Saturday the 20th of July was a momentous day for Donie and Maura McKeon as they had their dispersal sale of the Milan pedigree herd in Elphin Mart. Donie and Maura have dedicated 26 years to breeding exceptional cattle on their holding in beautiful Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. From the herds foundation the breeding plan was always to use bulls that came from strong female lines with deep pedigree – testament to this was the quality of the females on offer.
The sale was officiated by regular Limousin Auctioneer George Candler. George got proceedings underway just after 1.30 and spent a busy few hours with all lots on offer finding new homes. The Irish Limousin Cattle Society would like to thank Donie and Maura for their commitment to the breed and we wish them the best of health and happiness for their future endeavours.
Lot 20. Topping the sale was the four year old cow Milan Rogue an outstanding daughter of On-Dit and Milan Jodi, a Plumtree Deus daughter. Rogue came to the ring with her January 2024 born heifer calf Milan Varga by Claddagh Mccabe (Et). The hammer fell at €8,600 for this exceptional pair. This smashing team were acquired by a UK based herd.
Lot 10. Milan Ketzia, a cow with five daughters in the sale sold with her youngest calf Milan Vogue at foot for €7,700. Ketzia herself is a daughter of Haltcliffe Dancer, her dam Milan Bonnie has Ronick Hawk and Faignant in her sire stack. Her calf Vogue is a March 2024 daughter of Bel Orient. They head to a new home in county Westmeath.
Lot 1. The first cow into the ring was the Ampertaine Foreman daughter Milan Jamie-Lee. This ten year old cow came to the ring with her three and half month old Loosebeare Fantastic son Milan Vavavoom. This team sold for €7,000 and will remain in county Sligo.
Lot 2. Milan Jamie-Lee’s two year old daughter Milan Tennessee Lee commanded a selling price of €5,800 to a Offaly based breeder. Tennessee Lee is sired by Netsurfer (Gagneur X Azurri). She is due to calf down in September to Ampertaine Metric.
Lot 12. Also selling for €5,800 Milan Lilymay. Lilymay has Wilodge Tonka, Vagabond, Ronick Hawk in her by sire stack. She is due to calf down in late August to Bel Orient. Lilymay was acquired by an established Mayo based herd.
Lot 14 Milan Tailor, a maiden heifer sold for €5,600. Tailor is a daughter of Gamin and Milan Magentia (Vagabond X Plumtree Deus). This 20 month old heifer is a double carrier of the F94L myostatin gene. Tailor was acquired by a Louth based pedigree herd.
Lot 15. Donie and Maura invested in a smashing bull calf at the Millington dispersal sale in 2016, this calf Millington Lesley became the stockbull for a number of years and left a lasting legacy within the herd. Millington Lesley was a son of Norman Hawk and Brockhurst Option, with offspring from these lines selling to 50,000 gns. A daughter sold at today’s sale for €5,200 to a Mayo based customer. This 5 year old cow – Milan Peachy – is a double F94L carrier. She sold with her April born Cameos daughter Milan Victoria at foot.
Lot 28. At the same price (€5,200) was the September 2022 born heifer Milan Tanner. This young heifer was recently AI’d to Slieve Pablo. She is a daughter of Gamin and Milan Kimberley (Plumtree Deus X Casimir). Tanner heads to county Monaghan.
Lot 34. A 10-month old embryo daughter of Milan Ketzia sold for €4,900 to a Northern Irish customer. This weanling is Milan Ula Et. Her sire is the renowned Plumtree Fantastic. Described by auctioneer George as a real show heifer – this stylish lady carries both a F94L gene and a Q204X gene.
Lot 35. Milan Ula’s full sister Milan Vinisha Et sold for €4,700 to a county Down based herd. Vinisha is a smashing Plumtree Fantastic daughter, she sold with her recipient dam. Vinisha is just five and half months old, she carries one F94L gene and one Q204X gene.
Lot 11. Their maternal sister Milan Teagan sold for €4,200 to a Mayo based herd. Teagan is sired by Netsurfer. She is a double carrier of the F94L gene. Teagan is due to calf to Slieve Pablo in early September.
Lot 33. Fifteen month old Milan Utopia found a new address for €4,800. Utopia is a daughter of Bel Orient and Milan Lindie Et (Ampertaine Foreman X Ronick Hawk). Lindie is a full sister to Milan Jefferson (an outstanding calf that excelled on the show scene and sold at just gone 12 months for €12,200.
Lot 13. Milan Magentia, a 2017 born daughter of Vagabond sold for €4,600. Magentia’s dam Milan Jodi is also the dam of the sale topper Milan Rogue. Magentia is a double F94L gene carrier. She was acquired for a newly established herd in county Carlow.
Lot 21. The Cloughhead Umpire daughter Milan Rochelle is also sired by Vagabond. This September 2020 born young cow is served to Wilodge Tonka since November. Rochelle is also a double F94L gene carrier. Rochelle was acquired by Mayo based herd for €4,600.
Lot 5. A Roscommon based herd acquired the Ionesco daughter Milan Raven for €4,500. Her dam Milan Keeley is a Vagabond daughter. Raven was served to ULM in February. She is a double F94L carrier.
Lot 31. Heading to county Tyrone is Milan Ualani Et. Ualani is a daughter of Haltcliffe Dancer and Milan Amelie (Ronick Hawk X Espoir). Sixteen month old Ualani sold for €4,500.
