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.

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.

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.

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.