The Irish Hereford Breed Society (IHBS) hosted its premier Hereford Show and Sale at GVM Tullamore Mart on Saturday, March 23.
According to the breed society, the sale was “a flyer right from the start and seen top quality Hereford bulls being sold for good money”.
The quality of the bulls presented following the on-farm pre-inspection was described as “second to none and obviously greatly appreciated, as only three of the 28 lots for sale retuned home unsold”.
The average price on the day was €4,000 and 90% of the bulls were sold on the day.
The top price was paid for the Reserve Champion Griananpoll 1 Whizkid who was purchased by another pedigree Hereford breeder for €6,000.
The judge on the day was Seamus Nagle from Bull Bank and with very even classes, Seamus “took great determination in choosing his choice of winners”, according to the society.
Seamus tapped out lot 20 as his Champion, Cloonfree Hotspur bred by John Mullooly, from Co. Roscommon.
This September 2022-born bull was sired by Trillick Hotspur and bred from Cloonfree Sallyann, a Battalion Frontier dam.
This very attractive looking bull has won prizes at several shows. Cloonfree Hotspur was purchased for €4,000.
As mentioned, the Reserve Champion on the day was awarded to Griananpoll 1 Whizkid by T and A Fitzgerald from Co. Westmeath.
This April 2022 homozygous polled bull was busy serving polled cows on the farm during the previous Autumn.
He is sired by IHBS Breed Improvement sire, CCR Stamina and bred from Griananpoll 1 Orange M 661.
Whizkid has a page of stars and is five stars for the replacement and the terminal index along with having nearly double the breed average kg for carcass weight and milk.
Whizkid topped the sale a €6,000 and was purchased by a pedigree Hereford breeder from Co. Tipperary.
Corranpoll 1 Jameson bred by Ivor Anderson from Co. Cavan is a May 2022-born bull who was sired by a Panmure 1 Henry son, Corranpoll 1 Hashtag, and bred from a Corlismore Leonardo 927 dam.
Jameson has five stars for the terminal index and a DBI of €114 along with a dairy cow calving figure of 3.2% and a very easy beef cow calving figure of 1.7%. Jameson was sold for €4,550.
The next lot into the ring was Carrick Ivor from Philip Lynch, also from Co. Cavan.
Ivor is a Carrick Jake 178 son and bred from Kilsunny Lass Lola. Ivor has five stars for both the terminal index and carcass weight rated at +10.9kg. Ivor was purchased by a repeat customer from Co. Kerry for €4,100.
The next lot into the ring was Caonach Jimi Y 232 by David Jones from Longford. First prize winner, this June 2022-born bull was sired by Cill Cormaic Marvel and bred from a Kye Rodge 553 dam.
He has four stars for the terminal index, carcass weight and carcass conformation and was purchased by a Pedigree Hereford breeder from Tipperary for €5,000.
Dromona Tommy ET, by Maurice Geary from Co. Limerick, was sold for €4,300. This July 2022 born-bull was sired by Haven Wizard and bred from Kye Sheila 784, former Munster Cow of the Year 2021.
Tommy has a DBI of €114 and a dairy cow calving figure of 3.6%. He also has four stars for the replacement index, five stars for the terminal index, a very easy beef cow calving figure of 1.6% and +13.6kg for carcass weight.
Trillick Fionn also sold very well on the day for JJ and Ciaran Farrell from Co. Longford when he was purchased for €5,000.
Fionn, sired by Corlismore Commander 080 and bred from a Freetown Hotspur dam, has five stars for the terminal index and a very easy beef cow calving figure of 1.1%.
Fionn’s DBI is €108 and his dairy cow calving figure is 3%.
Carrowboy 1 Perfect by Alan Gibbons sold for €4,600 during the sale to Northern Ireland. This Fabb 1 Northern Star son was bred from Woodviewpoll 1 Pippa.
This docile bull was born in November 2022, has four stars for the replacement Index and is -6.03 days for daughter calving interval.
The Deverell family from Co. Offaly sold their two lots on the day. Their second lot sold to a fellow Offaly farmer for €4,400.
Avillepoll 1 Raphael, born in August 2022 is sired by Dernaroy 1 Oscar and bred from a Ballinveney Marvel dam who also bred Ballyaville Neilson who was sold to Ballyraggan Herefords at the Premier Hereford sale in 2021.
Raphael has a DBI of €108, four stars for the terminal index and carcass weight and five stars for carcass conformation.
The final two lots of bulls for the day was by the Drumm family from Westmeath. The first bull was December 2022-born bull Crowenstown Tinsel Tommy, a Hollow Point Broker son and bred from the prize-winning Grianan Orange V911.
Tinsel Tommy has four stars for the replacement index, five stars for the terminal index, carcass weight (+12kg) and DBI value of €117.
Tinsel Tommy was a prize winner at several shows during 2023. This young bull caught the eye of a Pedigree breeder from Laois and was purchased for €4,500.
The final bull in the sale was Crowenstown Hanley, a Conmelvin Ollie son and bred from Crowenstown Arethusa Ivy who was first prize winner at the National Hereford Show 2022.
Hanley himself won the Supreme Junior Calf Championship at the National Hereford Calf Show 2023.
After placing first in his class on the day – this yearling bull was sold for €5,500 to Dovea Genetics in association with Irish Hereford Prime as part of their Beef Sustainability Program.
Other prices on the day included:
- Lot 1: Rathregan Mario sold for €3,500;
- Lot 2: Portanob Resolve sold for €3,300;
- Lot 6: Fortviewpoll 1 Robert sold for €3,700;
- Lot 13: Avillepoll 1 Raksha sold for €3,500;
- Lot 16: Glaslough Andy sold for €3,500;
- Lot 18: Ardmulchan Upside Down sold for €3,500;
- Lot 21: Grianan Anchorman ET sold for €3,000;
- Lot 22: Kye Commander 006 sold for €3,200;
- Lot 23: Corlismorepoll 1 Escobar 215 sold for €3,500;
- Lot 24: Corlismore Ermando 217 sold for €3,500;
- Lot 26: Appel 1 Baptiste sold for €3,500;
- Lot 29: Moyclare Vincenzo sold for €3,500;
- Lot 30: Bawnlea 1 Enzo Ferrari sold for €3,500;
- Lot 34: Appel 1 Dawn Break sold for €3,500 – the only heifer in the sale.
The society expressed its thanks to the pre-sale inspector Mr. John Beirne, the show judge, Mr. Seamus Nagle, sale auctioneer, Mr. Eamonn Gaffney as well as GVM Tullamore, all stewards on the day and Irish Hereford Prime for their continued sponsorship.