The flying trade for Charolais cattle in the UK drove the demand for bulls at last Saturday’s Christmas cracker Irish Charolais Cattle Society show and sale at Elphin, where €8,000 and higher was freely paid for bulls going back to commercial herds.
The upshot was an almost complete clearance of the 90 bulls on offer at an average of €4,529 and a top of €10,200.
Relatively speaking, heifers did not hit the same high spots, at an average of €3,515 and a top of €4,600.
This elite bull sale was also boosted by the fact that all bulls were fertility tested and fertility insured. All animals were halter trained.
The sale was a special triumph for new breeder Brendan Feeney, Enniscrone, Co Sligo.
In the first ever sale from the Bostonia herd, he secured the day’s top of €10,200 for the junior champion and grossed €39,900 for six bulls.
The herd started with up to 60 embryo transplants, some of which were imported.
The €10,200 was paid for the 12-month-old junior champion, Bostonia Indigo, by Balmyle Vagabond and out of a Padirac-bred dam. He was purchased by Noel Ilwiane, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone.
Next highest at €9,200 was received by Christopher Marron, Shantonagh, Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, for Mearain Image ET. A very well-muscled bull by CF52 son Dromiskin Viceroy and out of a Nevers dam, and with a muscle score of 129 (top 1% of the breed), he was purchased by Aidan Murphy, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh.
A bid of €8,800 secured first-prize winner Aughavadden Ivan Et for local breeder Andy McGovern, Gubbs, Cloone, Co Leitrim. Bred by Teresa and Michael Dowd, Newtowncashel, Co Longford, he is by Domino and out of a dam by Kilmore Optimist.
€8,600 was paid for the reserve junior champion Knockmoyle10 Icarius ET. Bred by Gerry Lynch, Moymore, Tulla, Co Clare, he is by Texan Gie and out of a Doonally New-bred dam. A winner of top prizes at numerous summer shows, including the national show, he was purchased by Peadar McKenna, Carbo, Clogher, Co Tyrone.
Two lots sold for €8,500. First was for the senior male champion Flojo Impeccable from John Gallen, Killygordan, Lifford, Co Donegal. He is by Thrunton Voldemort and out of a homebred dam by Doonally New. Purchaser was Frank Murphy, Crossmaglen, Newry, Co Down.
The second €8,500 was received by Co Longford breeder Noel McGoldrick, Cloonohill, Drumlish, for first-prize winner Cloonohill Icarius. By Fury Action and out of a homebred dam by Bova Oniraloin, he was purchased by Sean Hughes, Jonesborough.
The reserve senior male championship went to Brendan Feeney’s Bostonia Invincible 3rd ET, who sold for €8,200 to Welsh breeder R O Williams, Lalanber, Barmouth, Gwynedd. He is by Oldstone Egbert and out of a Padirac-bred dam flushed from Esmer Evans herd.
Bostonia Invincible 2nd ET, a full brother and second-prize winner from the same class, sold for €6,700 to Murray Lyle, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland.
The herd also sold Bostonia Ice Et for €5,600 to Michael Hannon, Deerpark, Clonlara, Co Clare; Bostonia Impeccable 1st Et for €5,000 to Michael Rafferty, Ballymote, Co Sligo; Bostonia Invincible 1st ET for €4,200 to Hugh McCambridge, Carnlough, Co Antrim.
Meanwhile, Jim Geoghegan, Streamstown, Mullingar, got €7,500 for Lisnagre Innish Mor Et. By Major and out of Ballydownan Simone, he was purchased by Tony Harley, Plumbridge, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
€7,000 was paid for second-prize winner Limkiln Italia. Bred by Richard Hackett, Clonlara, Co Clare, he is by Doonally New and out of a homebred dam by Pirate.
Michael Healy, Tawnytaskin, Boyle, Co Roscommon, received €6,400 for his second-prize winner Caraun Inspector (from the same class as the senior champion). By Crossmolina Euro, he is out of a homebred dam by Pirate and was purchased by Frank Beirne, Ballykenny House, Longford.
€6,200 was paid for first-prize winner Rathfeston Ice ET. Bred by Wayne Mulligan, Rathfeston, Geashill, Co Offaly, he is by Balthazar and out of a homebred dam by Ballydownan Colm. Purchaser was David Sheedy, Scarriff, Co Clare.
Bull summary
Clearance of 90%.
Average of €4,529.
Top price of €10,200.