Lot 6. Milan Shining Star sold for €4,400 to a Mayo based herd. Shining Star is a three year old Espoir daughter, with Vagabond and Rubis in her back pedigree. She carries two copies of the F94L gene and was served to Gamin in November.
Lot 3. Heading to Northern Ireland is Milan U La Lee for €4,100. U La Lee is a daughter of Netsurfter and Milan Jamie-Lee (Ampertaine Foreman X Neuf).
Lot 2. Staying in county Sligo is the two year old Plumtree Deus daughter Milan Santana. Santana was served to Sliabh Felim Sterling in November. Her dam Milan Janella is a daughter of Loosebeare Fantastic. She is a double F94L carrier and sold for €4,100.
Lot 7. Four thousand euro was top call for Milan Thalia a two year old Gwenole daughter. Thalia dam is Milan Keeley (Vagabond X Rubis). Thalia is due to calf towards the end of the year to either Gamin or Dimoiwii. She heads to a breed in county Mayo.
Lot 16. Also heading to Mayo is the in calf Loyal daughter Milan Tamara. Two year old Tamara’s dam is Milan Peachy (Millington Leslie X Neuf). Tamara is due to calve to Ampertaine Metric in September. She is a double F94L gene carrier and sold for €4,000.
Lot 36. A Recipient AAX cow sold for €3,900. The embryo calf’s dam is Milan Ketzia (Haltcliffe Dancer X Ronick Hawk), while its sire is either Ampertaine Foreman or Plumtree Fantastic. Ketzia sold in the sale for €7,700. This lady was acquired by a Westmeath based herd.
Lot 8. Fifteen month old Milan Uzima was acquired by a Galway based farmer. Uzima is a daughter of Hirohito and Milan Keeley (Vagabond X Rubis). Uzima is a double F94L gene carrier and sold for €3,500.
Lot 26. Milan Shakira realised €3,400. Shakira is due to calf to Slieve Pablo in September. She has Vagabond, Casimir and Ronick Hawk in her lineage. Shakira was acquired by a Leitrim based customer.
Lot 18. Heading to a new home in county Sligo is Milan Paloma. This young cow is a daughter of Cameos and Milan Mitzi (Abot Mn X Vagabond). She was purchased for €3,400.
Lot 27. Milan Tammy also realised €3,400. Tammy has Loyal, Millington Leslie and Casimir in her lineage. She has two copies of the F94L gene and heads to a new home in Roscommon.
Lot 17. Tammy’s maternal sister Milan Uzuri sold for €3,100. Uzuri is a 15-month old daughter of Gamin. She carries two copies of the F94L gene and will continue to reside in county Sligo.
Lot 19. The in calf Gwenole daughter Milan Tatiana sold for €3,000. Tatiana is due to calve down in 2025 to Sliabh Felim Sterling. With two copies of the F94L gene she was the pick of a Leitrim based farmer.
Lot 29. Also due to calve down to Sliabh Felim Sterling in spring 2025 is Milan Tatum. This heifer has Faignant, Abot Mn and Vagabond in her pedigree. She heads to county Mayo for €3,000.
Lot 40. Milan Virgil, a smashing Bel Orient son sold for €3,000. Virgil is a six-month old weanling; his dam Milan Paloma has Cameos and Abot Mn in her sire stack. Virgil is a double F94L carrier and carries a four star replacement index and five star ratings in Terminal, Dairy Beef, Age at Finish, Carcass Weight and Daughter Milk indexes.
Lot 23. Calving down to Hector in early 2025 is Milan Secret a daughter of Millington Leslie and Milan Millie (Abot Mn X Ionesco). Milan Secret sold to a Mayo based herd for €2,900.
Lot 25. The in calf Ulm daughter Milan Sparkle changed hands for €2,800. Sparkle was served to Loyal in April; she is a double F94L carrier. Her dam is Milan Kimberley (Plumtree Deus X Casimir). She heads to Northern Ireland.
Lot 30. Milan Ulyana Et also heads to NI for €2,800. Ulyana is a 16-month old heifer with Casimir, Mas Du Clo and Igolo in her lineage. Her granddam Greenwell Nell was an outstanding producer, imported by Donie and Maura from the UK. She left a sizeable legacy in the herd.
Lot 32. Another granddaughter of Greenwell Nell is Milan Urania Et. This 15 month old heifer sold to NI for €2,700. She is sired by Casimir.
Lot 9. Two daughters of Ivantonov sold for €2,100, first at this price was the nine month old heifer Milan Umi. This stylish weanling is a daughter of Milan Shining Star (Espoir X Vagabond). She carries two copies of the F94L gene.
Lot 24. Also an Ivantonov daughter Milan Vanilla, a 6-month old heifer heads to county Cavan for €2,100. Vanilla’s dam is the Millington Leslie daughter Milan Secret.
Acknowledgments
Donie and Maura’s focus was quality, stylish cattle, true to type and this was evident in the cattle on offer, we look forward to seeing the Milan prefix in the future as undoubtedly with the caliber of the cattle at this sale they will go on to breed exceptionally well.
Best wishes and many thanks to all purchasers and bidders.
Many thanks to Trisha Kennedy for the photographs.
Come along and see the Limousin classes at our 33rd National Show which takes place in conjunction with Tullamore show on Sunday the 11th August.