Harry Boyle, beef farmer, Co Cavan
“It’s great to be back around the ring [in Ballyjamesduff]. You would have missed it every week. I’ve been looking at the online sales. I found it alright when I got used to it.
“I like to see the cattle first. I would always come to see them first before I would buy any. It’s easier to get an idea of them that way.”
John Tevlin, Ballyjamesduff mart manager
“It’s great to see farmers finally back. The online worked well for us but you can’t beat the atmosphere round the ring and then letting customers see the cattle as they’re coming in.
“We worked OK over the last few weeks. We had been online early in the last lockdown so we were well adjusted at this stage. The trade improved, which is a help due to the time of year and northern customers were more active too. Having said that, it’s great to be back and I think everyone is happier. Some farmers had issues with broadband and issues with coverage in rural areas doesn’t help online.
“I think we’ll see some more cattle out in the coming weeks. It could be a busy December as some people held cattle back waiting on the rings to open. We have a number of suckler sales, the breeding stock especially. Farmers like to see them – it’s hard to buy them online.”
Ian Ryanhart, Ferns, Co Wexford
“The social aspect of the mart is fairly important. If you are selling cattle the online system is OK, but if you are buying cattle you would rather see them in the flesh.
“I am selling here today and I am happy to be back around the ring. It makes a big difference to the buyers to be able to see the stock before they buy it.
“What I missed most about the mart being closed is the contact with the outside world. It’s probably the only contact you would have for most of the week.”
Paul O’Gorman
and Sarah Bolger
Bree, Co Wexford
“You can buy online and you can see it online but it’s nice to be able to see the actual livestock you are buying or selling in person, or up-close and personal. When you are in the mart you get to see the size, colour and shape of the animal in more depth.
“We bought calves online from Enniscorthy and Carnew during the lockdown and it did work well but the social aspect is important for farmers.
“Mental health is a big thing and farmers are very much isolated away from livestock marts and general gatherings. The mart is a social occasion and I do think it will come back again. Farmers are out in the hills and it’s nice to get in for the day to have a chat and a mug of tea, just to see a friendly face.”
Jim Walsh, Fethard-On-Sea, Co Wexford
“It’s good to be back. It’s better for everyone that farmers are back at the ring. It’s livening the trade up. I’d say it’s after improving a good bit.
“I didn’t do any online-buying. I haven’t bought anything this six weeks. I was holding out for the trade to come back around the ring. It’s better than it is online. You are better off looking at the beast you are going to buy set in front of you, rather than buying online.
“I am delighted to get out again. The mart social life is very important – that’s the way farmers have lived always and that is the way they want to live. I think it’s better as well that farmers are spread out at the ring.”
Gerard Lynch, beef farmer, Co Cavan
“I’m absolutely delighted to be back. The online is wonderful. It’s a great asset, but there’s nothing like seeing the animal in the flesh, especially for the farmer that wants to buy a long-keep animal.
“The quick-keep cattle are more or less sold per kilo into the big feedlots. It’s a high-volume, low-margin and they’re happy enough to buy them by weight. Online suits them.
“For the smaller farmer who wants to feed a certain type of animal, he wants to see them.
“We have traded online and have found it frustrating from the point of view of the internet dropping – that was the biggest problem. There’s not quick enough internet access in rural Ireland. We’ve been promised it for years, but it hasn’t happened yet. Hopefully it will come shortly.”
Moses Roche, Freemount, Co Cork
“It’s great to be back really. There’s nothing like seeing the animal in their feet coming out of the ring. It’s very hard to buy something on the camera without seeing them.
“Internet was the biggest problem. I bought 20 or 30 cattle online but we just kind of staying away from it to be honest unless you were after seeing the cattle before.
Broadband was a total disaster. I was outside the mart last Tuesday and I was trying to bid on cattle and it broke down.
“I was up at €780 and they were finished at €830 and I couldn’t bid on them.
“So farmers were probably losing money that way with broadband issues. It’s something that will have to be rectified in the future.”
Vincent Kiely, Rathcoole, Co Cork
“We’re very happy that they’re back open. It’s hard to do business online.
“The last five or six weeks were a bit tough. I don’t think any of the buyers should be using online because you can’t judge the cattle on it and people you’d be selling cattle to wouldn’t be happy with it if you were buying them without looking at them because you wouldn’t be able to judge the quality of the animal either, whether they were an O or an R. You wouldn’t know if they were lame or if there was something wrong with them.
“I don’t think the online will go away but I think the people using online should use agents or dealers to buy the cattle for them as they’d have exactly what they want.”
