When the executive committee of the Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society formed the Carrick Winter Fair in 2005, little did they know that it would become what it is today. Now staged over two weekends, the show and sale of weanling bulls and senior cattle will take place on Monday 16 November, with the show and sale of weanling heifers scheduled for Sunday 22 and Monday 23 November.
This year’s entries for the show and sale of weanling heifers met the quota of 400 cattle just hours after opening, leaving many exhibitors missing out. This unprecedented level of interest is a result of the remarkable Winter Fairs held in recent years.
Record-breaking
In 2025, the Belgian Blue-cross heifer Polar Bear sold for a record price of €33,500 at the showgrounds, breaking the 20-year-old record of €31,000, held by Angus heifer Lavally Angie.
There is no doubt the Carrick Winter Fair has established itself as the number one commercial cattle show and sale in Ireland and the UK.
A total of 800 cattle will go through the ring over the course of the two weekends, attracting spectators from all over the two islands.
Cattle sold at the Winter Fair in recent years have claimed the biggest accolades right across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain. At the Balmoral Show this year, the overall champion was a heifer purchased at the Carrick Winter Fair in 2025.
In this week’s Focus, we hear from Lourda McGowan, secretary of the Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society; we ask the AI companies for their top AI sires for producing commercial show cattle, and we look back at how one cow transformed the commercial cattle show scene in Ireland.
