of Loyal and Lisna Master (Plumtree Fantastic X Queenshead Altea), she is a full sister to Lisna Some Bull (standing in Progressive Genetics/Munster Bovine). Ur the one has a Replacement index of €122 and a Terminal index of €132.

Lot 3. Lisna Tantalise, a daughter of Ewdenvale Ivor and Lisna Mono (Kaprico Eravelle X Haltcliffe Dancer) was purchased by a Galway farmer for €4,100. Tantalise has an array of five star ratings – including a Replacement index of €149 and a Terminal index of €151.

Lot 7. Four thousand euro was top call for Lisna T Plumtree, a smashing daughter of Plumtree Fantastic and Lisna Kerri (Kaprico Eravelle X Roundhill Dara 1069). Born in September 2022, T Plumtree boasts five star ratings in most traits. T Plumtree was acquired by a Galway based purchaser.

Lot 5. Also, by Plumtree Fantastic is Lisna To Die For, a September 2022 born heifer. This heifer’s dam is a full sister to Lisna Some Bull. To Die For sold for €3,700 to a Galway based customer.

Lot 2. Heading to county Clare is the Elderberry Galahad daughter Lisna Toho for €3,400. Born in September 2022, Toho has a Replacement index of €147 and a Terminal index of  €124. Toho’s dam is the Grenache daughter Lisna P-322.

Lot 16. Lisna Uefa, a yearling daughter of Aughalion Prince ET and Lisnadell Iool found a new abode for €3,100 in county Galway. Uefa has five star ratings in Replacement index, Terminal Index, Dairy beef, Carcass weight and Carcass conformation.

Lots 11, 15, 17 & 20 all secured €3,000. Lot 11 Lisna U 2 is a 17-month old daughter of Loyal and Lisna Nem (Wilodge Formulaone X Nino). She heads to Galway. The multi-starred yearling Lot 15 – Lisna Utter Class 2 was purchased by a Roscommon based customer. Utter Class 2 has Slieve Pablo, Ballyshrule Don and Milbrook Dartangan Et in her sire stack.

Lot 17. Lisna Uma, is just gone one year old. This young heifer has Loyal, Ampertaine Foreman and Roundhill Dara 1069 in her lineage. A county Galway purchaser acquired Uma

Lot 20. Ten month old Aughalion Prince Et daughter Lisna Ulick was the choice of a county Wicklow based customer. Ulick has a Replacement index of €94 and a five star Terminal index of €144.

Lot 28. The youngest pedigree heifer catalogued Lisna Vono sold for €2,900. Vono has Aughalion Prince Et, Doudou Td. and Elegante Gatsby in her lineage. Vono was born in March 2024.

Lot 1. Lisna Tunreal, born in November 2022 sold for €2,800. Tunreal has Plumtree Fantastic, Castleview Casino, Queenshead Altea and Mas Du Clo in her pedigree. Tunreal will be two years old in November.

Lot 13. April 2023 born Lisna Ultra fetched €2,800. Ultra is a daughter of Ewdenvale Ivor and Lisna Kena (Elegante Gatsby X Palmares).

Lot 22. Just shy of her first birthday and selling for €2,600 was Lisna Udiney. This smart heifer has Ewdenvale Ivor, Elderberry Galahad and Ampertaine Foreman in her lineage. She was acquired by a Mayo based farmer.

Lot 19. The Slieve Pablo daughter Lisna Uhoo sold for €2,400. Uhoo has a five star Replacement index of €157 and a five star Terminal rating of €151.

Lot 24. Two thousand three hundred was top call for Lisna Ur The One, a daughter of Plumtree Fantastic.

Lot 27. The six month old weanling heifer Lisna Vichi sold for €2,300. Vichi is a multi-starred daughter of Ewdenvale Ivor and Lisna Nelly (Norman Inventor X Haltcliffe Dancer). Vichi was acquired by an established breeder.

Lot 21. Ten month old Lisna Unstoppable 2 has Grangeford Jojo Et, Elite Erasmus Et and Lougheed Victor Et in her lineage, she sold for €2,200.

Lot 23. At the same selling price was Lisna Ujala, a daughter of Ewdenvale Ivor and Lisna Pandora (On-Dit X Castleview Casino Et). Ujala was born in September 2023.

Lot 26. A daughter of Lisna Sir – Lisna Venus sold for €2,200. Venus is 7 and half month old weanling. Her dam Lisna Kasey is a daughter of Queenshead Altea.

Lot 25. Lisna Untouchable, an October 2023 born heifer sold for €2,000. Untouchable has Grangeford Jojo ET, Castleview Gazelle and Urbino in her sire stack.

Elite Commercial Heifers

Also, on offer at the sale were 22 home bred Elite Commercial heifers. Each of these ladies had Limousin genetics in their pedigree. Overall, the heifers ranged in age from January 2023 to April 2024, with prices from €1,500 to €3,300.

A four month old daughter of Lisna Nazarath sold for €10.38 per Kg. This heifer weigh 260kg and sold for €2,700. A year old striking Elderberry Galahad daughter sold for €3,300, she weighed 400kgs a return of €8.25/kg.

The exceptional heifers on display are testament to Dermot’s commitment to breeding. Using Limousin genetics with other beef breeds is paying dividends as the table below shows.

 

Weight kg	Selling price	Ancestry		€ / kg
260	€2,700	4 month old off a pedigree LM cow a daughter of Norman Inventor		€10.38
400	€3,300	A daughter of EBY – Elderberry Galahad		€8.25
270	€2,000	5 month old off a pedigree LM cow a daughter of Grenache		€7.41
330	€2,400	dam is a daughter of Norman Inventor		€7.27
360	€2,500	9 month old daughter of EBY		€6.94
390	€2,700	dam is a daughter of Mereside Favori		€6.92
380	€2,600	dam is a daughter of Keltic Handsome		€6.84
400	€2,700	BB off a pedigree LM cow a daughter of Castleview Gazelle		€6.75
300	€1,900	5 month old pedigree going back to Castleview Gringo ET		€6.33
330	€2,000	7 month old off a pedigree LM cow a daughter of On-Dit		€6.06
530	€2,800	BB off a pedigree LM cow		€5.28
550	€2,700			€4.91

 

Many thanks to Tricia Kennedy for the photographs.