The Irish Limousin Cattle Society hosted its Athenry sale on Friday 16 April, with prices reaching €6,600.
Initially scheduled for the day before, the sale had to be deferred 24 hours due to veterinary restrictions.
This didn’t hamper trade, however, with the average resting at an impressive €3,647. This was up substantially on previous years.
While the 2020 sale was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, the average this year was up €1,000 compared to the 2019 sale and nearly €300 on 2018 levels.
Similar to many sales across the country, numbers were back on what was initially catalogued. From a catalogue of 41, 28 were presented for sale, with 21 selling to represent a 75% clearance.
While this clearance rate is high, number of bulls sold is down from 50 in 2019 and 42 in 2018.
Selling for the top price of €6,600 was Keltic Pax from Ms Teleri Thomas, Longwood, Co Meath.
This highly rated bull is a son of successful AI bull Keltic Handsome, also bred by Thomas.
Ampertaine Foreman and Homebyres Visitor also featured in the dam’s pedigree. This one heads to a local Galway farmer.
Maghera Ronan 2 who sold for €5,500. \ Alfie Shaw
Taking the second top price of €5,500 was Maghera Ronan 2. Bred and exhibited by Patrick Mulconroy from Co Clare, this double five-star bull is a son of Goldies Jackpot, with Ampertaine Commander on the dam’s side.
Ronan heads back to Clare with successful bidder Andrew Monahan.
Two bulls hit the €4,500 mark. First at the money was Shannon Paero from Kerry breeder Sarah McElligott. This September 2019-born Plumtree Fantastic son is out of a Cloughhead Lord-bred dam. Carrying four stars on the terminal index, he was the pick of a Kilcolgan-based customer.
Matching Paero at the money was Brickhill Prince 2 from Michael McInerney, Co Clare. This bull’s pedigree included Cameos, Plumtree Fantastic and Navarin. With a calving figure of just 1.9% on beef cows, he was knocked down to Clare farmer Martin Faule.
Brickhill Prince 2 who sold for €4,500. \ Alfie Shaw
Shannon Paero who sold for €4,500. \ Alfie Shaw
The €4,100 price was also hit on two occasions. First up here was Meelickaduff Pottinger from the Hester family in Castlerea, Co Roscommon. This son of Lodge Hamlet is out of the Vantastic daughter Meelickaduff Honda ET, the 2017 national champion. Born November 2019, this five-star terminal bull was secured by local farmer Gerard Qualter.
Meelickaduff Pottinger who sold for €4,100. \ Alfie Shaw
Newtown Rodger
Also selling for €4,100 was Newtown Rodger from Stanley Richardson, Newtowngore, Co Leitrim. This double five-star January 2020-born bull is out of Ampertaine Commander, with Lodge Hamlet and Wilodge Tonka also in the back breeding.
Newtown Rodger who sold for €4,100. \ Alfie Shaw
Richardson also sold his second exhibit, Newtown Ranger, at €3,500. Sired by Loyal with Wilodge Cerberus and Ronick Hawk in the back breeding, this was the youngest bull on offer at just 13 months.
Oldtown Pedro from William Hogan, Thurles, Co Tipperary, sold for €4,000. Sired by the old reliable Wilodge Cerberus, he is out of a Broomfield Regentcey dam. Born September 2019, this bull boasted a page of stars and was the choice of Philip and John Dixon.
First of two bulls to hit the €3,800 mark was Currane Paco from Michael McKeown, Castlebar, Co Mayo. This son of the previously mentioned Plumtree Fantastic is out of an Ampertaine Foreman-bred dam.
Rutland Pyper from Noel Ruttledge, Ballina, Co Mayo was the next bull at that price. This five-star replacement bull is sired by Usse and out of a Rutland Jasper-bred dam. This one heads to Tuam with Michael Fleming.
Diarmuid O’Riordan sold his August 2019-born bull Glenashrone Picasso at €3,600.
Like the sale topper, this bull was sired by Keltic Handsome. Boasting five stars on the replacement index, this one was secured by local farmer Patrick Cooley.
