What are the most used dairy and beef AI sires in dairy herds in 2026?
The latest ICBF analysis highlights the top-performing and most popular sires based on AI usage across Irish dairy farms so far this year.
The data below is based on insemination records submitted by AI technicians through the ICBF AI handheld system, providing an accurate, real-time picture of sire usage trends in 2026.
Top 20 Dairy Sires Used on Dairy Cows (2026 YTD)
The table below outlines the most used dairy AI bulls in dairy herds based on total recorded serves:
| Rank | Num Serves | AI Code | Bull Name | EBI | Milk | Fert | Carb | Calv | Beef | Maint | Mgmt | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16,122 | FR2534 | (IG)PARKDUV MAGICAL | €242 | €108 | €82 | €1 | €43 | €2 | €2 | -€8 | €11 |
| 2 | 13,182 | FR9289 | (IG) JOHNSWELL RORY | €221 | €89 | €61 | -€11 | €46 | €31 | -€6 | -€4 | €15 |
| 3 | 13,156 | FR8658 | (IG)TUOHY HISTORIC | €223 | €85 | €81 | €7 | €32 | -€14 | €21 | -€3 | €15 |
| 4 | 12,056 | FR9016 | (IG)TINNAKILL GRANDSLAM | €229 | €99 | €36 | €7 | €51 | -€10 | €38 | -€2 | €10 |
| 5 | 12,012 | FR2500 | (IG)MORTALSTOWN MATISSE | €226 | €106 | €74 | €2 | €33 | -€3 | €11 | -€3 | €8 |
| 6 | 11,457 | FR9842 | (IG)BALLYDEHOB RINGO | €194 | €73 | €63 | -€7 | €32 | €21 | -€10 | -€3 | €25 |
| 7 | 10,994 | FR2533 | (IG)BUNACLOY FANTASY | €267 | €71 | €139 | €14 | €41 | -€17 | €2 | €1 | €16 |
| 8 | 10,994 | FR1958 | (IG)KILVURRA GRASSLEAF SRM | €265 | €101 | €92 | €4 | €55 | -€1 | €17 | -€5 | €3 |
| 9 | 10,584 | FR5816 | (IG)CLOONIGNEY PINATUBO | €197 | €83 | €34 | -€3 | €47 | €1 | €9 | €3 | €23 |
| 10 | 10,345 | FR1185 | (IG)KILLAVALLA LINESMAN | €209 | €100 | €75 | -€1 | €31 | -€1 | -€3 | -€6 | €13 |
| 11 | 9,074 | FR8388 | (IG)KNOCKSOUNA SWOOP | €218 | €84 | €106 | €3 | €23 | €13 | €6 | -€3 | -€12 |
| 12 | 8,825 | FR9358 | CLOCHRUA MESSI | €224 | €102 | €49 | €3 | €35 | €11 | €12 | -€1 | €14 |
| 13 | 7,210 | FR9001 | (IG)DOONMANAGH PAULSON | €218 | €73 | €90 | €9 | €32 | -€19 | €22 | -€1 | €12 |
| 14 | 6,819 | FR8709 | (IG)OLCASTLETOWN MOJO | €244 | €83 | €106 | €11 | €46 | -€2 | €6 | -€4 | -€2 |
| 15 | 6,397 | FR1985 | (IG)BALLYCONRA RHODIN | €230 | €86 | €98 | €1 | €44 | -€4 | -€3 | -€6 | €15 |
| 16 | 6,330 | FR7929 | (IG)TANKARDSROCK TEAK | €156 | €65 | €37 | -€4 | €31 | -€4 | €16 | -€3 | €18 |
| 17 | 5,718 | FR1840 | MAUDMOUNT FIREPOWER SRM | €280 | €112 | €86 | €10 | €47 | -€21 | €31 | €2 | €12 |
| 18 | 5,392 | FR2587 | (IG)DANGANBEG JUSTINTIME SRM | €221 | €89 | €83 | €9 | €25 | -€12 | €14 | -€2 | €16 |
| 19 | 5,389 | FR9817 | BELLAMYS DM GALANT-ET S1F | €167 | €80 | €50 | €15 | €16 | -€74 | €56 | €2 | €22 |
| 20 | 4,837 | FR1849 | BUNACLOY DETROIT | €279 | €95 | €91 | €7 | €40 | €7 | €14 | €8 | €18 |
Key Highlights
- FR2534 (IG Parkduv Magical) ranks as the most used dairy sire in 2026, with 16,122 serves recorded year-to-date.
