Kanturk Mart had 520 calves on offer and stronger Friesian bull calves were selling for between €60 and €90, while the lighter shipping-type calf was making between €20 and €50.

Dam type had a say in prices for beef-cross calves, with finer-boned beef Angus and Hereford-crosses selling under €180, with the most of the squarer calves exceeding €200.

Auctioneer John Ryan and clerk John Scanlon overseeing the calf sale at Kanturk Mart.

Angus and Hereford-crosses dominated both the light and the forward store trade, with little price variance between bullocks and heifers.

For 2019-born stock, €2/kg to €2.20/kg was the going rate, while for two-year-old cattle €1.80/kg to €1.90/kg was on offer.

This 22-day-old Angus bull calf sold for €250.

Speaking after the sale, mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe said: “Calves were a flying trade, except the lighter Friesian bull calf - they’re making the poorer money and there’s no way of changing that.

“The nice-framed calf with plenty of feeding is doing well. We had late cancellations due to the weather so there could have been another 200 cattle there only for that.

This pair of Friesian bull calves born 5 February sold for €85.

Farmers seem a bit happier and cattle prices in the mart seem to be in a better place than they were four or five months ago.”

Entry fee for cattle is €3 and commission for adult cattle is €8 to the seller and €10.50 to the buyer.

This bull calf made €205.

This 18-day-old bull calf sold for €90.

This Friesian bull calf born 6 February made €90.

This three-week-old bull calf made €92.

This 18-day-old Hereford heifer calf sold for €150.

This April 2018-born heifer weighing 515kg sold for €925 (€1.80/kg).

These February 2019-born bullocks averaged 332kg and sold for €690 (€2.08/kg).

This March 2018-born bullock weighed 500kg and sold for €980 (€1.96/kg).

This April 2019-born bullock weighed 320kg and sold for €825 (€2.58/kg).

These March 2019-born bullocks averaged 338kg and sold for €710 (€2.10/kg).

Weighing 495kg, this heifer sold for €940 (€1.90/kg).
Weighing 615kg, this two-year-old heifer made €1,060 (€1.72/kg).