The Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society has seen record numbers this year in both show and sale entries and spectators at its winter fair.

Sunday evening's judging saw a bustling ringside thronged with viewers as they looked on at the final show of the year.

This much-anticipated weekend in every cattle breeder’s calendar is shaping up to be one of the best yet, with a vast majority of breeds being represented in record numbers.

Monday’s sale has gotten off to a flying start, with the top price being achieved for the senior Limousin champion for Eamon and Aidan O’Donovan, Cappamore, Co Limerick.

The Limerick men received a well-deserved ovation when their Ballinloan Jaegerbomb heifer sold for €9,100. Their second Limousin entry in the sale was a Gamin-sired heifer, which sold for €4,000.

Other high prices at the sale include the reserve senior Charolais champion from Richard O’Beirne, Tuam, Co Galway, which sold for €5,200.

All the way from Killygordan, Co Donegal, Liam Dolan’s second-prizewinning Belgian Blue heifer sired by Delure De La Beole sold for €5,000.

Ryan Greene, Culdaff, Co Donegal, sold his Belgian Blue heifer sired by EPI for €4,200, while John Kane from Ballinalee, Co Longford, sold his Jaegerbomb-sired bullock for €4,000 to Fire Steakhouse, Dawsons Street, Dublin.

Also selling for €4,000 was John Mulkeen’s EBY-sired Limousin heifer from Knock, Co Mayo.

With over 350 lots left to go through the ring in Carrick-on-Shannon through Monday afternoon and evening, it is sure to be an exciting end to the show season.

For more sale results, keep an eye on farmersjournal.ie and pick up a copy of next week's Irish Farmers Journal for a full show and sale report.