Progressive pedigree Limousin breeder, Gerry Walsh, believes “your cattle will do the talking for you,” and stock from his Gerrygullinane herd is a testament to that.
The multi-prize-winning 15-cow pedigree Limousin herd, which he runs with his father, John, and Anne Marie Clarke, has exported some of the breed’s best-known bulls, namely Gerrygullinane Glen and Derrygullinane Kingbull, across the waters.
Investing in superior genetics and embracing modern technologies, including ET, has enabled the finely-tuned herd to now make its internationally sought-after genetics more widely available to new and established breeders.
The Knockmore, Ballina, County Mayo-based herd will offer 15 lots of animals, along with a selection of embryos for sale in its inaugural timed virtual auction, in partnership with MartEye and Mid-Tipp Mart this weekend.
Summary
- 6 2022-born females;
- 5 in-calf females;
- 2 2021-born maiden heifers;
- 2 2022-born LM Gerrygullinane Phoenix – both fertility tested;
- 3 lots of embryos.
Gerry Walsh told That’s Farming editor, Catherina Cunnane:
“The sale includes an exciting and fruitful consignment of in-calf heifers, potential show calves, females for ET work and bulls, which you can show and breed from.”
Proven genetics
Sale offerings trace their roots to some of the herd’s best-known household names, including the December-2011-born Gerrygullinane Glen (AI code – LM4044), a son of Marchermore Augustus, himself by the highly acclaimed Ronick Hawk, and his dam is a Mas Du Clo daughter, Derrygullinane Daisy.
Glen sold to the renowned Wilodge Limousin herd for an undisclosed sum.
His first calf in the south of Ireland was the May-2015-born, Derrygullinane Kingbull (AI code – LM4381), out of Derrygullinane Elsia ET, herself a Nenuphar daughter.
He was tapped out as the 2016 male champion and overall champion at the World Congress and was later acquired by the Pabo herd.
“The first five or six bulls off Kingbull have averaged over 20,000gns in Carlisle. Amongst them are Blaencwm Samm, who sold for 32,000gns in Carlisle at the breed’s annual Carlisle sale on Friday, May 5th, 2023, and Garrowby Shipley at 22,000gns,” he told That’s Farming.
“The offering of three lots of Kingbull daughters at our forthcoming sale presents a rare opportunity to acquire genetics that have delivered time and time again.”
“They are scanned in-calf to Carrickmore Pocket Rocket ET, a Ronick Hawk son, out of the famed Baileys Ice Princess, who was champion at the 2016 World Limousin Congress, as was Kingbull, so we are actually mating two champions that day; that is something special.”
Image – Tricia Kennedy
These lots include:
- 1 – June-2021-born Gerrygullinane Starlight, out of a Trueman Jagger (140,000gns bull) dam, Gerrygullinane Nextinline ET;
- 4 – May-2021-born Gerrygullinane Snowdrop, out of Gerrygullinane Missy;
- 6 – April-2021-born, Gerrygullinane Serenity, out of Derrygullinane Jazzylady;
- 12 (main image)- Nov-2022-born, Gerrygullinane Teacup, who“breeding combines the king and queen of the show rings”. She is by Missy, herself a Kingbull daughter, and Carrickmore Pocket Rocket ET, out of Baileys Ice Princess. According to the herd owners, “this calf is as special as one can get with serious potential as a show calf this year and is a chance of a lifetime”.
The sale also includes a Kingbull daughter, a full-sister to Kingbull, a half-sister to Kingbull and Gerrygullinane Phoenix’s first son.
Tina
Another feature is December-2022-born lot 13, Gerrygullinane Tina, “the baby of the sale, who has a future in the show ring,” and is out of Gerrygullinane Madam and Gerrygullinane Phoenix.
Phoenix, who stands with Elite Pedigree Genetics, was born in September 2019 and is by Ampertaine Commander and Gerrygullinane Missy, herself by Plumtree Fantastic and Derrygullinane Fabulous.
A selection of embryos – including Kingbull x Missy, Kingbull x Prendy, and Sympa x Derrygullinane Fabalous (full sister to Glen) – will also come under the hammer.
Open day
To coincide with its timed virtual auction, the herd will host a farm open day at 1 pm this Sunday, May 28th, 2023, in conjunction with the North-West Limousin Club at F26 X227.
The event will feature a host of guests, including a show prep demonstration, stock-judging with master judge Paul Rainey – Claragh Limousins, a guess-the-weight competition with spot prizes and a range of exhibitors.
Gerry continued: “People can see the family tree of each of the lots. When you go to a sale, a heifer is brought in; you do not know what her dam or grand-dam or half or full-sister looks or performs like, in a lot of cases.”
“To me, this open day gives potential purchases a more informed outlook of what is presented in front of them. When I was buying females when I was building my herd, I based my selections on the family tree.”
“With this in mind, Sunday’s event is designed to enable people will to be able to see cattle first-hand for themselves.”
“To date, we have had a notable volume of enquiries from across the country, Northern Ireland, and the UK.”
“I even received a phone call from Australia in recent days from a potential customer who saw the sale on MartEye, so this is shaping up to be an extraordinary timed auction. You are buying into genetics that has three bulls sitting in AI stations,” he concluded.
Timed auction
The herd’s timed virtual auction on MartEye’s platform will open at 1 pm on Friday, May 26th, 2023, and will begin closing at 7 pm on Monday, May 29th, 2023.
Here is a direct link to MartEye, where you can virtually view and/or bid for a lot/lots.