The Irish Limousin Cattle Society hosted its Athenry sale on Friday 16 April, with prices reaching €6,600.
Initially scheduled for the day before, the sale had to be deferred 24 hours due to veterinary restrictions.
This didn’t hamper trade, however, with the average resting at an impressive €3,647. This was up substantially on previous years.
While the 2020 sale was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, the average this year was up €1,000 compared to the 2019 sale and nearly €300 on 2018 levels.
Similar to many sales across the country, numbers were back on what was initially catalogued. From a catalogue of 41, 28 were presented for sale, with 21 selling to represent a 75% clearance.
While this clearance rate is high, number of bulls sold is down from 50 in 2019 and 42 in 2018.
Selling for the top price of €6,600 was Keltic Pax from Ms Teleri Thomas, Longwood, Co Meath.
This highly rated bull is a son of successful AI bull Keltic Handsome, also bred by Thomas.
Ampertaine Foreman and Homebyres Visitor also featured in the dam’s pedigree. This one heads to a local Galway farmer.
Maghera Ronan 2 who sold for €5,500. \ Alfie Shaw
Taking the second top price of €5,500 was Maghera Ronan 2. Bred and exhibited by Patrick Mulconroy from Co Clare, this double five-star bull is a son of Goldies Jackpot, with Ampertaine Commander on the dam’s side.
Ronan heads back to Clare with successful bidder Andrew Monahan.
Two bulls hit the €4,500 mark. First at the money was Shannon Paero from Kerry breeder Sarah McElligott. This September 2019-born Plumtree Fantastic son is out of a Cloughhead Lord-bred dam. Carrying four stars on the terminal index, he was the pick of a Kilcolgan-based customer.
Matching Paero at the money was Brickhill Prince 2 from Michael McInerney, Co Clare. This bull’s pedigree included Cameos, Plumtree Fantastic and Navarin. With a calving figure of just 1.9% on beef cows, he was knocked down to Clare farmer Martin Faule.
Brickhill Prince 2 who sold for €4,500. \ Alfie Shaw
Shannon Paero who sold for €4,500. \ Alfie Shaw
The €4,100 price was also hit on two occasions. First up here was Meelickaduff Pottinger from the Hester family in Castlerea, Co Roscommon. This son of Lodge Hamlet is out of the Vantastic daughter Meelickaduff Honda ET, the 2017 national champion. Born November 2019, this five-star terminal bull was secured by local farmer Gerard Qualter.
Meelickaduff Pottinger who sold for €4,100. \ Alfie Shaw
Newtown Rodger
Also selling for €4,100 was Newtown Rodger from Stanley Richardson, Newtowngore, Co Leitrim. This double five-star January 2020-born bull is out of Ampertaine Commander, with Lodge Hamlet and Wilodge Tonka also in the back breeding.
Newtown Rodger who sold for €4,100. \ Alfie Shaw
Richardson also sold his second exhibit, Newtown Ranger, at €3,500. Sired by Loyal with Wilodge Cerberus and Ronick Hawk in the back breeding, this was the youngest bull on offer at just 13 months.
Oldtown Pedro from William Hogan, Thurles, Co Tipperary, sold for €4,000. Sired by the old reliable Wilodge Cerberus, he is out of a Broomfield Regentcey dam. Born September 2019, this bull boasted a page of stars and was the choice of Philip and John Dixon.
First of two bulls to hit the €3,800 mark was Currane Paco from Michael McKeown, Castlebar, Co Mayo. This son of the previously mentioned Plumtree Fantastic is out of an Ampertaine Foreman-bred dam.
Rutland Pyper from Noel Ruttledge, Ballina, Co Mayo was the next bull at that price. This five-star replacement bull is sired by Usse and out of a Rutland Jasper-bred dam. This one heads to Tuam with Michael Fleming.
Diarmuid O’Riordan sold his August 2019-born bull Glenashrone Picasso at €3,600.
Like the sale topper, this bull was sired by Keltic Handsome. Boasting five stars on the replacement index, this one was secured by local farmer Patrick Cooley.
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