The Irish Charolais Cattle Society hosted its annual Christmas Cracker show and sale of bulls on Saturday (December 3) at Elphin Mart in Co. Roscommon.
The event turned out to be a memorable day for brothers Seamus and Liam Egan from Ballina, Co.Mayo, as the three bulls they had on offer sold for a combined total of €26,000.
The three bulls are full embryo transfer (ET) brothers sired by Balmyle Vagabond, and their dam is Cloonglasna11 Jenny, a CXY daughter.
Selling at €10,000 for the Egans was Cloonglasna11 Socks ET. This 13-month-old bull was the pick of Dovea Genetics for their artificial insemination (AI) stud.
He joins the station carrying two copies of the F94L profit gene, accompanied by a calving figure of just 5.2% on beef cows and a terminal index of €163.
The brothers’ second offering Cloonglasna11 Sean ET went under the hammer at €9,600. A full ET brother to Socks, he carries one copy of each myostatin gene, and an eye-catching terminal index of €174.
He sold to Colin Newell in Northern Ireland.
Their final offering on the day was Cloonglasna11 Sambuca ET, who sold for €6,400.
According to the society, the sale was “a phenomenal day’s trading for the young Mayo breeders”.
The Christmas Cracker sale
The sale witnessed 66 bulls selling for an average price of €5,100. Buyers from Scotland, Northern Ireland and all-over southern Ireland came to the sale and a total of 20 bulls were exported on the day.
The judge in the pre-sale show was Will Owen from Wales and the auctioneer was local man Tom Cox.
The society said the average sale price of €5,100 was “a record-breaking sale average for a society bull sale in Ireland”.
Topping the trade at €13,500 was Bud Stratos ET, owned by Olivia Purcell from Co. Meath.
This 15-month-old CF-52 son is a full brother to the Dovea AI sire Bud Orpheus. His dam Western Icon is a Pirate daughter, whose ET calves are proving highly successful for the Purcells.
Having been placed third in the pre-sale show, Stratos went to sale with a five-star terminal index of €155 and one copy of the Q204X gene, making him an appealing option to suckler farmers.
After a marathon of bidding, Aidan Hearty from Northern Ireland had the last call for the top-priced bull.
At €10,800 was Sagesse Sidney ET, who was bred by the Canning family in Co. Sligo and exhibited by David Watts from Co. Galway.
Once again, CF-52 was this bull’s sire, with Kilcumreragh Grimaldi the dam. This October 2021-born bull stood Reserve Overall Junior Champion in the pre-sale show.
Sidney catalogued with one copy of both myostatin genes and carries a five-star terminal index of €153. He sold online to Mark Wattie’s Tonley herd in Scotland.
Two bulls exchanged hands at €10,200. The first to do so was Tawny Super Dude, exhibited by Ciaran Daly from Co. Leitrim.
Sired by the AI sire First and out off a CF-52-bred cow, this July 2021-born bull went to sale with two copies of the Q204X gene, a calving figure of just 3.7% on beef cows, and a massive terminal index of €171.
Having received bids from all corners of the ring, auctioneer Tom Cox eventually dropped the hammer and the bull went to Seamus Walshe from Co. Roscommon.
Also hitting the €10,200 mark was Williamstown Sam, exhibited by Aidan Farrell from Co. Westmeath.
This stylish September 2021-born bull is a son of the one and only CF 52, and a Major-bred dam. He catalogued with a terminal index of €144 and a calving figure of 8.1% on beef cows.
Fellow Westmeath man Vincent Kenny was the lucky buyer on this occasion.
Two bulls traded at €8,000, the first of which was Kilcommon Sean ET, a Domino-bred bull from an Anside Foreman daughter.
Exhibited by Tom Ryan from Co. Tipperary, once again terminal indexes were in abundance along with one copy of both myostatin genes. He sold to a suckler farmer in Co. Kilkenny.
Sheehills Santiago ET from John Searson in Co. Laois also sold at €8,000. He came with a successful show career to his name, having picked up the Senior Male Calf Championship at the National Calf Show in September.
A son of Clenagh Lyle ET – who featured well throughout the day – and Sheehills Malificent ET, Santiago was snapped up by Keltic Stock Ltd. from Co. Kerry.
