If you asked patrons in your local pub in east Clare whether they sold cattle in the mart that day, they might not tell you how much they got. But one thing is for certain – if they were asked who brought the cattle to the mart and if they said “TJ brought them” you would all know instantly who they were talking about.

But last month, Scarriff native TJ O’Callaghan, one of the most famous men at the mart down through the years, retired after almost 50 years in business as a cattle haulier all over Co Clare, Galway, Limerick and north Tipperary.

TJ told us that he encountered many close shaves in terms of dangerous situations. In particular in Ennis last year, he was chased and almost attacked by a White Head bull who jumped out of his trailer but TJ made a miraculous escape.

Down through the years, he hauled calves, cows, bulls, bullocks, sheep, horses and even pigs for his clients all across the midwest. He said that horses were very quiet and safe to transport.

On guard

Of all the animals he encountered, he said the Limousin cattle were the ones he feared the most. While he wasn’t afraid of cattle generally, he says you would have to be on guard at all times.

He said Limousin cattle were the most dangerous.

TJ only suffered one minor injury in all the years he was working with livestock when he had a run-in with a dangerous cow and he only slightly hurt his shoulder.

Journeys to the meat factories in Rathkeale in Limerick and Larry Goodman's outfit in Nenagh were a weekly chore for the Scarriff man as well as his weekly pilgrimage to Clare Marts in Ennis.

Marts in Gort, Scarriff, Sixmilebridge and Portnumna were also on his rounds.

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