The Irish Charolais Cattle Society’s final spring bull sale of 2022 took place at Tullamore Mart, Co. Offaly last Saturday (May 28).
Numbers presented on the day were well down on what was previously catalogued, with many selling on-farm prior to the sale.
According to a sale report from the society, the top-end of the bulls sold exceptionally well but the bottom tier of bulls had a harder time finding new homes.
The society noted that this has been the trend with most of the bull sales all spring, and marks a clear indication to breeders that quality is now paramount with commercial farmers.
There was a strong average sale price of €4,044, with buyers willing to pay that bit extra for the quality bulls on offer.
The top price of the sale, an impressive €10,000, went to Cloughbrack Sunrise, a bull bred by Mattie Kelly from Newbridge, Co. Galway.
This classy 14-month-old bull is a son of the French sire, Vosgien VF (available from the Charolais society), and a Grimaldi-bred dam.
Not only did the Galway-bred bull pick up the Reserve Champion title in the pre-sale show, he also packed an impressive set of indexes along with a calving figure of just 3.3% on beef cows.
He sold to a suckler herd in Northern Ireland.
Aidan Farrell of the Williamstown Herd in Co. Westmeath judged Mullawn Samson as the Overall Champion of the show.
Bred by Austin Garvey in Co. Leitrim, this stylish young bull is a son of CF 52 and a Pirate-bred dam, making him a full-brother to Mullawn Noble, who sold for €11,500 in 2018.
Samson went to sale with a five-star terminal index of €168 and a calving figure of 7.2% on beef cows.
After some lively bidding, Michael O’Reilly from Co. Leitrim secured Samson, with an offer of €6,600..
Selling at €5,800 was a bull exhibited by Terry Bradley from Moate, Co. Westmeath. Clonaltra Sergeant is a son of Fleetwood and a Cavelands Adam-bred dam.
This 16-month-old bull was catalogued with a five-star terminal index of €148 and a calving figure of 5.2% on beef cows. The final call on this bull was made by Northern Ireland breeder, Basil Buchanan.
Pat McClean from Co. Donegal secured €5,500 for one of the earlier lots, Roughan Rustard.
This December 2020-born bull is a son of the homebred Roughan Nolag and a Roughan Feodal-bred dam.
Stars were in abundance on this one, along with one copy of the Q204X Myostatin gene. He went west, going home with a suckler farmer from Co. Mayo.
Trading at €4,800 was Co. Longford man Micahel Hanlon’s bull Ballinroey Ronnie ET.
A son of CF 52 and Celtic Blondie, Ronnie is a full ET brother to a number of successful offspring from this flush.
He displayed a massive five-star terminal index of €172, along with one copy of the Q204X muscle gene. He sold to a suckler herd in Co. Waterford.
Derrinboy Sheamie was the next best, going under auctioneer Tom Cox’s hammer at €4,600.
Exhibited by Aidan Gath from Kilcormac, Co. Offaly, this 16-month-old bull is a son of Fiston and a Lisnagre Hansome-bred dam.
Sheamie offered one of the best set on indexes in the catalogue, which coincided with a calving figure of 5.4% and one copy of the Q gene. Wrapping this one up was Tom Bruton from Co. Meath.
Co. Cavan breeders Basil and Victoria Kells enjoyed a successful day trading, selling their 14-month-old Dalehill Sampras for €4,400.
A son of Fiston and a Cottage Devon-bred dam, Sampras went to sale with a four-star replacement index of €96, a five-star terminal index of €138 and a calving figure of 8.9%. A suckler farmer from Co. Galway snapped him up.
Ballyhaise Agricultural College also splashed out when it purchased Hawkswood Sam for €4,300.
Exhibited by local Charolais breeder Joseph Whittaker, this 14-month-old bull is a son of Pottlereagh Mark and a Pirate-bred dam.
He carries an attractive five-star terminal index of €161, a calving figure of just 3.9% and possesses one copy of the F94L profit gene.
The sale marks the end of the society’s sales for spring 2022. The next society sale will take place in the autumn.
The Irish Charolais Cattle Society wished all buyers the best of luck with their purchases from the society sales this year.