Mountbellew Mart in Co Galway is holding a monster auction including over 300 offerings on Monday 1 May at 12pm.

The auction has items across all categories ranging from cattle and sheep to power tools and contracting work and even has some more novel items including 60 pints of beer and make-up sessions.

Sponsored by St Jarlath’s Credit Union, the auction is being held to raise funds for Mountbellew Mart and other associated community projects. The mart has enjoyed a period of vibrant trading following a brief pause earlier in the year due to legacy issues relating to a couple of debts encountered over 10 years ago.

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Trading resumed quickly following a massive community reaction to raise the desired funds. The goodwill and support shown by the community has continued to grow and is evident in a bumper entry of offerings donated for sale.

Oliver Noone of Mountbellew Mart said: “The community reaction has been fantastic and continues to exceed all expectations. The mart premises is an important hub not only for trading livestock but also for several other community initiatives.

“Our committee has been bowled over by the range and quality of items which have been donated for Monday’s auction. We are very thankful of the support and encourage people to check out the sale catalogue.”

Livestock sales

The pick of the livestock lots is an Aberdeen Angus yearling male weighing in the region of 445kg.

There are also a few calves catalogued, and over 20 entries of sheep ranging from purebred Suffolk and Galway rams to ewes with lambs at foot and top-quality yearling hogget ewes.

There are numerous choice lots on the sheep side, with the rams and a purebred Texel ewe and her hybrid Charollais-cross lamb at foot.

300 lots catalogued

As mentioned already, the general auction has a wide range of items. There is an extensive range of power tools, meal bins, sheep handling equipment, fencing posts and wire, water troughs, and machinery items such as a bale handler and shear grab.

Many local contractors have offered their services for a number of hours for digger work, baling, hedge cutting etc, while a number of shearing contractors are also donating their services.

Local merchants have donated concentrates, lime, fertiliser etc and many farmers have donated hay, silage and straw.

A number of non-agricultural items are sure to attract strong interest. For sports enthusiasts there are signed jerseys including a signed Galway senior hurling jersey and a signed IRFU jersey.

There are also All-Ireland senior football tickets in the mix and Saw Doctors tickets for their August concert in Tuam.

Those who enjoy the odd tipple and some fine dining have a dozen drinks hampers and meal vouchers to choose from while local beauticians are offering make-up, hair and pharmacy vouchers.

For children, there are ride-on tractors/lorries, a trampoline and a new mountain bike.

Auction programme

The full list of items can be viewed on the MartEye online sales platform or through the mart’s facebook page.

To register to bid online or for more information please contact Mountbellew mart at 090-967 9660 or email Mountbellew mart at mart@mountbellew.ie by Sunday 30 April.