The second Irish Limousin Cattle Society spring show and sale of the year took place on recently at Athenry Mart, Co. Galway.
The show of bulls kicked off at 9:30a.m with the sale commencing at 12:30p.m.
A total of 40 bulls were presented for sale on the Thursday afternoon and a powerful trade was witnessed, leading to a 88% clearance rate – up from 62% at the equivalent sale last year.
The judge on the day was Elanor Reilly from Co. Cavan and the auctioneer was George Candler.
The average price for the sale amounted to just under €4,000 which was an increase of €700 on last year’s average. The top price of the day was secured by the champion bull, Drumline S 1185, with the hammer falling at an impressive €9,100.
This bull was bred by Co. Clare breeder James Hannon.
Born in October 2021, his dam is Wood Road Jasmine ET and he is sired by Tomschoice Lexicon. He has five-stars on both the replacement and terminal indexes, while also carrying five-stars for carcass weight and carcass conformation.
He also hits five-stars for docility. He was purchased by artificial insemination (AI) company, Dovea Genetics.
The high prices didn’t stop there. First into the ring was the Reserve Champion Carrickmore Scoobydoo ET. Bred by Connell Brothers, Co. Meath, this bull went under George Candler’s hammer for €5,200.
His sire is Ampertaine Foreman and his dam was Baileys Iceprincess and has a replacement index value of €105 (four-stars) and a terminal index value of €155 (five-stars). He also has five-stars for carcass weight and conformation.
Sale statistics:
- Top-priced bull sold for €9,100;
- Four bulls sold for between €5,000 and 5,999;
- Nine bulls sold for between €4,000 and 4,999;
- 19 bulls sold for between €3,000 and 3,999;
- Two bulls sold for between €2,000 and 2,999.
Meath breeder Teleri Thomas had another great day in the sale ring selling Keltic Sam Tan for €5,400. Sired by Tomschoice Lexicon and out of the dam Keltic Nest, he carries five-stars on the replacement index and five-stars on the terminal index.
Teleri also secured €5,100 for her bull, Keltic Septembergold. Another Tomschoice Lexicon son, he has five-stars on both the replacement and terminal index, while also carrying five-stars for carcass weight, carcass conformation and four-stars for daughter milk.
Additionally, lot number 11, Ruan Sudo was awarded first in his class and sold for €5,000.
This bull was bred by Sean Lyons from Co. Clare and has five-stars on the terminal index and for carcass weight and conformation. Sired by Milan Marciano, he has a calving difficulty figure of 5.3% on beef cows.
Lot number 42, Ballykinncurra Showman, went under the hammer for €4,600. Presented by John Moroney, from Corofin, Co. Clare, Showman is sired by Fest Noz and has five-stars for replacement and terminal indexes, carcass weight and carcass conformation.
Mayo breeder Frank Philbin also secured €4,600 for his Limousin bull Clydagh Soney an October 2022-born son of Lodge Hamlet.
Shannon Silver, a Gamin son, went under the hammer for €4,500. Bred by Sarah McElligott from Co. Kerry, Silver boasts five-stars on both indexes and is 4.2% calving difficulty on beef cows.
Martin Hansberry’s bull, Skehana S Max a November 2021-born Mereside Godolphin son, went under the hammer for €4,000. He carries five-stars on both the replacement and terminal indexes.
Selling for €3,800 was John and Stephen Lynch’s Limousin bull, Ballinascraw Sheldon. Born in August 2021, he is sired by Aughakilmore John out of Ballinascraw New Years’ Baby.
The next Limousin society show and sale will take place in Roscrea on Monday, May 1, and the final show and sale of the season will take place in Roscommon on Saturday, May 20.