It's fair to say an accumulation of factors resulted in a tough day at the office at the Midland and Livestock Improvement Society's March show and sale of pedigree bulls at the showgrounds in Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday.

Auctioneers Francis McGowan and Cian Connolly had their work cut out, with a lack of customers around the ring.

Although exports to Northern Ireland opened on Friday, the presence of northern customers ringside was minimal.

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A total of 42 bulls went through the ring, predominantly Angus, with a small number of Charolais and Limousin present.

Just over 50% of the bulls found new homes, averaging €3,920 and selling from €3,000 to a high of €6,300.

Sale leader

Leading the trade at €6,300 was the Limousin bull Farnaught Victor, a rising two-year-old son of Parkhill Pompus, exhibited by Robbie Lloyd from Mohill, Co Leitrim.

Bred from the Claragh Neymar daughter Farnaught Sandy, this double F94L carrier has a five-star replacement index of €137 and was well below average on calving across beef cows and heifers.

Having the final call on this second-prizewinner and bringing him back to Ballycastle was Margaret Killeen.

Taking the second-highest price of the day was another Limousin bull Lisdadnan Arrow, from Helen Faughnan, Co Leitrim.

This 13-month-old son of Nebbiolo is out of a homebred daughter of Lodge Hamlet and going back to Keltic Handsome.

Offering buyers calving figures in the top 20% of the breed and four-star terminal and replacement indexes, as well as two copies of the profit gene, he went all the way to €5,100, selling to Kieran Kelly from Co Donegal.

Charolais

Val Keane from Co Roscommon topped the Charolais trade with the champion Moheedian Volcano at €5,000.

Born in November 2024, this Corralara Ramsey son is out of a Clenagh Lyle-bred dam and packed a tremendous set of figures.

On paper, he came with a massive terminal index value of €210, a replacement index of €130 and a calving figure of just 3.7% on beef cows.

After some spirited bidding, he was knocked down to a suckler farmer from Co Kildare.

Leitrim breeder Enda McLoughlin was next best in the Charolais at €4,500 with Drumlaheen20 Van Damme ET.

A son of Clenagh Lyle and a CF52-bred cow, this October 2024-born bull carries a five-star terminal index of €157 and went away with a suckler farmer from Co Donegal.

Angus

Prices for Angus bulls peaked at €4,300 for Driney AC DC from well-known Roscommon breeder Gerard Regan.

A first-prizewinner in his class, this HW Farghal-bred bull goes back to a Lisduff Dandy K895-bred cow.

Boasting a terminal index value of €101, he was snapped up by a Galway dairy farmer.

Just a bid behind was William Foster's Berrymount Aiden at €4,200. Also sired by the NCBC AI bull HW Farghal, this October 2024-born bull is out a Cornamuckla Lord Hardy-bred cow.

Carrying a five-star dairy-beef index of €142 and favorable calving figures across beef and dairy, he found a new home with dairy farmer Herbert Pollock from Newtowngore.

Up next at €4,100 was Carrowboy Alfie, the property of Alan Gibbons from Co Roscommon.

Just 15 months old, Alfie is a son of Drumcrow Tribesman out of the Portauns Volcano-bred cow Carrowboy Unbeatable.

With calving figures in the top 20% of the breed, he was the choice lot of Drumgoon Farms in Co Cavan.

Judge John Farrell awarded the overall Angus championship to Flowerhill Alfie from Sandra Killoran in Co Sligo, a son of Goulding Man Oh Man, with the reserve going to Cormac Duignan with Laheens Aengus, sired by the homebred AI bull Laheens U Boss Hogg.

Both bulls failed to meet their reserve in the sale ring.