The female clearance sale of the Mercury Angus herd of Shane and John Murphy took place at Roscrea Mart last Friday night. Matching anticipation, demand was strong, with 100% of the females on offer all finding new homes on the night.
Despite a tough year on many farms, buyers were still willing to put money on the line to acquire proven bloodlines at a packed ringside.
In total, the 42 female lots on offer sold to average €3,383. Leading the way in the prices was Mercury J Flora, with auctioneer Denis Barrett dropping the hammer at €8,100.
This December 2012-born Friarstown Idol daughter was secured as a foundation Angus female for Harte Peat Ltd in Co Monaghan. Five stars down the line, the cow was a firm favourite with spectators.
Mercury Angus Dispersal Sale
The Flora line performed particularly well on the night, with J Flora’s dam Luddenmore Flora J016 selling for €4,500. This rising 10-year-old cow was secured by the syndicate of the Portauns, Ryans and Mount Angus herds to be used in an intensive flushing programme.
Sired by Young Dale Touchdown, she is a daughter of Netherton Flora B162, who also produced AI bull Luddenmore Fionn. Altogether, Flora J016 had five direct daughters in the sale, which sold to average €4,640.
Close behind the high seller and reaching a price of €8,000 was Mercury Lovely Tinge. This powerhouse of a cow caused much conversation prior to the sale given her fertility and production to date.
Mercury Lovely Tinge who sold for €8,000. \ Alfie Shaw
This five-star cow is sired by Friarstown Ideal Pete and goes back on the Evening Tinge family, which has been one of the herd’s most successful to date. Fertility of this tonne-weight cow is impeccable.
Lovely Tinge produced her fourth natural calf two days after her fourth birthday, having first calved at two years old.
Adding to this, she formed a vital part of the herd’s flushing programme, producing 19 embryos before keeping first time three weeks later.
Her production is equally as impressive, with this year’s calf Mercury Royal Tinge claiming reserve all-Ireland bull calf champion at Iverk at only seven and a half months old. The now-nine-month-old Royal Tinge is sired by the herd’s stock bull Luddenmore Just the Business and sold directly after his dam for the top male price of €5,500.
With a combined total of €13,500, they sold for one of the highest Irish prices ever for an Angus cow and calf at public auction. An undisclosed syndicate secured Lovely Tinge, while her young bull was secured by AI centre Dovea Genetics.
Top-priced male Mercury Royal Tinge who sold for €5,500. \ Alfie Shaw
Not stopping there, Lovely Tinge’s only daughter Noelle Tinge, a full sister to Royal Tinge hit the market at €5,000. This shapely 20-month-old in-calf heifer was secured by Terence and Una McGovern, Cavan.
Hitting the market at a price of €5,300 was Dalriada Lady Jet K818. Sired by Curragh Malcolm, this eight-year-old cow has left a number of top-selling cattle in the Mercury herd.
One of her top calves, Mercury Lord Jet, was reserve junior all-Ireland champion at both Cork and Strokestown shows before selling for €4,500. Lady Jet sold to the well-known Birches herd in Northern Ireland and is due next month to Luddenmore Just the Business.
Dalriada Lady Jet who sold for €5,300. \ Alfie Shaw
The previously mentioned Luddenmore Just the Business was the main stock bull at the herd for the past two years, so the majority of young stock in the herd were from him.
In total, he had six in-calf heifers on offer in the sale, which sold for an average of €4,367. Along with the aforementioned Noelle Tinge, Mercury Nice Ellen also secured a bid of €5,000.
This December 2016-born heifer’s pedigree also includes Friarstown Idol and goes back to the foundation Ellen Erica cow in the Mercury herd. Selling in-calf to junior stock bull Mogeely Minto, Nice Ellen was secured by Mags Melody as a foundation female for her Angus herd in Bunratty, Co Clare.
Ms Melody didn’t stop there and acquired the in-calf Mercury Miss Flora for €4,700. Again sired by Just the Business, Miss Flora is a maternal sister to the €8,100 high-seller.
Speaking after the sale, Shane Murphy said: “We would like to thank everybody who made this sale what it was. Both my father and myself are overwhelmed by the support we have received since making the decision to sell the females.
“Since the onset, we have based our breeding decisions on bloodlines above all else. We would like to wish all successful bidders the very best with the purchases.”
