The herd dispersal sale of Norman Connolly took place in Tuam Livestock Mart on Monday 7 December.

The sale included 22 in-calf cows, which achieved an average price of almost €1,700/head, while 16 autumn-calving cows with calves at foot sold to €2,440 and averaged just shy of €2,000/cow-calf unit.

There was also huge interest in the 14 in-calf heifers offered for sale, with a top price of €2,580 paid for a March 2018-born Limousin heifer scanned in-calf to a Limousin stock bull. The heifers averaged over €2,330/head.

Norman plans to concentrate on producing in-calf heifers for sale over the coming years.

Online interest

Speaking to mart manager Marion Devane, she said there was a huge interest in the sale and that the demand for good-quality suckler breeding stock is currently outstripping supply. The mart had a lot of farmers expressing an interest to buy online over the past two weeks. She concluded that it was also great to be able to welcome buyers back ringside for the sale.

In pictures

This Limousin heifer, born March 2018, in-calf to a Limousin stock bull sold for €2,460.

This Limousin heifer born August 2018 and scanned in calf to a Limousin stock bull sold for €2,320.

This Limousin-cross heifer born April 2018 and in calf to a Limousin stock bull sold €2,480.

This Limousin heifer born September 2018 in-calf to a Limousin stock bull weighed 615kg and sold for €2,000 (€3.25/kg).

This Charolais heifer born March 2018, in-calf to a Limousin stock bull, weighed 850kg and sold for €2,320.

This Charolais heifer, born February 2018, in-calf to a Limousin stock bull sold for €2,060.
This Charolais heifer born March 2018, in-calf to a Limousin stock bull, weighed 850kg and sold for €2,320.