Farmers came from Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and Kildare to buy stock at the Drohan clearance sale. On average, the 56 cows (four- and five-star) calving from January to March next year made €1,450 each.

Prices ranged from less than €1,000 for the very old cows right up to €2,000 for the tops.

The top third of stock made in the €1,400 to €1,700 range, with the plainer cows down around €1,300. There were 10 heifers also on sale and they made between €1,500 and €1,700 each.

An old Simmental stock bull weighed in at 1,000kg and made €1,450. A younger Limousin bull made €2,650.

Good prices

Earlier in the day the normal cattle sale saw nice cattle attain good prices, with €2.20 to €2.50 per kilo for 500kg bullocks. There were 112 suck calves on offer and Holstein Friesian calves made from €30 to €110 each. There is a sheep sale on Monday but after that the next sale is not until 5 January.

There was a clearance sale of the entire suckler herd for the representatives of the late Patrick Drohan. The herd comprised of the 56 (five- and four-star) Limousin and Simmental cows all in-calf to pedigree registered Limousin and Simmental bulls calving from January to March. There were also 10 Limousin and Simmental five-star heifers in-calf to a five-star Limousin bull due from mid-January. Paddy was a member of the Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER Beef farm challenge.