The Irish Hereford Breed Society hosted the last of its spring sales in Nenagh over the weekend with another tricky day’s trading.

Good on-farm demand has been seen from early March for traditional bulls, so the number of bulls present compared to what was catalogued was well back. In total, 24 of the 49 entered bulls were present in the Central Auctions Mart.

Of these 24, a mere 12 found new homes, representing a clearance rate of 50%.

That said, the average price was respectful at just shy of €2,500, with one major high as the sale-topper sold for an impressive €3,900. Securing the top price was the October 2019-born Moyclare Seamus from Michael Molloy, Co Offaly.

Sired by Church Hill Nigel, he is out of a homebred dam by Brocca Saviour.

Carrying five stars on both the terminal and replacement indices and a cow calving figure of 3.7%, he was the choice of a Kerry-based dairy farmer.

It was a long way back to the second-top price of the day at €2,700, which was hit on two occasions, both by October 2019-born bulls.

First at the money was Gortacullin Donald from Clare breeder Michael Browne.

This stylish bull is sired by Gurteragh Maximus, with Towra Brilliant and Gageboro Eugenic on the dam’s side.

Carrying four stars on the replacement index, Donald has a beef cow calving figure of just 2.6%.

Selling directly after the Gortacullin bull and matching his price tag was Double Tree Pete from Cork breeder Kieran Noonan. As mentioned, this bull was also born in October 2019, but the sire of this one was Trillick Best, with FH Noel and the famous Grianan Firecracker also in the pedigree. Pete boasts five stars down the line, with a carcase weight figure three times that of the breed average.

Droumgarriffe Lucky from west Cork breeder John Cahalane hit the market at €2,600. One of the oldest bulls on offer, this August 2019-born animal is sired by Allowdale Rory, with Dareens Champion on the dam’s side. A twin to a female, this five-star terminal bull was secured by a local dairy farmer.

Cahalane also sold his second bull on offer, Garriffe 1 Milah, for the same price tag. Another August 2019-born bull, this one is sired by Cill Cormaic Kasper, with the dam a Kilsunny Goliath daughter. This five-star replacement bull heads west to a Galway farmer.

Kye Nero, one of the youngest bulls on offer, met his reserve at €2,500. This March 2020-born bull was bred by Padraig McGrath, who made the journey from Elphin in Co Roscommon worthwhile.

Sired by UK-imported stock bull Free Town Nevada, he is out of a Steil Gerard-bred dam and boasts four stars on the terminal index.