Elphin Mart hosted its weekly sale on Monday, with a special show and sale of bull weanlings seeing over 450 weanlings bulls selling to a 95% clearance rate.

Farmers drove the trade, with Charolais-cross calves in particular demand, seeing the top bulls crossing €6/kg and even over €8/kg paid for some lots.

Two-hundred-and-fifty of these weanlings weighed between 300kg and 400kg and despite lower shipper activity ringside, these bulls still averaged an impressive €5.36/kg, with the top third selling for an average of €6.24/kg.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, mart manager Ciaran Lynch said: “The trade for the top-end bulls was red-hot, especially the golden Charolais-cross calves.

"Farmers were regularly paying over €6/kg, with some top lots crossing €7/kg and even over €8/kg paid for a handful of quality weanlings weighing around the 330kg mark, the tops of which sold to €2,700.”

“Overall, the trade remains stable, with farmers buying the majority of bulls on offer.

"We had small shipper activity and a few northern customers for bulls weighing over 400kg, but the Limousin and Belgian Blue-cross bulls were back 20c/kg to 30c/kg, as farmers always favour the golden Charolais-cross bulls up this way,” Ciaran added.

Demand

Demand continued for bulls weighing between 200kg and 300kg, with these averaging €5.59/kg, while the top third sold for €6.51/kg.

Heavier bulls were not as plentiful, but still met a stable trade, with bulls weighing between 400kg and 450kg averaging €5.09/kg, with the bottom third selling for €4.63/kg, while the top third averaged out at €5.48/kg.

“The trade for cull cows is steady, back maybe 10c/kg to 20c/kg, with good well-bred continental cows fit to make from €3.70/kg to €3.90/kg, with young cow heifers crossing €4/kg.

"More store-type cows are selling around the €3.40/kg to €3.50/kg mark, with lesser cows with dairy influence selling around €3/kg."

Watch

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 335kg and born 22/04/26 sold for €2,700 (€8.06/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 310kg and born 24/04/26 sold for €2,640 (€8.52/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 355kg and born 08/05/26 sold for €2,500 (€7.04/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 345kg and born 08/04/26 sold for €2,360 (€6.84/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 310kg and born 16/05/26 sold for €2,360 (€7.61/kg).

In pictures

This top-quality Charolais-cross bull weighing 335kg and born 18/05/26 sold for €2,220 (€6.83/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 310kg and born 24/04/26 sold for €2,640 (€8.52/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 345kg and born 21/04/26 sold for €2,200 (€6.38/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 345kg and born 31/03/25 sold for €1,880 (€5.45/kg).

This Limousin-cross bull weighing 420kg and born 06/04/26 sold for €2,340 (€5.57/kg).

This Limousin-cross bull weighing 365kg and born 06/04/26 sold for €1,930 (€5.29/kg).

This Belgian Blue-cross first-prizewinning bull weighing 520kg and born 09/01/26 sold for €2,600 (€5.00/kg).

This second-prizewinning Belgian Blue-cross bull weighing 385kg and born 07/04/26 sold for €2,080 (€5.40/kg).

This Limousin-cross bull weighing 415kg and born 02/01/26 sold for €2,160 (€5.20/kg).

This Limousin-cross bull weighing 470kg and born 07/10/25 sold for €2,340 (€4.98/kg).

This Charolais-cross bull weighing 315kg and born 10/05/26 sold for €1,640 (€5.21/kg).

This Limousin-cross bull weighing 300kg and born 28/03/26 sold for €1,500 (€5.00/kg).

This Angus-cross bull weighing 375kg and born 14/04/26 sold for €1,640 (€4.37/kg).