The weanling heifer sale of the 2024 Carrick Winter Fair is currently underway this evening (Monday, November 25) at the Showgrounds, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Roscommon.
The sale kicked off at 10:00a.m. and just before 5:00p.m, lot 407, a Limousin-cross heifer owned by Derrick Forde from Corrandulla, Co. Galway, entered the ring and after a rapid round of bidding, the gavel fell on this lot for €30,000.
There are approximately 400 commercial heifers on show at the annual event and with just over half of the heifers sold by 5:00p.m, selling is expected to continue well into the night.
The €30,000 heifer is sired by Limousin bull Millbrook Dartangan (MBP) and won first in the Limousin-cross heifer calf under 350kg class in the pre-sale show on Sunday, November 24.
The heifer also won first in the Dovea Genetics Sired €2,000 Calf Bonanza.
David Wharton from Birr, Co. Offaly sold Lot 438, a Boherard Overdose (BB8337) sired heifer for €15,000.
Lot 375, a Trueman Idol sired heifer owned by Jack O Meara also from Birr, Co. Offaly sold for €12,600 today. Its stable mate also sired by Truman Idol and owned by the same breeder was lot 342 and sold for €9,800 making it a good day out for the Birr breeder.
The McNamee family from Kiltoal, Co. Donegal had a heifer by the same sire (Trueman Idol) in at Lot 411 and was the reserve Limousin Champion in the pre-sale show. This one sold for €10,000.
Jonnie McCloskie from Carndonagh, Co. Donegal had a Jagerbomb sired heifer in at Lot 347 with this one selling for €9,600.
The €30,000 price tag for the heifer is a new record for the Carrick Winter Fair topping last year’s top price which was the previous record holder of €21,500 for a Belgian Blue-cross heifer which was sold by John Kennedy from Ardara, Co. Donegal.
Day one of the 2024 event took place last week on Monday, November 18, and seen €18,000 paid for a Belgian-Blue cross heifer owned by Liam and Katie Dolan from Co. Donegal. The Amoureux Hof Ter Goedmoed sired heifer took the top price of day one of the sale.
Further updates from Agriland to follow from this evening’s sale.