Limousin: From catching one farm advisor's eye to €600m a year in Irish beef exports

Members of the Irish Limousin Cattle Society pictured with representatives from FBD Insurance at the launch of the society's 50th anniversary celebrations.

The launch of the 50th-anniversary celebrations for the Limousin breed in Ireland heard how a Corkman saw the breed’s introduction here. 

Limousin has gone on to become one of the most popular suckler breeds in Ireland, with the society estimating Limousin-sired beef is today worth more than €600m a year in beef exports from Ireland.

Explaining the breed’s introduction to Ireland, Irish Limousin Cattle Society Chief executive Ronan Murphy said: “Dr Roger McCarrick who was working as an advisor for the Cork marts, IMP Group, first saw the Limousin breed at the Paris Show in the early 1970s and was highly impressed with the high kill-out percentage and meat yield of the breed.

“The late Paddy Clancy of Cregg, Carrick-On-Suir, Co. Tipperary, imported the first Limousin cattle to Ireland in 1971. The first Limousin calf, Cregg Harmonie, was born almost 50 years to the day in June 1972 on Paddy’s farm in Carrick-On-Suir.” 

Trevor Masterson, president of the society, said: “Such was the sensation of that first calf that she made the front pages of the farming papers.

“The saying ‘mighty oak from little acorns grow’ is most apt when you think that from those initial seven heifers that were imported we’ve become the largest and most prominent breed on suckler farms registering over 8,000 pedigree calves every year.” 

Ronan Muphy and Trevor Masterson pictured at the launch of the Irish Limousin Cattle Society society's 50th anniversary celebrations.

Further importations followed in the early seventies with early adopters based largely in counties Tipperary, Waterford, Kildare, Cork, Wexford and Offaly. The first meeting of Irish Limousin breeders was held in February 1973 at the Silver Springs Hotel in Cork.

Just two years later, by 1975, there were 51 bulls and 56 heifers registered in the ILCS herdbook in 1975, with the first Limousin embryo transfer calves being born in 1976.

“The herdbook has grown exponentially over the last 50 years, with over 8,000 calves now registered annually and over 2,400 members of the society,” Mr Murphy added.

The society has several key events planned between June 2022 and June 2023 to mark the milestone:

• Celebrations will take place at the Limousin National Championships at the Tullamore Show on August 14 and at the National Ploughing Championships in September.
• A special 50th Anniversary Show and Sale will take place in Carrick-on-Shannon from September 30 through to October 1. This will involve pedigree and commercial classes, along with a special ‘Mega Moo’ €10,000 Heifer Competition.
• Additionally, on Friday night, September 30, the society will host a banquet in the Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon.
• The year will end with the National Calf Show and YMA Workshop in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, on May 28, 2023.

Back to its roots

Mr Murphy added: “The first show and sale of Limousin bulls was held in Carrick-On-Shannon in 1977, so it is fitting that our 50th anniversary show and sale will also be held there.

“As the current custodians of the Limousin herdbook, we are focussed on ensuring the continued success of the breed in Ireland, and in particular, the hugely important role that the Irish Limousin plays in the quality Irish beef production chain.

“Our three primary breeding programmes – Replacement, Terminal, and Dairy Beef – are tailored specifically to ensure that Irish Limousin genetics continue to play a central role to the profitability of commercial beef production across Ireland.” 

Mr Masterson added: “High-performing genetics are the building blocks for the quality beef production chain, and the genetic advantages delivered by the Irish Limousin breed continue to play a central role in the sustainability and profitability of the quality Irish beef production sector.

“The prevalence of the Myostatin F94L gene within the breed also contributes to the superior meat quality traits in Limousin beef - ensuring a consistent, healthy and superior quality end product.

“The contribution of the breed to the profitability of Ireland’s suckler and beef production sector over the last five decades has been immense.”