On Saturday 28 October, the Irish Simmental Cattle Society (ISCS) held its annual autumn premier sale in Roscommon Mart.

There were 120 lots entered for the sale, including three drafts from the Bighill, Dermotstown and Raceview herds and 100 lots came forward for the sale .

The 100 lots of bulls and heifers fell just shy of an 80% clearance overall on the day.

Male entries

Following on from a very successful spring premier sale, the highest price on Saturday was once again achieved by the Co Clare father and son duo of John and Ronan Tuohy with Coose Prague.

Prague was a June 2022-born bull sired by Tulla Jaguar and was bred from a Curaheen Drifter dam, Coose Kelsi.

Fergal, Eddy and John Doherty with their Junior male champion Bighill Picasso ET at the Irish Simmental Cattle Society Premier Sale. \Shanon Kinahan

Boasting five-stars on both replacement and terminal indices and at just 2.6% for calving, the hammer fell for the Coose bull at a whopping €15,600. Prague has sold to a pedigree herd in Scotland.

Tuohy’s success in the sales ring didn’t stop there and their next bull into the ring secured the second-highest male price of the day when Denis Barrett dropped the gavel at €10,000 for Coose Picasso.

Also a Tulla Jaguar son, he was bred from a Promi dam and also boasted five stars on both the replacement and terminal indices.

One of the final bulls in the sale secured the next-highest price of €6,200.

The second-prizewinning bull Lissadell Powerhouse ET from the father and son duo of Kieran and Paul Mullarkey from Co Sligo was sired by Dermotstown Delboy and was bred from a Milnafua Graduate dam.

The November 2022-born bull was the reserve champion in Tullamore at the National Livestock Show and is a full brother to Lissadell Mr Mullarkey that previously sold for €12,500.

Saoirse Oliver, Emmanuel O'Dea and judge Reece Simmers with Rathnashan Pippa Empress ET, the weanling heifer champion that sold for €5,600. \Willie McElroy

Back to the Coose herd and it was the second-prizewinning Coose Paris from the Tuohys who achieved the next highest price of €4,900. Sired by Coose Lincoln, the June 2022-born was bred from an Auroch Anto dam.

Up next was the reserve senior champion from the pre-sale show, Corlismore Pablo.

The April 2022-born bull from the herd of Sean and Gary McKiernan from Co Cavan was sired by Derreen Jack and was bred from a Kilbride Farm Bantry dam.

Pablo enjoyed success at Tydavnet, Virginia and Trim Shows, where he was the breed champion on all three occasions and sold at Saturday’s sale for €4,300.

There was a 62% clearance for bulls, that secured an average price of €4,672. 10 of the 18 bulls sold were purchased for export.

Female entries

An abundance of quality heifers gave buyers plenty of options at Saturday’s sale.

The top-priced lot was secured by Fergal Doherty from Co Donegal with Bighill Princess Jacs V ET that sold as part of the Bighill draft sale.

Bighill Princess Jacs V from the herd of Fergal Doherty sold for €10,600. \Willie McElroy

The February 2022-born heifer was sired by Curaheen Warrior and was bred from a Dermotstown Delboy dam and sold to the BER syndicate for €10,600.

Next up in the heifer lots was Dermody Princess from the herd of Noel and Keith Jagoe from Drinagh, Co Cork. Their September 2022 born heifer was sired by Saltire Impressive and was bred from a Glebefarm Tyson dam. The second prize winner sold to Northern Ireland for €9,200.

Fearna Nelly Sparkles, from the herd of Gerard Neenan from Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo sold for €9,000. \Willie McElroy

There were two heifers to secure €9,000 at the premier and the first of this duo was the first-prizewinning Fearna Nelly Sparkles from the herd of Gerard Neenan from Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo.

The September 2021-born heifer was sired by Curaheen Gunshot and was bred from a Glebefarm Tyson dam. Nelly is the current all-Ireland intermediate female champion.

The second heifer in this duo was from the Raceview consignment and it was Raceview Pretty Lady Gretta that also secured €9,000.

Selling to Co Fermanagh, the September 2022-born heifer was sired by Raceview Mattie J Beauty and was bred from a Raceview His Royal Di dam and boasted Sneumgaard Imperator, Anatrim Bodybuilder, Dermotstown Delboy and Siegfried in her pedigree.

Peter and Marion O’Connell from the Raceview herd also achieved the next-highest heifer price of €8,500 for Raceview Pch Vivkim ET.

Sired by Coose Jericho, the Raceview Vince Royanne dam, the September 2022-born heifer also sold to Northern Ireland.

There were 58 heifers sold on the day (82% clearance) that sold to an average price of €4,043. Twenty-eight of these heifers were sold for export.