The Irish Hereford Breed Society's Autumn Premier Hereford Show and Sale took place at GVM Tullamore Mart, Co. Offaly, on Saturday, October 11.

Commenting on the event, the society noted that there was a smaller entry of 19 Hereford bulls presented with an average sale price of €5,545.45, which was up significantly from the average sale price in the same sale last year of €3,770. The clearance rate was 60% of the bulls presented on the day.

The pre-sale show classes kicked off at 11.00am and the judge was Michael Dullea of the Deelish Herd in Co. Cork.

He was assisted in his duties by Jack Larkin, one of eight Next Gen Hereford members that will be travelling to the World Hereford Conference in Kansas City, US later this month, to compete in the Young Breeder’s Competition.

Auctioneer Eamonn Gaffney was taking the bids on the day and the top price of the sale was paid for Lot 7 Appel Uno PP.

Selling to a pedigree Hereford breeder for €9,100, this March-2024-born bull was selected as the champion in the pre-sale show and comes from the Co. Cork herd of John Appelbe.

Earlier this year, Uno was crowned Overall Hereford Champion at the National Show in Tullamore.

The bull is sired by Solpoll 1 Lawman and is out of Appel 1 Pretty Daffy, a Netherhall 1 Oz Daffy-sired cow.

Uno also came with a page of stars, sporting 5 stars for:

Replacement Index (€134);
Terminal Index (€105);
Dairy Beef Index (DBI) (€130)
Beef Sub-Index of the DBI (€117).

The bull also has five stars for: Gestation Length; Docility; Age at Finish; Carcass Weight; Carcass Conformation; and Daughter Milk.

The pre-sale show consisted of "very even classes of strong bulls", according to the society.

The Reserve Champion title went the way of the youngest bull in the sale, Gurteragh Superstar 1156 PH, from the herd of Michael O’Keeffe, Co. Cork.

This August-2024 bull was sired by Mullaghdoopoll 1 Finnian and bred from Kingsgrovepoll 1 Laer Kylie, a Normanton 1 Laertes ET-sired dam.

Superstar was also a prize-winner at the National Show in August this year, having won the Bull of the Year and Reserve Male Champion titles.

Superstar also has plenty of stars to his name with five stars for each of the Replacement Index (€139), Terminal Index (€81), DBI (€115) and the Beef Sub-Index of the DBI (€103).

This bull also has five stars for Docility, Carcass Weight, Carcass Conformation, and Daughter Milk.

He went on to sell for €5,000 to a Co. Offaly-based farmer.

The second-highest price of the sale was €8,600, paid for Glaslough Batman HH, from Nigel Heatrick’s Co. Monaghan herd.

He had placed first in his class in the pre-sale show and had also had a successful showing season in 2025, placing second to the Overall National Champion, at the National Show.

Batman is sired by Glaslough stockbull, Balleen Hitman and is out of Glaslough Zara, a Ballyaville Ger-sired cow.

Batman has five stars for the Replacement Index (€120) and four stars for each of the Terminal Index (€69), DBI (€96), and the Beef Sub-Index of the DBI (€89), as well as for Docility, Carcass Weight, and Carcass Conformation.

Batman sold to a pedigree breeder in Co. Clare.

A total of six bulls made over €5,000 in the sale with four of these exceeding €6,000.

Lot 15, Grianan Blake PP, from the herd of T. and A. Fitzgerald from Co. Westmeath, was the third-highest priced bull at the sale, making €6,700.

Blake is an April-2024-born bull sired by Panmure 1 Henry and out of Dendor 1 Greta 31st.

He also sold with a page of stars with 5 stars for each of the Replacement Index (€119), Terminal Index (€87), DBI (€115), and the Beef Sub-Index of the DBI (€105), as well as having five stars for Gestation Length, Docility, Carcass Weight, Carcass Conformation, and Daughter Milk.

Lot 6, Balleen Topgun HH owned by Thomas Brennan in Co. Kilkenny, sold for €6,000.

He was sired by Ballinveney United 2 and out of Balleen Twinkle 31105.

Topgun displayed impressive figures with 5 stars for each of the Replacement Index (€118), Terminal Index (€77) and the Beef Sub-Index of the DBI (€106), four stars for DBI (€89), as well as having five stars for Docility, Age at Finish, Carcass Weight, and Daughter Milk.

Lot 9, Broughall Fred 2 PH, sold for €5,000. He came from the herd of Liam Feighery, Co. Offaly.

Fred was sired by Aughavoneen 1 Lawman and bred from Cill Cormaic Karen.

Other prices on the day included:

Lot 5: Portanob Messi HH sold for €4,500;
Lot 12: Killucan Conor PH sold for €4,500;
Lot 26: Appel Powerfull PP sold for €4,000.

The society expressed its thanks to the pre-sale inspector Thomas Fitzgerald; the show judge, Michael Dullea, sale auctioneer; Eamonn Gaffney, GVM Tullamore; sale photographer, Tricia Kennedy; all stewards on the day; and Irish Hereford Prime for its continued sponsorship.