20 bulls made €5,000 and over.
14 more bulls sold on the previous year.
21 bulls exported to Northern Ireland.
Eight bulls exported to Scotland.
One bull exported to Wales.
Heifers
Top price of €4,600 in the smaller female section went to the senior champion Goldstar Harlequin. Bred by Martin Ryan from Thurles, she is by Goldstar Echo and out of a homebred dam by Celtic Vichy. She was purchased by Pat Clohesay, Goldengrove, Drombane, Co Tipperary.
A bid of €4,440 secured the reserve junior female champion Rooskeynamona Iris for Alan Shields, Kilrea, Co Derry. Bred by Gerry Mulligan, Rooskeynamona, Mohill, Co Leitrim, she is just 13 months of age, by Prime Roberto and out of a homebred dam going back to Domino.
€4,200 was paid for Clenagh Honey, bred by Michael Quin, Clenagh, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare. By Clonoulty Andraemon and out of a homebred dam by Pirate, she was purchased by Howard Pollock, Castlederg, Co Tyrone.
Three lots made €4,100. Joe Clancy, Gortreevagh, Oughterard, Co Galway, received that for Western Heavenly Breeze. By Pirate, she is out of a homebred dam by Excellent. Second in her class to the senior champion, she was purchased by Edwin Jones, Keenagh, Co Longford. Joe also received €4,100 for Western Ivory, a half-sister to the older heifer. Ivory is by Prime Roberto and out of the same dam. She was purchased by Robert Gamble, Rasharkin, Co Antrim.
The third €4,100 went to Glenn Cooper, Cahir, Coolrain, Portlaoise, Co Laois, for his 14-month-old heifer Nore Isabelle Et. By Lisnagre Elite and out of a homebred dam by Major, she was purchased by Trevor Lyster, Desert, Emyvale, Co Monaghan.
John Kingham, Culloville, Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, had the junior female champion Culla Isabella which sold for €4,000. By his stock bull Moorefield Viper and out of a Maerdy Impeccable-bred dam, she was purchased by Pat Guerin, Ennis, Co Clare.
Vincent Callaghan, Tullinacurra, Swinford, Co Mayo, received €4,000 for his second-prize winner Tonroe Hippie. By Liscally Eti and out of a homebred dam by Doonally New, she was purchased by Gerry McGovern, Kilmore, Fivemilebourne, Co Leitrim.
Also on €4,000 was Michael Kiernan, Carrigallen, Co Leitrim’s first-prize winner Gallaway Imogen. She is by Cloverfield Excellent and out of a Bova Sylvain-bred dam. Purchaser was Gerry McGovern, Kilmore, Fivemilebourne, Co Leitrim.
Delighted with the sale, society secretary Nuala Hourihane said 14 more bulls and four more heifers were sold than in the 2013 Christmas cracker and average prices were up. Next up for the society is Tullamore on Saturday 14 February.
Heifer summary
Clearance of 70%.
Average of €3,515.
Top price of €4,600.
20 heifers made €3,000 and over.
Four more heifers sold on the previous year.
Eight heifers exported to Northern Ireland.
Pedigree breeders get Gene Ireland invitation
Pedigree beef breeders with high-index animals in their herd, but presently outside the Gene Ireland beef programme, have been invited by ICBF to get involved in this unique project.
Response to the invitation is good, an ICBF spokesman told the Irish Farmers Journal this week.
“When we outline the workings of the programme and point out their high-index animals, breeders are showing interest and are signing up for the new Gene Ireland beef programme, which was launched last year,” he said.
The new programme, which prioritises maternal traits, involves the identification of high-merit bulls across 12 beef breeds and progeny testing these bulls through targeted AI.
The second leg of the programme depends on commercial suckler farmers using straws from the test bulls and here the news is positive.
The new maternal emphasis in Gene Ireland test sires has sparked a big increase in interest from commercial farmers. “Six hundred herd owners signed up to purchase the straws and this should be enough to progeny test 20 to 21 bulls,” said the spokesman.
Suckler farmers identified the urgency of improving the maternal qualities in their replacement heifers. For too long, Irish beef bulls have been selected for terminal beef traits.
Getting more pedigree breeders to partake in the Gene Ireland maternal beef programme will speed up the rate of improvement. The credibility of the maternal proofs from bulls in this programme will be high, thus giving breeders an opening to cash in on their best genetics.
Details of the beef programme are available through ICBF, Teagasc or the breed society.
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