Harry Boyle, beef farmer, Co Cavan
“It’s great to be back around the ring [in Ballyjamesduff]. You would have missed it every week. I’ve been looking at the online sales. I found it alright when I got used to it.
“I like to see the cattle first. I would always come to see them first before I would buy any. It’s easier to get an idea of them that way.”
John Tevlin, Ballyjamesduff mart manager
“It’s great to see farmers finally back. The online worked well for us but you can’t beat the atmosphere round the ring and then letting customers see the cattle as they’re coming in.
“We worked OK over the last few weeks. We had been online early in the last lockdown so we were well adjusted at this stage. The trade improved, which is a help due to the time of year and northern customers were more active too. Having said that, it’s great to be back and I think everyone is happier. Some farmers had issues with broadband and issues with coverage in rural areas doesn’t help online.
“I think we’ll see some more cattle out in the coming weeks. It could be a busy December as some people held cattle back waiting on the rings to open. We have a number of suckler sales, the breeding stock especially. Farmers like to see them – it’s hard to buy them online.”
Ian Ryanhart, Ferns, Co Wexford
“The social aspect of the mart is fairly important. If you are selling cattle the online system is OK, but if you are buying cattle you would rather see them in the flesh.
“I am selling here today and I am happy to be back around the ring. It makes a big difference to the buyers to be able to see the stock before they buy it.
“What I missed most about the mart being closed is the contact with the outside world. It’s probably the only contact you would have for most of the week.”
Paul O’Gorman
and Sarah Bolger
Bree, Co Wexford
“You can buy online and you can see it online but it’s nice to be able to see the actual livestock you are buying or selling in person, or up-close and personal. When you are in the mart you get to see the size, colour and shape of the animal in more depth.
“We bought calves online from Enniscorthy and Carnew during the lockdown and it did work well but the social aspect is important for farmers.
“Mental health is a big thing and farmers are very much isolated away from livestock marts and general gatherings. The mart is a social occasion and I do think it will come back again. Farmers are out in the hills and it’s nice to get in for the day to have a chat and a mug of tea, just to see a friendly face.”
Jim Walsh, Fethard-On-Sea, Co Wexford
“It’s good to be back. It’s better for everyone that farmers are back at the ring. It’s livening the trade up. I’d say it’s after improving a good bit.
“I didn’t do any online-buying. I haven’t bought anything this six weeks. I was holding out for the trade to come back around the ring. It’s better than it is online. You are better off looking at the beast you are going to buy set in front of you, rather than buying online.
“I am delighted to get out again. The mart social life is very important – that’s the way farmers have lived always and that is the way they want to live. I think it’s better as well that farmers are spread out at the ring.”
Gerard Lynch, beef farmer, Co Cavan
“I’m absolutely delighted to be back. The online is wonderful. It’s a great asset, but there’s nothing like seeing the animal in the flesh, especially for the farmer that wants to buy a long-keep animal.
“The quick-keep cattle are more or less sold per kilo into the big feedlots. It’s a high-volume, low-margin and they’re happy enough to buy them by weight. Online suits them.
“For the smaller farmer who wants to feed a certain type of animal, he wants to see them.
“We have traded online and have found it frustrating from the point of view of the internet dropping – that was the biggest problem. There’s not quick enough internet access in rural Ireland. We’ve been promised it for years, but it hasn’t happened yet. Hopefully it will come shortly.”
Moses Roche, Freemount, Co Cork
“It’s great to be back really. There’s nothing like seeing the animal in their feet coming out of the ring. It’s very hard to buy something on the camera without seeing them.
“Internet was the biggest problem. I bought 20 or 30 cattle online but we just kind of staying away from it to be honest unless you were after seeing the cattle before.
Broadband was a total disaster. I was outside the mart last Tuesday and I was trying to bid on cattle and it broke down.
“I was up at €780 and they were finished at €830 and I couldn’t bid on them.
“So farmers were probably losing money that way with broadband issues. It’s something that will have to be rectified in the future.”
Vincent Kiely, Rathcoole, Co Cork
“We’re very happy that they’re back open. It’s hard to do business online.
“The last five or six weeks were a bit tough. I don’t think any of the buyers should be using online because you can’t judge the cattle on it and people you’d be selling cattle to wouldn’t be happy with it if you were buying them without looking at them because you wouldn’t be able to judge the quality of the animal either, whether they were an O or an R. You wouldn’t know if they were lame or if there was something wrong with them.
“I don’t think the online will go away but I think the people using online should use agents or dealers to buy the cattle for them as they’d have exactly what they want.”
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