The female clearance sale of the Mercury Angus herd of Shane and John Murphy took place at Roscrea Mart last Friday night. Matching anticipation, demand was strong, with 100% of the females on offer all finding new homes on the night.
Despite a tough year on many farms, buyers were still willing to put money on the line to acquire proven bloodlines at a packed ringside.
In total, the 42 female lots on offer sold to average €3,383. Leading the way in the prices was Mercury J Flora, with auctioneer Denis Barrett dropping the hammer at €8,100.
This December 2012-born Friarstown Idol daughter was secured as a foundation Angus female for Harte Peat Ltd in Co Monaghan. Five stars down the line, the cow was a firm favourite with spectators.
Mercury Angus Dispersal Sale
The Flora line performed particularly well on the night, with J Flora’s dam Luddenmore Flora J016 selling for €4,500. This rising 10-year-old cow was secured by the syndicate of the Portauns, Ryans and Mount Angus herds to be used in an intensive flushing programme.
Sired by Young Dale Touchdown, she is a daughter of Netherton Flora B162, who also produced AI bull Luddenmore Fionn. Altogether, Flora J016 had five direct daughters in the sale, which sold to average €4,640.
Close behind the high seller and reaching a price of €8,000 was Mercury Lovely Tinge. This powerhouse of a cow caused much conversation prior to the sale given her fertility and production to date.
Mercury Lovely Tinge who sold for €8,000. \ Alfie Shaw
This five-star cow is sired by Friarstown Ideal Pete and goes back on the Evening Tinge family, which has been one of the herd’s most successful to date. Fertility of this tonne-weight cow is impeccable.
Lovely Tinge produced her fourth natural calf two days after her fourth birthday, having first calved at two years old.
Adding to this, she formed a vital part of the herd’s flushing programme, producing 19 embryos before keeping first time three weeks later.
Her production is equally as impressive, with this year’s calf Mercury Royal Tinge claiming reserve all-Ireland bull calf champion at Iverk at only seven and a half months old. The now-nine-month-old Royal Tinge is sired by the herd’s stock bull Luddenmore Just the Business and sold directly after his dam for the top male price of €5,500.
With a combined total of €13,500, they sold for one of the highest Irish prices ever for an Angus cow and calf at public auction. An undisclosed syndicate secured Lovely Tinge, while her young bull was secured by AI centre Dovea Genetics.
Top-priced male Mercury Royal Tinge who sold for €5,500. \ Alfie Shaw
Not stopping there, Lovely Tinge’s only daughter Noelle Tinge, a full sister to Royal Tinge hit the market at €5,000. This shapely 20-month-old in-calf heifer was secured by Terence and Una McGovern, Cavan.
Hitting the market at a price of €5,300 was Dalriada Lady Jet K818. Sired by Curragh Malcolm, this eight-year-old cow has left a number of top-selling cattle in the Mercury herd.
One of her top calves, Mercury Lord Jet, was reserve junior all-Ireland champion at both Cork and Strokestown shows before selling for €4,500. Lady Jet sold to the well-known Birches herd in Northern Ireland and is due next month to Luddenmore Just the Business.
Dalriada Lady Jet who sold for €5,300. \ Alfie Shaw
The previously mentioned Luddenmore Just the Business was the main stock bull at the herd for the past two years, so the majority of young stock in the herd were from him.
In total, he had six in-calf heifers on offer in the sale, which sold for an average of €4,367. Along with the aforementioned Noelle Tinge, Mercury Nice Ellen also secured a bid of €5,000.
This December 2016-born heifer’s pedigree also includes Friarstown Idol and goes back to the foundation Ellen Erica cow in the Mercury herd. Selling in-calf to junior stock bull Mogeely Minto, Nice Ellen was secured by Mags Melody as a foundation female for her Angus herd in Bunratty, Co Clare.
Ms Melody didn’t stop there and acquired the in-calf Mercury Miss Flora for €4,700. Again sired by Just the Business, Miss Flora is a maternal sister to the €8,100 high-seller.
Speaking after the sale, Shane Murphy said: “We would like to thank everybody who made this sale what it was. Both my father and myself are overwhelmed by the support we have received since making the decision to sell the females.
“Since the onset, we have based our breeding decisions on bloodlines above all else. We would like to wish all successful bidders the very best with the purchases.”
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: