The Irish Charolais Society’s November sale in Tullamore attracted a huge crowd of buyers from all over Ireland at the weekend. Of the 135 bulls catalogued, 75 went through the ring after dropouts and inspections, which meant it was still always going to be a buyer’s market.

However, the mood around the ring was quite buoyant, with most farmers happy with the prices they achieved. Though the trade was slow to start, it eventually heated up and became very evident that customers were willing to pay for quality.

The average price on the day was €3,610, up €60 on the same sale last year. Stars were on almost every buyer’s mind, with many one- and two-star bulls struggling to make their reserve.

Fermanagh native David Bothwell had a tough morning of judging due to the number of high-quality cattle on show. Bothwell told the Irish Farmers Journal: “I was looking for really good Charolais-type bulls with good locomotion and excellent breed characteristics.”

According to Bothwell, the overall champion and the reserve champion had that little bit more power and style than the rest.

Patrick McClean from Newtowncunningham, Co Donegal, scooped the overall championship prize for his bull Roughan Malachi. This March 2016 bull was sired by Roughan Galant and went under the hammer at €7,200 to join the Feeney brothers’ Bostonia pedigree herd in Co Sligo.

McClean also went on to achieve the fourth-highest price when his bull Roughan Marcus sold for €6,000. This bull, born March 2016, has the same sire as the overall champion and sold with a five-star terminal index of €154. Marcus found a new home across the border in Northern Ireland.

The reserve championship prize went to Aidan Farrell from Willamstown, Co Westmeath. The July 2016-born son of Meillard was purchased by Billy Gubbins from Kilfinane, Co Limerick, for €6,300.

Farrell also went on to achieve €5,800 for his second bull, Williamstown Mixey. Another first-prizewinner, this July 2016 bull is sired by the renowned Pirate and sold to Roscommon suckler farmer Michael Connellan.

The top-priced bull on the day was Lisnagre McStay, which was bred by Jim Geoghegan from Streamstown, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. McStay, a first-prizewinner on the day, was sired by legendary Major and out of the prolific Ballydownan Simone ET. After back and forth bidding, the hammer finally fell to James Donnelly from Co Longford at a price of €7,400.

Cork breeder John Ward achieved €5,600 for his May 2016 bull Colomane Maximus. Sired by Limkiln Hulk, the bull had one of the highest indexes in the catalogue at €161 and ended up heading back to Cork when the bull was purchased by Robert Good from Minane Bridge.

Louise Quinn from Edenderry, Co Offaly, had a day to remember when she sold her three bulls for a combined total of €12,300. Her first bull, Ballym M+M, sold with a five-star terminal index of €137 and went under the hammer to Pat Vaughan from Co Clare for €4,400.

Louise’s second bull Ballym Mozart, sired by bull Balthazar, sold for €4,900. He sold with a terminal index of €130 and also headed to Clare, this time to farmer John McCormick. Her last bull, Ballym Macbeth, sired by Alwent Goldbar, went on to sell for €3,000.

Mayo man Vincent Callaghan gained €4,800 for his bull Tonroe Mandm. This October 2016 bull has a calving figure of 6.6% and was sired by the well-known Doonally New.

Mandm carried the second-highest index in the catalogue with a €uro-Star value of €186. The bull attracted a flourish of bids, but was eventually knocked down to Roscommon native David Creighton.

Next best at €4,250 was Killoneen Mighty, exhibited by Thomas O’Rourke from Daingean, Co Offaly. This Lisnagree Hansome son has five stars in both the terminal and replacement indexes. He was snapped up by James Heery from Bailiborough, Co Cavan.

Tullyharnet Mojo went under the hammer at €4,050 for Noel Laverty from Castleblayney, Co Monaghan.

This June 2016-born bull is a son of Tombapik and attracted plenty of interest as he was one of the highest replacement indexes on the day with €110 €uro-Star value.

John Bambrick from Castlewarren, Kilkenny, also hit the €4,000 mark for his bull Baurnafea Myles. This five-star bull, sired by Crossdrum Felix, sold to Dermot O’Reilly from Mayo.