The Irish Charolais Cattle Society hosted its second-last bull sale of the season bull sale at Tuam Mart in Co. Galway last Saturday (May 6).
The trade was described by the society as “lively”, with five bulls selling for €5,000 or more on the day.
Just over 20 bulls went under the hammer, with 16 selling to an average sale price of €3,960.
Topping the trade at €5,400 was one of the younger lots on the day, Caltun Ten Ten Twenty from Maria Calvey in Westport, Co. Mayo.
This bull is a son of Alwent Goldbar and a Pirate-bred dam. Born in February 2022, he went to sale with a five-star terminal index of €138 along with a carcass weight figure of +37.8kg.
Having been placed second in his class, he attracted some intense bidding before he was knocked down to a Co. Clare-based suckler farmer.
Next best at €5,100 was Tonroe The Real Deal ET for the Callaghan brothers from Swinford, Co. Mayo. This stylish 15-month-old bull is a son of Pirate and a CF-52-bred dam.
He has a terminal index of €143, along with a calving figure of 5.8% and carries one copy of the Q gene.
Having been placed third in his class, The Real Deal stayed true to his name, attracting significant interest around the sales ring. He was snapped up by a Co. Mayo suckler farmer.
The day’s Overall Champion went the way of Cloughbrack Stan for local breeder Mattie Kelly.
Stan is a son of the French sire Chic, and a Cavelands Fenian-bred cow. Born in October 2021, the Galway-bred bull offered one of the highest replacement indexes in the catalogue at €123, along with a calving figure of 2.6% on beef cows, the lowest on the day.
He was knocked down at €5,000 to a local suckler farmer.
Two more bulls hit the €5,000 mark. The first to do so was Clonmahon Seanie, exhibited by Eddie Daly from Co. Meath.
A son of Artois and a Goldstar Echo-bred dam, the Meath-bred bull catalogued with a five-star terminal index of €136, along with a below average calving figure of 3.2% on beef cows. He went to a suckler farmer in Co. Mayo.
The final bull to sell for €5,000 was one of the youngest bulls on the day: Limkiln Tom, exhibited by Richard Hackett from Co. Clare.
A son of Fiston and a homebred Goldstar Echo daughter, this rising 14-month-old bull sold with a page full of stars.
He offered five stars on the terminal and replacement indices along with a calving figure of just 5.5% on beef cows. He went to a Co. Roscommon suckler farmer.
Judge on the day John Jennings awarded the Reserve Championship to Davron T Rex, exhibited by David Nilan from Athenry, Co. Galway.
A son of Bova Sylvain and a Roughan Galant-bred dam, this powerful bull carries one copy of the Q204X gene. He exchanged hands for a sum of €3,200, selling to Co. Westmeath farmer.
The society wished all buyers the very best of luck with their bulls.
It will host its final sale of spring 2023 at GVM Tullamore Mart in Co. Offaly on Saturday, May 27, with 62 bulls and nine heifers catalogued.