The Irish Shorthorn Cattle Society held its annual premier show and sale over the weekend and achieved a clearance rate of almost 90% for females. While averages were back by €100 on 2015 levels, they remained relatively static at €1,770 for 30 heifers sold. However, trade continued to be difficult in the male ring, with only 50% of the bulls on offer selling on average to slightly over €1,500.

While Northern buyers were prominent for a number of the top-priced animals, exports dropped to 25% (nine animals), compared with 40% last year. This may have contributed to the slight decrease in average.

Topping the trade at €4,500 was Rockville Dainty 348 from Anthony Dockery, Elphin, Co Roscommon. Carrying five stars on the replacement index both within and across breed, she is sired by homebred Rockville Rowanberry. She found a new home across the border at Cherryvalley Farms, Co Antrim.

In total, Anthony sold six of the seven heifers he had on offer to average over €2,250. These heifers were born between January and November 2015.

The judge on the day was John Brosnan, Killarney, Co Kerry, breeder of the Glounlea Shorthorn herd. He found his female champion in the form of Martin Kelly’s Ricketstown Belle 194.

This polled heifer is the first daughter of Nevada Nitetime to be sold in Ireland and from the same line as Ricketstown Hugo, the all-Ireland champion in 2014. Unfortunately, Belle failed to meet her reserve on the day and left the ring unsold.

Claiming reserve championship honours in the female ring was Lavally Katie from John Mullooly, Strokestown, Co Roscommon. Sired by Kenlene Winston 16x, this January 2016 heifer is out of a homebred Dovea Sir James Daughter. She sold for €2,000 to James Foley, Cornageeha, Co Sligo.

Second-top price in the females went to one of the younger animals in the sale, the February 2016-born Graigue Willow 16th, which met her reserve at €2,500. Exhibited by Alan Gibbons, Strokestown, Co Roscommon, she is sired by Glenisla Explorer 825 and was purchased by Sligo breeder Benjamin Slang.

Males

In the male ring, John Brosnan awarded the champion sash to Kilfrush Patent from Patrick O’Callaghan, Co Limerick. Patent secured the reserve champion all-Ireland in the senior bull class at Strokestown in September. Sired by Sprys Patents Ace G38, he met his reserve at €2,050, selling to Mary Coleman, Co Galway.

Standing second in the class to the champion, Lismacool Oscar followed Patent all the way to the end to secure the reserve championship male sash. Bred and exhibited by local Elphin breeder Padraig Flanagan, Oscar is a September-born son of Brickeens Smasher. Meeting his reserve of €1,500, he sold across the border to Enniskillen breeder Eric Lindsay.

Topping the male section and selling for €3,000 was the 10-month-old Ballinlig William from Terry and Imelda Middleton, Moate, Co Westmeath. Bova bull Waukaru Coppertop 464 was the sire behind this one, with the dam being a homebred Lissoy Jumbo daughter. This bull again went north, to Jim Sloan, Co Down.