The Irish Hereford Breed Society’s (IHBS) Premier Spring Show and Sale took place on Saturday (March 25) at GVM Tullamore Mart in Co. Offaly.
Taking the top price on the day was a polled Hereford bull Drumgoonpoll 1 Sydney, bred by Aidan McCabe from Co. Cavan.
Two breeders were particularly interested in purchasing the November 2021-born bull but it was Wade McCrabbe of Ardstewart Herefords who secured the Fabb 1 Northern Star son from the sale.
There was amazement around the ring when auctioneer Eamonn Gaffney dropped the hammer at €11,600.
Sydney is bred from Corlismorepoll 1 Sydney 981, a Dendor 1 Kohinoor pp dam. Sydney has five stars for the replacement index, terminal index and conformation, along with a value of €106 on the Dairy Beef Index (DBI).
The sale was described by the society as “a great success all round” and the average price secured by sellers was just over €4,000. The sale had a 70% clearance rate.
The premier spring show and sale began as always, with the pre-sale show judged by Matthew Goulding of Gouldingpoll Herefords.
With four strong classes of bulls, it was no small job for the Kerry native but after much deliberation, Goulding tapped Knockglass Andrew, exhibited by Alan Gibbons, Co. Roscommon, as his Champion.
This April 2021-born bull was sired by Balleen Val and bred from a Cill Cormaic Marvel dam. The bull did not disappoint in the sales ring either, when he sold for €4,000.
The next highest price of the day was for Moyclare Unreal, bred by Michael Molloy from Co. Offaly.
This July 2021-born bull was sired by Caislean Jake and bred by a Brocca Saviour dam. He is a half-brother to Moyclare Quinlan who is currently standing in Free Town and Dieulacresse Herefords in the UK.
Unreal lived up to his name when it came to stars, with a five-star rating for both the replacement and the terminal index, milk and carcass weight and a DBI value of €105.
Moyclare Unreal sold for €5,300 to a dairy farmer from Offaly.
The first bull into the ring was Ardmulchan Sherry, bred by Phil and Catherine Smyth, Co. Meath. He sold to a breeder from Co. Offaly for €5,200.
This April 2022-born bull was sired by Ballinveney Tiger and bred from a Church Preen Galileo dam. This Tiger son has a four-star replacement index and had been working before he was moved off farm.
Another bull from north Leinster securing €5,200 was polled Hereford Knockmanta 1 Burly who was sold to Northern Ireland. Another Fabb 1 Northern son in demand, this January 2022-born bull was off a Wirruna Daffy D1 daughter.
Burly has a DBI value of €101, five stars on the replacement index and four stars for the terminal index.
Burly is a full-brother to Handsome who is herd sire at Arranview Herefords in Scotland and was awarded Reserve Hereford bull of the Year in 2022.
There was continued success for Eamon and John McKiernan of Knockmountagh Herefords, Co. Louth, when they sold their second lot of the day; Knockmountagh Ranger.
Ranger was sired by Allowdale Rambo 738 and bred from a Bowmont Storm granddaughter with five stars for the replacement rate and four stars for the terminal index and carcass conformation; Ranger is a powerful bull with great conformation and growth.
Ranger was purchased by the Scott family of Knockfin and Athgreine Herefords, Co. Laois.
There was further success for Alan Gibbons, Co. Roscommon, when he sold Meadowhillpoll 1 Ronaldo for €4,300.
Ronaldo was sired by Normanton 1 Laertes and bred from a Mawarra Sentimental dam. Along with a super temperament, Ronaldo has a DBI value of €136, four stars for the replacement index and five stars for the terminal index, carcass weight and carcass conformation.
The same buyer who purchased Meadowhillpoll 1 Ronaldo also purchased Corlismore Dozer 170 by Sean and Gary McKiernan, Corlismore Herefords, Co. Cavan.
This Allowdale Rory 594 son was born in October 2021 and bred from a Cill Cormaic Leo dam. With four stars for the terminal index and carcass weight and five stars for the terminal index and a DBI value of €88, Dozer was sold for €4,000.
Nigel Heatrick of the Glaslough Herefords struck a win when he sold Glaslough Winner for €3,700 to a fellow Monaghan farmer.
This April 2021-born bull was sired by Airhill Raffael and bred from a Ballyaville Ger dam. This fully horned bull has four stars for the terminal index and carcass weight.
Hereford heifers
There were four heifers for sale on the day, two of which were offered and sold by Corlismore Herefords. The first heifer was by Fabb 1 Nutcracker and bred by Corlismorepoll 1 Sydney 011, from the famous Sydney line which has produced three National Champions.
This heifer is from the same family as the top-priced bull of the sale; Drumgoonpoll 1 Sydney.
With five stars for the replacement index and milk, the heifer was sold to Wexford for €3,400.
The second Corlismore heifer, Corlismore Honesty 160, was fully horned. This was a tall Allowdale Rory 594 heifer who was bred from a dam bred from Shiloh Farm Dynamite who was the National Hereford Champion in 2018.
Honesty has a four-star replacement index and four stars for milk. Honesty was purchased by breeders from Tipperary for €2,700.
A further horned heifer was offered for sale from Patsy Smith, Borin Herefords, Co. Cavan. Borin Kate, sired by Allowdale Rambo 738 and bred from a Corlsimore dam, also has four stars for the replacement index and sold to a fellow Leitrim breeder for €2,300.
Colin Burke from Coralstown Herefords, Westmeath and breeder of the top-priced bull sold during the Premier Autumn Sale 2022 also exhibited a heifer on the day.
Coralstown Rosie 1 is sired by IHBS Breed Improvement sire, Pute Nascar N13, and bred from a Trillick George dam who is a full sister to Coralstown Hurricane who sold for €5,500 last autumn
This March 2021-heifer sold to Northern Ireland for €2,000.
Concluding, the society expressed its thanks to the pre-sale inspector John Beirne, the show judge Matthew Goulding, sale auctioneer Eamonn Gaffney, GVM Tullamore, all stewards on the day and Irish Hereford Prime for its continued sponsorship.