With high numbers approved to bid for the Clonagh Herd Valentine’s Vixens timed auction which took place from 10 to 13 February through MartEye, Mid Tipperary Marts Thurles and Harrison and Hetherington, the sale was once again a big success.

The online-only sale was made up of 36 females (23 Simmental heifers, 10 Limousin heifers and three Charolais heifers), 12 bulls (seven Simmentals, three Limousins, one Charolais and one Hybrid bull) and two frozen Simmental embryos.

The Clonagh Herd saw 31 of its 36 heifers go on to find their new homes throughout the north, the south and mainland UK at an average price of €3,400, with five of the heifers going unsold having failed to meet their reserve.

Topping the female lots at €6,400 was Nightlight Dora ET, a December 2021-born Manor Park Hansome daughter out of the famous Clonagh Dora the Explorer, making her a full sister to the €52,000 record-breaking Clonagh Lucky Explorer.

Her twin sister, Nightshade Dora ET, sold for €4,600. Their mother, Dora the Explorer, was a two-time overall Simmental champion of the year and a former Miss Europe, so it was no shock that bidders were keen for this duo.

Nikki G Eyes ET, a daughter of two-time national champion Gucci Eyes and a full sister to the famous Darling Eyes ET, was the first of two Simmental heifers to sell for €4,000.

The November 2021-born Kilbride Farm Dragoon daughter was also joined on the top-price table by February 2022-born Posh Penny ET out of the famous Cloneygowan Temptress Posh and sired by Tiset Darwin P.

Topping the bulls at €7,800 was September 2021-born Simmental bull, Noddy. The sale-topping bull was a son of the €26,000 Manor Park Hansome out of Clonagh Hippy Willow ET and has found his new home in Scotland. He was followed by the September 2021-born Charolais bull Sultan.

Lot 11, Clonagh Nightlight Dora ET, a full sister to the record-breaking €52,000 Clonagh Lucky Explorer out of the famous Clonagh Dora the Explorer, that sold for €6,400.

A son of Fiston out of Clonagh Layla, he boasts an impressive five-star terminal and five-star replacement index with an expected calving difficulty of only 5.7%. The bulls that sold when the auction closed on Monday night sold for an average price of €4,400 and the unsold bulls will be offered for sale on farm over the coming weeks.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, herd owner Garrett Behan said: “We are really delighted with how the sale went. We would like to thank everyone that got involved and we wish all buyers the very best of luck with their new purchases.”

Lot 30, Nikki G Eyes ET, daughter of the two-time national champion Gucci Eyes and full sister to the famous Darling Eyes ET, that sold for €4,000.