Farm debt and insolvency was catapulted on to the national stage on Tuesday with the sale of one of Ireland’s largest pedigree dairy herds.

The 450-cow Cradenhill herd dispersal sale, ordered by Cork County Sheriff Sinead McNamara, was held on the farm of the Kingston family near Kinsale, Co Cork.

The sale arose from a judgment obtained by ACC Loan Management for €2.45m against Peter and Tracey Kingston in April 2015.

Some 950 purebred Holstein animals were sold with no reserve. As one man said, it “was more like a wake than a cattle sale”. The cows sold for between €600 and €1,100, with most bidders appearing to be from Ireland.

An expected demonstration at the sale was prevented by a High Court injunction secured by the sheriff.