The Irish Hereford Breed Association held its premier sale in Tullamore over the weekend where an increase in the annual average price was recorded.

Prices rose by €50 to settle at €3,150. This average price was matched by an increase in the clearance rate for the second consecutive year.

A total of 19 of the 35 bulls present sold, representing a 54% clearance.

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While this is still behind many of the other breeds premiers, it’s beginning to move in the right direction, having been as low as 30% in 2017.

This figure could have been further enhanced, but some breeders refused decent money for their animals.

Top call

Leading the way with a top call of €5,000 was Tom and Anselm Fitzgerald with Grianan Showgun.

This first-prizewinning bull is one of the first sons of the duo's homebred stock bull Grianan Parker and out of the herd’s famous Orange line.

This topped an exceptional day for the Moate-based father and son outfit, who also secured the reserve championship and joint second-top price of €4,000 for Grianan Showman.

This September-2017 born bull is another son of the aforementioned Grianan Parker and another from the Orange line.

Five stars on the terminal index, this bull won the people’s choice award at the society calf show last November.

Overall championship

Securing the overall championship was Shiloh-Farm Emperor from Sarah Murray, who is also based in Moate, Co Westmeath.

This powerful July 2017-born bull is sired by Steil Gerard and out of Cill Cormaic Lass, making him a maternal brother to last year’s Tullamore national champion Shiloh-Farm Dynamite. The champion met his reserve and sold for €3,750.

Read this week’s Irish Farmers Journal for the full report.