- FR9289 (IG Johnswell Rory) is the second most popular dairy bull, with 13,182 serves.
- FR8658 (IG Tuohy Historic) takes third place, with 13,156 serves recorded.
These results reflect strong farmer demand for high-performing dairy genetics across Irish herds.
Top Beef Sires Used on Dairy Cows (2026 YTD)
The following table highlights the most popular beef AI bulls used on dairy cows, reflecting the continued focus on beef merit in dairy systems:
| Rank | Num Serves | AI Code | Bull Name | Breed | Dairy Beef Index (DBI) | DBI Calving SI | DBI Beef SI | DBI Carbon SI | Carcass Wt. | Gest (Days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15,002 | AA6682 | HW LORD HORATIO V538 | AA | €157 | €44 | €107 | €7 | 13.3 | -2.3 |
| 2 | 11,337 | BB9373 | ENLEVE DU BOIS DESNEUX | BB | €190 | €23 | €171 | -€4 | 23.3 | -2.2 |
| 3 | 10,282 | AA8472 | TUBRIDMORE TWOMEY ET | AA | €142 | €52 | €81 | €10 | 7.8 | -3.3 |
| 4 | 9,207 | HE9550 | SOLPOLL 1 WATSON PP | HE | €139 | €20 | €111 | €8 | 11.1 | -1.2 |
| 5 | 8,485 | AA4089 | INTELAGRI MATTEO E.T. (ET) | AA | €174 | €62 | €103 | €9 | 10.3 | -3.6 |
| 6 | 8,317 | AA9661 | KNOCKMOUNTAGH VALENTINE | AA | €146 | €25 | €116 | €6 | 17.2 | -3.0 |
| 7 | 6,662 | AA9607 | SHANAWAY VENGABUS | AA | €180 | €60 | €109 | €11 | 11.0 | -4.6 |
| 8 | 6,551 | AA9860 | WESTELLEN BOSS Y929 | AA | €147 | €53 | €86 | €8 | 12.0 | -2.8 |
| 9 | 5,596 | AA4631 | GABRIEL PAT 1949 | AA | €177 | €52 | €116 | €9 | 12.2 | -2.7 |
| 10 | 5,530 | HE9382 | GOULDINGPOLL 1 NIJINSKY PP | HE | €121 | €11 | €102 | €8 | 8.7 | -0.7 |
| 11 | 5,119 | AA1431 | DEELISH WINGMAN | AA | €121 | €47 | €69 | €5 | 6.3 | -1.8 |
| 12 | 4,299 | AA1317 | SWANKY VAN GOGH | AA | €136 | €47 | €80 | €9 | 4.0 | -2.3 |
| 13 | 4,260 | AA4235 | GABRIEL MOSSY 1727 | AA | €144 | €50 | €87 | €8 | 6.1 | -2.3 |
| 14 | 4,187 | CH6490 | ORBI | CH | €147 | -€32 | €189 | -€11 | 35.4 | 2.1 |
| 15 | 3,946 | HE9610 | MIDFORD 1 WHIZZBANG PP | HE | €114 | -€9 | €122 | €2 | 13.9 | 1.5 |
Key Highlights
- AA6682 (HW Lord Horatio V538) is the top beef sire used in dairy herds, with 15,002 serves recorded.
- BB9373 (Enleve DU Bois Desneux) ranks second, with 11,337 serves.
- AA8472 (Tubridmore Twomey ET) is the third most used beef bull, with 10,282 serves.
What These Results Mean for Irish Dairy Farmers
These rankings highlight the sires driving genetic progress in Irish dairy herds, both for milk production and beef integration. The strong uptake of both dairy and beef AI sires reflects:
- Continued focus on EBI and profitable breeding decisions
- Increased use of beef sires on dairy cows for added calf value
- Farmer confidence in ICBF data-driven breeding tools