Online bidding at Irish marts has meant those near and far can access marts up and down the country.
Logging in to night time sales has become a secret pastime for some city dwellers to distract them from the COVID-19 doom and gloom. The sultry tones of auctioneers, gates banging and cattle roaring take some back to their childhoods spent in marts.
But last week one Co Leitrim native went one step further.
Padraig Flanagan, a native of Dromahair but resident in Perth, Western Australia, made three purchases at Elphin Mart for his father on the MartBids platform from 15,000km away.
It was an early start for Padraig as Perth is eight hours ahead of Elphin. The heifers were sold around 9.30pm Irish time or 5.30am Australian time.
Padraig told The Dealer: “We needed a few replacement heifers at home and my father wouldn’t be that good on computers so I logged in and bid away until we got what we wanted.”
He rang the mart after the sale with his card details and paid for them so all his father had to do was come and collect them at the mart that evening.
“I’m not sure what the lady in the mart office thought and I was going to have a bit of fun with her and ask her were the heifers export tested and would there be a trailer going my way?”
Elphin saying goodbye to Gerry
One of the most respected mart managers in the west of Ireland is calling time on his long career.
Gerry Connellan has steered Elphin Mart to become one of the leading livestock sales venues in the west. Over the last few years, Elphin has become the go-to town for top quality commercial and pedigree sales.
It was fitting that the record price for a commercial heifer was set at the mart last Friday night with Gerry watching on when the hammer fell at €9,000.
He still has a busy November and December ahead, with the famous Irish Charolais Cattle Society Christmas Cracker sale of 120 bulls taking place on Saturday 5 December.
Gerry’s will be a big pair of boots to fill but The Dealer knows a man. The CV is in the post …
Gerry Connellan and buyer Keith Mulchrone, Castlebar, doing business at Elphin mart. \ Brian Farrell
Rousing cattle to prevent soiling
The Dealer nearly choked on his cornflakes the other morning while reading the Department of Agriculture spec on farm roadways.
One of the measures being recommended by the Department to reduce “soiling” on farm roadways include “…rousing/stirring up [of] the animals prior to traversing the road, [which] can encourage defecation in the field…”
The Dealer would love to know what type of rousing the Department has in mind here? Young lads with whistles and bangers, or what? When you think of what it could be like, you cannot un-think it. It’s not even 1 April.
Gerry Kiely calls it a day
It will be the end of an era when Gerry Kiely, the head of representataion for the EU in Dublin calls it a day later this year.
Gerry has strong IFA roots, having served as its economist and director of the Brussels office, before moving to the European Commission where he acted as spokesman for three commissioners for agriculture – Ray Mc Sharry, Rene Steichen and Franz Fischler.
Gerry also served as the EU agriculture representative in Washington before heading a unit in DG Agri and finally the EU office in Dublin.
The Dealer wishes him well as he calls time on a distinguished career.
I see that a familiar surname has returned to the mart business in the border region recently.
Adrian Grimes has left a successful career in the insurance industry to take up the role as manager of Ballybay Mart, as well as the Corcaghan Co-op in Monaghan. Adrian returns to the family business with his father Brendan having previously been the manager in Carrigallen many moons ago. It’s good to see young blood coming into the sector.
McDonald’s to bring out McPlant ‘burger’
I see McDonald’s is to bring out a range of plant-based ‘burgers’ for selected countries in 2021. Called the McPlant, it is not clear yet who will make the ‘burger’ for the fast food giant.
As I’ve often said in this column, I don’t believe you can call something made from a plant a burger.
To me a burger is a burger, made from meat. I for one will be sticking with the regular stuff.
I see head of dairy knowledge transfer at Teagasc Tom O’Dwyer is to take over as head of Teagasc’s signpost programme, which looks at lowering carbon emissions on farms. Staying with Teagasc, I am informed that Michael Diskin, head of the animal and bioscience research department and head research officer for sheep, has retired. His position hasn’t been advertised, but I’m told the position will be filled in due course.
