Several thousand Irish weanling are set to depart this country today for Turkey.

Purcell Brothers loaded some 3,000 bull weanlings in Waterford on Friday evening and that boat was due to depart in the early hours of Saturday morning.

In Limerick, John Hallisey loaded 1,927 heifers at Foynes port on Friday and that boat was also due to depart on Saturday morning.

Purcell Brothers is expected to fill two more boatloads over the coming weeks, completing its Turkish government contract.