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Throughout the 1980s, continental cattle started to gain traction among Irish breeders. Up until this point, the main cattle were Angus, Herefords and Shorthorns. The Blue Grey heifer of the Angus and Shorthorn cross was incredibly popular in commercial herds, particularly in the western counties.
As time progressed, these were eventually outnumbered by continental crossbreeds and, coming into the early 1990s, a particular interest grew for the red and white Simmental.
They were in big demand with exporters and, because of their scarcity, were commanding very good prices at marts.
The aim was to encourage more suckler farmers to invest in a Simmental bull
The western Simmental club quickly copped the trend. Padraig Kennedy and the late Arthur Dillon decided that the club should hold a sale of these Simmental crossbred heifers to accommodate the exporters. The aim was to encourage more suckler farmers to invest in a Simmental bull and in turn increase the demand for bulls from pedigree breeders.
The motion was passed and a committee was formed. That committee was made up of Padraig Kennedy, Paddy Hennelly, Chris Walsh, Michael Oliver, Gerry Lenehan, the late Arthur Dillon and Martin Regan. Along with securing sponsorship, the committee also secured Ballymote as the venue for the first sale in the mid-1990s.
Humble beginnings
From humble beginnings, the sale has flourished to become the premier Simmental crossbred sale in Ireland. Along with increasing the demand for pedigree Simmental bulls, it has also led to a surge in the use of AI from Simmental bulls.
Over the last 25 years, both buyers and sellers have returned to the venue each October. These buyers come from all over the country, with strong northern demand still to this day.
Over the years, many high prices have been met – the top of these came in 2016, when Declan Oates sold a weanling heifer for a massive €6,750. In the maiden heifer category, the top price of €3,300 was achieved by one of the founding members, Michael Oliver, while another founding member, Gerry Lenehan, achieved the top in-calf heifer price of €4,350.
This year’s 25th anniversary sale (3 October) will showcase 250 of the best Simmental crossbred cattle from western Ireland and to mark the occasion, the original committee have decided to sponsor the prizes.
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