Commercial cattle enthusiasts across Ireland and further afield were keeping a close eye on the MartEye app on Monday night, November 6, as the Pierce McNamee Elite Sale drew to a close.
The timed auction took place in conjunction with Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart, and featured a selection of commercial cattle and embryos from the fold of the well-known Co. Donegal cattle breeder, Pierce McNamee.
The average price of the top 10 weanling heifers was €7,160. The average sale price across the 16 bulls and heifers offered in the sale was €5,231.25. There was a 100% clearance in the sale.
Lot 1 ‘Dream Maker’ took the top price on the night selling for €13,600. The heifer was described in the MartEye catalogue as “the undisputed star of the Irish show circuit this year”. This heifer was purchased by a Donegal man who is currently working in Australia.
The January-2023-born heifer calf sired by hybrid bull BB2247 has an impressive list of achievements including:
- Champion Calf, Finnvalley Show and Reserve Supreme Champion;
- Supreme Champion, Inishowen Show;
- All Ireland Breeding Heifer Calf Champion, Oldcastle;
- All Ireland Roan Calf Champion, North Sligo Show;
- All Ireland Senior Calf Champion, Bonniconlon Show;
- Reserve Calf Champion, Tullamore Show;
- All Ireland Heifer Calf Champion, Virgina Show;
- Calf Champion, Strokestown Show.
Lot 10 ‘Quick Silver’ raced to €12,200 following a late flurry of bids from three separate bidders but in the end, it was a Co. Roscommon farmer who was the successful bidder.
Despite 39 bidders from mainland U.K and Northern Ireland active in the sale, home demand proved to be much stronger with only two lots going to buyers in Northern Ireland.
There were four embryos in the sale and the top-priced embryo was Lot 20 selling to Co. Laois for €1,750.
This commercial embryo was a fusion of Millgate Jem and BB2247 and shared the same pedigree heritage as Lot 1, the top-priced heifer.
Successful bidders from counties Donegal, Sligo, Armagh, Limerick, Roscommon, Meath, Laois, Cavan and Down all secured lots in the full-clearance sale.