The Irish Hereford Breed Society hosted its annual show and sale at GVM Kilmallock, Co. Limerick, on Friday, April 19.
A sale report from the society said that wet conditions “hindered the clearance rate of this sale and also added to the unusually large number of entries”.
Despite this, the prices remained steady throughout the sale and the average price of the sale was €3,600, with all but one bull selling for €3,000 and above.
The task of judging on the day fell to well-known local Hereford breeder Patrick O’Donnell from Glenvalley Herefords, Mitchellstown, Co. Cork.
Patrick’s choice of champion on the day was Ballinveney Flincher bred by Rory Farrell from Co. Tipperary.
This October 2022-born bull was sired by Black Water Lad and bred from a Churchill Storm dam.
There was further success for the Farrell family when their second lot and the youngest bull in the sale Ballinveney Fireball topped the sale.
This December 2022-born bull was sired by Haven Kingpin and bred from a Bowmont Storm dam.
He has three stars for the Replacement Index and four stars for the Terminal Index, +12kg for carcass weight and five stars for carcass conformation.
Fireball was sold to Gageboro Herefords for €5,650.
Reserve Champion was awarded to Clondrinapoll 1 1404TH by Gerard and Declan Donnelly from Co. Clare.
This November 2022-born bull was sired by Cill Cormaic Perseus and bred from a Solpoll 1 Lawman dam.
This bull has four stars for the Replacement Index, an easy calving figure of 1.5% for beef cows and 4% for beef heifers. This bull was sold to a pedigree herd for €4,050.
The next top-priced bull on the day was Lot 18 Kyepoll 1 1 Panda 989 by Padraig McGrath, from Co. Roscommon.
This July 2022 bull was purchased by Richard and Jack Heffernan for €4,000. Panda was sired by Fabb 1 Northern Star and bred from a Hollystone 1 Liquid Gold 390 dam.
Panda has a page of stars including five stars for the Replacement Index (€160) the highest replacement bull catalogued, five stars for terminal Index, nearly double the breed average for milk, Dairy Beef Index value of €125 and a dairy cow calving figure of 3.6%.
Kye Herefords also sold two other bulls on the day Lot 21 Kyepoll 1 1 Panda 991 (the second highest replacement bull catalogued for €3,000 and Lot 33 Kye Ranger 999 for €3,400.
Lot 14 Moyclare Victor by Michael Molloy from Co. Offaly also sold on the day for €3,700.
This July 2022-born bull was sired by Caislean Jake and bred from Moyclare Ursula 14th, a Nanscient Lookout dam.
Victor has a very easy calving figure of 1.5% on beef cows, 3.2% on dairy cows, -0.1 days for gestation and four stars for the replacement Index.
The next lot into the ring was Kingsgrovepoll 1 Kid 15, exhibited by Michael Dullea from Co. Cork.
This July 2022-born bull was sired by Solpoll 1 Kentucky Kid P and bred from a Gouldingpoll 1 Captain dam.
Kid has five stars for both the replacement and the Terminal Index, along with being -0.6 days for gestation. Kid sold for €3,700.
The next lot into the ring was Awbegpoll 1 Dylan bred by Adrian Curtin from Co. Cork. Another July bull – Dylan is sired by Gouldingpoll 1 Gold Spice and bred from a Kye Harry 686 dam.
Dylan has five stars for the replacement Index, four stars for the terminal index and carcass weight. Dylan was purchased by a Limerick farmer for €3,600.
There were a further four bulls sold during the sale for €3,200:
- Lot 17 Keenagh Theo
- Lot 34 Trillick Gerry 2
- Lot 46 Rathnollag Dasher
- Lot 48 Keenagh Twister
The society expressed its thanks to the pre-sale inspector Tommy Fitzgerald, the show judge, Patrick O’Donnell, sale auctioneer, Eamonn Gaffney and GVM Kilmallock staff.