Online bidding at Irish marts has meant those near and far can access marts up and down the country.
Logging in to night time sales has become a secret pastime for some city dwellers to distract them from the COVID-19 doom and gloom. The sultry tones of auctioneers, gates banging and cattle roaring take some back to their childhoods spent in marts.
But last week one Co Leitrim native went one step further.
Padraig Flanagan, a native of Dromahair but resident in Perth, Western Australia, made three purchases at Elphin Mart for his father on the MartBids platform from 15,000km away.
It was an early start for Padraig as Perth is eight hours ahead of Elphin. The heifers were sold around 9.30pm Irish time or 5.30am Australian time.
Padraig told The Dealer: “We needed a few replacement heifers at home and my father wouldn’t be that good on computers so I logged in and bid away until we got what we wanted.”
He rang the mart after the sale with his card details and paid for them so all his father had to do was come and collect them at the mart that evening.
“I’m not sure what the lady in the mart office thought and I was going to have a bit of fun with her and ask her were the heifers export tested and would there be a trailer going my way?”
Elphin saying goodbye to Gerry
One of the most respected mart managers in the west of Ireland is calling time on his long career.
Gerry Connellan has steered Elphin Mart to become one of the leading livestock sales venues in the west. Over the last few years, Elphin has become the go-to town for top quality commercial and pedigree sales.
It was fitting that the record price for a commercial heifer was set at the mart last Friday night with Gerry watching on when the hammer fell at €9,000.
He still has a busy November and December ahead, with the famous Irish Charolais Cattle Society Christmas Cracker sale of 120 bulls taking place on Saturday 5 December.
Gerry’s will be a big pair of boots to fill but The Dealer knows a man. The CV is in the post …
Gerry Connellan and buyer Keith Mulchrone, Castlebar, doing business at Elphin mart. \ Brian Farrell
Rousing cattle to prevent soiling
The Dealer nearly choked on his cornflakes the other morning while reading the Department of Agriculture spec on farm roadways.
One of the measures being recommended by the Department to reduce “soiling” on farm roadways include “…rousing/stirring up [of] the animals prior to traversing the road, [which] can encourage defecation in the field…”
The Dealer would love to know what type of rousing the Department has in mind here? Young lads with whistles and bangers, or what? When you think of what it could be like, you cannot un-think it. It’s not even 1 April.
Gerry Kiely calls it a day
It will be the end of an era when Gerry Kiely, the head of representataion for the EU in Dublin calls it a day later this year.
Gerry has strong IFA roots, having served as its economist and director of the Brussels office, before moving to the European Commission where he acted as spokesman for three commissioners for agriculture – Ray Mc Sharry, Rene Steichen and Franz Fischler.
Gerry also served as the EU agriculture representative in Washington before heading a unit in DG Agri and finally the EU office in Dublin.
The Dealer wishes him well as he calls time on a distinguished career.
I see that a familiar surname has returned to the mart business in the border region recently.
Adrian Grimes has left a successful career in the insurance industry to take up the role as manager of Ballybay Mart, as well as the Corcaghan Co-op in Monaghan. Adrian returns to the family business with his father Brendan having previously been the manager in Carrigallen many moons ago. It’s good to see young blood coming into the sector.
McDonald’s to bring out McPlant ‘burger’
I see McDonald’s is to bring out a range of plant-based ‘burgers’ for selected countries in 2021. Called the McPlant, it is not clear yet who will make the ‘burger’ for the fast food giant.
As I’ve often said in this column, I don’t believe you can call something made from a plant a burger.
To me a burger is a burger, made from meat. I for one will be sticking with the regular stuff.
I see head of dairy knowledge transfer at Teagasc Tom O’Dwyer is to take over as head of Teagasc’s signpost programme, which looks at lowering carbon emissions on farms. Staying with Teagasc, I am informed that Michael Diskin, head of the animal and bioscience research department and head research officer for sheep, has retired. His position hasn’t been advertised, but I’m told the position will be filled in due course.
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