The Searsons also parted company with Sheehills Supreme ET at €5,600. Supreme is a full ET brother to Santiago and went west to a suckler farmer from Co. Clare.
Dovea Genetics was in the market again when it acquired Clenagh Superior ET for €7,500.
Exhibited by the Quin family from Co. Clare, Superior is a son of Domino and the CF 52 daughter, Clenagh Classic. He comes with a staggering terminal index of €182 amd with a calving figure of 7.2% on beef cows, as well as one copy of both myostatin genes.
The Quin family also picked up the Overall Junior Championship with their classy young bull Clenagh2 Sultan.
A son of the homebred Clenagh Lyle and a Whitecliffe James-bred daughter, Sultan carries one copy of both myostatin genes. Unfortunately, he failed to meet his reserve in the sales ring later in the day.
The Quins however, went on to sell their two other bulls Clenagh2 Spartacus ET and Clenagh2 Samurai, for €5,300 and €4,200 respectively.
They are both full ET brothers by Domino and out of the Whitecliffe James daughter Clenagh Ocean.
The Reserve Intermediate Champion went the way of Lisnagre Show Time ET for Jim Geoghegan from Co. Westmeath.
This Major son goes back to the legendary Ballydownan Simone ET on the dam side, and came to sale with one copy of both myostatin genes. He was knocked down to Victor Chestnutt from Northern Ireland for a sum of €7,200.
The Overall Senior Champion was awarded to Michael Kiernan’s Gallaway Superstar. A son of Lapon and a CF 52-bred dam, this Leitrim-bred bull sold with a five-star terminal index of €152 and with a calving figure of 6.5% on beef cows.
Tom Cox dropped the hammer here at €6,500, with the bull then destined for a suckler herd in Northern Ireland.
The Intermediate Champion went the way of Goldstar Sundance ET, exhibited by Martin Ryan from Co. Tipperary.
This stylish 15-month-old bull is a son of the homebred Goldstar Echo and the French-bred cow Goldstar Pepite.
He has a five-star terminal index of €155 and a calving figure of 7% on beef cows, along with one copy of the profit gene. He was snapped up by well-known weanling producer Gerry Connellean from Co. Kildare at €6,400.
The Ryans also traded their second offering Goldstar Sublime ET for a sum of €4,800. He is again, a full ET brother to the aforementioned Sundance.
Two bulls shared the same price tag of €6,100. The first being Cloughbrack Sugar Ray, from Mattie Kelly in Co. Galway.
This June 2021-born bull is a son of Pirate and a Goldstar Echo-bred dam. He catalogued with an impressive replacement index value of €102 along with a calving figure of just 5% on beef cows. He sold to a suckler farmer from Co. Sligo.
Other leading prices on the day included:
- €6,200 for Roughan Special 2 sired by Roughan Jaquard and exhibited by Pat Mc Clean from Co. Donegal;
- €6,000 for Roughan Special 3 sired by Roughan Monloulou and exhibited by Pat Mc Clean from Co. Donegal;
- €6,000 for Letteror Sportsman ET sired by Ballym Mylove and exhibited by Paul Monagle from Co. Donegal;
- €6,000 for Cattanview Superpower sired by Fiston and exhibited by Tim Higgins from Co. Leitrim;
- €6000 for Rocksborough Sam sired by CF 52 and exhibited by Marie Burke from Co. Mayo;
- €5,800 for Tonyglasson Samson sired by Lisnagre Elite and exhibited by Martin Hughes from Co. Monaghan;
- €5,800 for Roughan Steve sired by Roughan Jaquard and exhibited by Pat Mc Clean from Co. Donegal.
Sean Cooney from Co. Cavan was happy man when he sold Greenvillenua Scooby Doo for a sum of €6,100.
This catchy Clenagh Lyle-sired bull was just 15 months old and displayed a five-star terminal index of €162.
He also carries one copy of both myostatin genes. He went north to a suckler farmer from Co. Down.
Society presentation
Earlier in the day the society made a presentation to former council member and president of the society, Kevin Maguire.
At a council meeting in April of this year, at which all council members were present, it was agreed that the Meath man should receive honorary membership from the society for his service on the council.
The society thanked all who purchased bulls on Saturday, as well as all those who bid on bulls. The next society bull sale will take place in Tullamore on February 25, 2023.