With the price of beef dropping week on week and the value of sterling working against potential UK buyers, many had doubts over a positive trade at this year’s premier Limousin sale in Roscrea. However, this wasn’t to prove the case and although the highs of last year’s record sale weren’t met, a strong average of €4,200 was achieved.

Buyers continued to focus on the €uro-Star ratings, with many stylish well-bred bulls falling down on prices due to insufficient stars making them ineligible for the current BDGP scheme. Altogether, 99 bulls went under the hammer on Monday and while clearance was back by 10% to a total of 82% , an added 15 bulls found new homes given the increase in entries.

Prices on the day ranged from €2,000 to €11,300, with the sale topper coming in the form of the pre-sale show senior champion, Derrygullinane Kingbull. Bred by Gerry Walsh, Ballina, Co Mayo, this bull came to the sale with high expectations, having claimed the overall male champion at the National Limousin World Congress, which was held in Kilkenny during the summer.

Out of homebred Nenuphar daughter Derrygullinane Elsia, his sire Derrygullinane Glen was also bred by the Walsh family and sold as an eight-month-old calf to the prestigious Wilodge herd for an undisclosed fee.

UK buyers

While sterling continues to draw closer to euro, one of the biggest fears was the loss of British and NI buyers. However, this wasn’t to be, with the senior champion and 14 other animals successfully breaking into the market.

Successful buyer for the five-star Kingbull were north Wales pedigree breeders WP Hughes and son for their Pabo herd.

Next best at €9,100 was this year’s Tullamore Show overall male champion, Killcastle Keltic ET, from A&P Kelly, Moate.

In what many considered the strongest class of the show, Keltic stood second in class to the senior champion Kingbull before following him all the way to the end to be tapped forward by judge John Mason as the reserve senior champion. Sired by Ampertaine Commander and out of a homebred Vantastic daughter, Keltic is a full-brother to Kilcastle Julius, who sold for €12,000 in 2015 to the Mingoblasco Limousin herd in Spain, the first to go to this market.

While Julius was the first to go this route, Raul Herendez, who owns the Mingoblasco herd, was back in Ireland for the premier, where he picked up three new additions for his 300-cow herd. The top-priced of these was Mullary Kestrel from Louth breeder Michael Molloy. This June 2015-born Plumtree Fantastic son was first in his class the previous day before selling for €7,400. The other two bulls were Templequain Karma from Thomas O’Shea and Liscarn Keano from Philip Dunne, who sold at €3,600 and €3,900 respectively.

Michael Kieran, Carrigallen, Co Leitrim, found a new home for his first prize winner Gallaway Kemp at €8,600. Sired by Kaprico Eravelle and out of an Ampertaine Commander-bred dam, Kemp boasted five stars across the board and sold to Jonathan Watson from the Tweeddale herd in Northumberland.

In the junior championship, it was the 13-month-old Killmactransa Karson from Jimmy McHugh, Dundalk, Co Louth, who caught the eye of the judge. A heifer’s calf, he is sired by Lowerffrydd Empire and is out of French import Harmonica. Carrying a terminal value of €134, he met his reserve at €8,200.

The reserve junior championship went to Groe Kighflyer from Pat Kenny, Ballinasloe, Co Galway. This Elite Forever Brill son has picked up numerous rosettes throughout the summer and found a new owner at €4,000.

The first bull into the ring, Ardnacrusha Jaguar ET, made the next best at €8,000. Bred and exhibited by the Moloney family in Co Clare, Jaguar would be familiar to anyone out on the show circuit all year, having picked up a number of top accolades, including the overall male championship at Balmoral early in the season. Wilodge Vantastic was behind this one, with the dam French cow Etole.

Sean Tighe, Ballycastle, Co Mayo, saw the hammer fall at €7,700 for his yearling Lisbrin Karl. Sired by Malibu and out of a homebred Ronick Hawk-sired dam, the fourth prize winner found a new home with the well-known Haltcliffe herd.

Females

One of the youngest animals catalogued was to claim the top price in the female ring. Wood Road Kellie, an October 2015-born heifer from Noel Fennessy, secured a number of bids before the hammer finally fell at €5,700. Sired by Bavardage and a granddaughter of Nadia B, Kellie was second in her class to the junior champion at the national in Kilkenny.

The Walsh family from Ballina was once again in the money for their females when Derrygullinane Kimiko secured €5,300. Sired by Gerrygullinane Glen, Kimiko was northwest Limousin champion this year at Glennamaddy. The final participant in the Derrygullinane outfit sold directly after at €4,000.

In the pre-sale show, it was the Richardson family from Newtowngore, Co Leitrim, who came out on top with their almost two-year-old Newtown Juicy. A Huntershall Gladiator daughter from a Vantastic dam, Juicy is no stranger to success, having picked up a red rosette at this year’s Tullamore Show. However, she failed to meet her reserve and was left unsold.

Claiming the reserve championship was Dan Tynan, Mountrath, Co Laois, with Elite Karen ET. Sired by Crossdykes Goliath and out of Ampertaine Commander daughter Elite Fidelia ET, she found a new home at €4,700. Clare breeder Michael Sexton realised €4,300 for his 14-month-old Mount Scott Kathleen 2. Boasting five stars on replacement, she sees Cerberus, Sympa, Gamin and Ideal 23 in her back breeding.

Overall, heifer averages rose nearly €500 on 2015 to €3,440 with a clearance of 62%, back from the 77% witnessed at last year’s sale. Prices ranged from €2,400 to €5,700, with 20 heifers selling on the day.

Listen to a discussion of current beef prices, Sterling exchange rate and their impact on pedigree sales in our podcast below:

Listen to "Beef prices under pressure" on Spreaker.