The Irish Charolais Cattle Society hosted a show and sale of Charolais bulls at GVM Tullamore Mart, Co. Offaly on Saturday, November 4.

The sale featured pre-selected Charolais bulls born from March 1, 2022 – November 4, 2022.

The judge on the day was Gene McCann who was assisted by junior judge, Colin McGrath.

A total of 107 Charolais bulls were catalogued for the sale. Due to a number of home sales and double entries for the upcoming Christmas Cracker, just short of 60 bulls were offered on the day.

The sale resulted in a 72% clearance rate, with an average sale price of €4,060 on the day. A total of 12 bulls sold for €5,000 or more, highlighting the demand for the top-end bulls.

Top priced Charolais bull

The sale topper and the overall senior champion was Kilcleagh Tom, exhibited by Noel Farrell from Co. Westmeath.

The bull is a son of Fiston and was bred out of a Bova Sylvain-bred dam. This May-2022-born bull has a calving figure of 7.6% on beef cows.

At +45kg on carcass weight and +2.4 on carcass conformation, the bull was sold to a suckler farmer from Co. Clare for €9,000.

Hot on his heels at €7,300 was the first-prize winner from the first class of bulls, Sunnaghmore Timmy ET, exhibited by Andy McGovern from Co. Leitrim.

This March-2022-born bull is a son of Pirate out of a CF-52 bred dam. He catalogued with a five-star terminal index of €137 and carries one copy of the Q204X gene. A Co. Roscommon suckler farmer had the last call on this one.

Patrick Hughes from Co. Cavan was in the money when his bull Pottlereagh Tyson went under the hammer at €6,600.

This 17-month-old bull is a son of Giono and a home-bred dam by Cavelands Fenian. He packed a fantastic set of indexes, along with a calving figure of just 3.5% on beef cows. Tyson sold to a west of Ireland suckler farmer.

Also trading at €6,600 was the second-prize winner Ballym Toro, for Louise Quinn from Co. Offaly.

This powerful April-2022-born bull is a son of the homebred Ballym Mate and Ballym Olive 2, who goes back to Bourgogne.

Displaying a five-star terminal index of €140 and a calving figure of just 5%, he proved to be an attractive package for buyer Melvin Matthews from Gurteen, Co. Galway.

Three bulls changed hands at €5,800. The first to do so was Scardaune Targat for Daniel Conway from Co. Mayo.

This stylish bull is a son of the herd’s stock bull Roughan Pearse, and a daughter of Derryowen Harvey.

Targat carries a terminal index value of €162 and a calving figure of 4.8% on beef cows, as well as a carcass weight figure of +42.8kgs. He sold to a suckler farmer from Co. Galway.

Droumadesert Taylor was the next bull to hit €5,800, the property of Elizabeth O’Leary from Co. Kerry.

This bull was bred off Ballym Mylove and an Inverlochy Gurkha daughter, Taylor displayed some impressive indexes, including a terminal index value of €153 and a carcass weight figure of +44kg.

This bull also carries one copy of the Q gene. A Co. Clare farmer had the final call on this one.

The final bull to sell for €5,800 was Fieldview Titus, exhibited by David Erskine from Co. Monaghan.

One of the youngest bulls on the day at just under 14-months-old, Titus is a son of Solitude Narcos and a Blelack Digger-bred dam.

With stars in abundance and a calving figure of just 4% on beef cows, the Monaghan bull attracted significant interest in the sales ring. He sold to a suckler herd in Co. Galway.

Inish Tyson was the overall junior champion. A super quality son of Inverlochy Ferdie and Tawny Gracias, Tyson is just over 14-months-old.

He catalogued with a five-star terminal index of €159 and a calving figure of 5.9%. He also carries one copy of the Q gene. Snapping the champion up was a Co. Clare suckler farmer.

Michael Kiernan from Co. Leitrim received a call of €5,400 for his first-prize winner Gallaway Trueman.

A son of Mullawn Noble and a Jaquard-bred dam, Noble is a double carrier of the Q gene. Once again, terminal stars were in abundance, accompanied by a calving figure of 6.9% on beef cows. He sold to a suckler enterprise in Northern Ireland.

The reserve junior championship was awarded to Ballinderry Thames belonging to Michael Stephens.

Ballinderry Thames sold outside the ring for €5,000

This young bull is a son of Drumcullen JJ and a Vexour Gareth-bred dam.

Having failed to meet his reserve in the sales ring, he changed hands outside the ring for €5,000, selling to a farmer from Northern Ireland.

The day’s reserve senior champion went the way of Scregg Terry 2 exhibited by Michael Brehony from Co. Roscommon.

This June-2022-born bull is a son of Pottlereagh Mark and a Pirate-bred dam. This classy bull offered a tremendous set of stars, with five stars on nearly all traits, along with a calving figure of just 5.6% on beef cows.

Ger Mulvey from Co. Roscommon was the buyer on this occasion at €4,600.

Other leading prices included:

€5,100 for Nolagh Ted exhibited by Martin Shelvin from Co. Cavan;
€5,000 for Lisnamoyle Teddy exhibited by Frank Garvey from Co. Mayo.

The society expressed its thanks to judges, stewards, Tullamore Mart, and all exhibitors and wished the best of luck to all buyers.

The next society sale is the Christmas Cracker Bull Sale, which will take place at Elphin Mart, Co. Roscommon on Saturday, December 2, where there will be 90 bulls catalogued.

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