This weekend saw the Irish Hereford Breed Society host the first of their autumn shows and sales in Tullamore Mart, Co Offaly.

Twenty-nine pre-inspected bulls catalogued for the Society’s Premier autumn sale, with a mix of both horned and polled bulls on offer. Trade could only be described as sluggish, with an average sale price of €3,770 and a clearance of 56% achieved for the bulls present on the day.

Homozygous bulls

It was clear there was more appetite for either homozygous polled or homozygous horned bulls, with heterozygous bulls finding it more difficult to get moving.

Leading the way in the sale ring was the Reserve overall champion, Griananpoll 1 Advance, for Tom and Anselm Fitzgerald from Co Westmeath. This homozygous polled bull attracted bids from all corners of the ring before settling at €6,000.

A son of Fabb 1 Northern Star and Dendor 1 Greta 31st, this March 2023 born bull catalogued with a replacement index of €166 and a dairy beef index of €115. Advance was snapped up by a herd in Northern Ireland.

Moyclare Workman, who sold for €5,700, exhibited by Michael Molloy. / Tricia Kennedy

Trading at €5,700 was Moyclare Workman, the property of Michael Molloy from Offaly. This stylish 19-month-old bull is a son Caislean Jake and the Free Town Nadal daughter, Moyclare Pansy 23.

A full horned bull, Workman went to sale with a five-star dairy beef index of €112 and a five-star carcass weight figure of +13.1kg. A second prize winner in the pre-sale show, he was wrapped up by a herd in Co Tipperary.

John Appelbe from Clonakilty in Co Cork made the long trip worthwhile when he parted company with the second prize winner Appel 1 Sam for €4,600. A son of Solpoll 1 Lawman and Appel 1 Molly 12, the April 2023 born Sam displayed a page full of stars, which included a five-star terminal index of €80 and a whopping replacement index value of €154. This high index heterozygous bull sold to a herd in Co Tipperary.

Overall champion

Judge Maddie Clarke from the UK found her overall champion in the form of Corlismorepoll 1 Fantastic 237. Exhibited by Co Cavan breeders, Sean, Gary and Evelyn Mc Kiernan, this May 2023 born bull is a son of the herd’s former stock bull, Solpoll 1 Real Good ET and the homebred dam, Corlismorepoll 1 Gem 759.

He displayed a five-star dairy beef index along with a five-star terminal index value of €91, and was knocked down at €4,500 to Val Ledwith’s Rathregan pedigree herd in Co Meath.

Corlismorepoll 1 Fantastic, overall champion who sold for €4,500, exhibited by Gary and Evelyn Mc Kiernan with Judge Maddie Clarke. / Tricia Kennedy

Pick up a copy of this week's Irish Farmers Journal to read the full report.