A fine day and a fierce trade for the final spring sale of the season saw the Irish Charolais Cattle Society (ICCS) finish out the 2023 sales on a positive note on Saturday in GVM Mart Tullamore.
Home sales had a big impact on the number of bulls present, with only 35 bulls forward for sale out of the 62 catalogued, while there were six heifers present out of nine.
The male lots were met with a strong clearance of 80%, while just two out of the six female lots met their reserves.
On judging duty were the father and daughter duo of John and Megan Searson from Roscrea, Co Tipperary, while local auctioneer Gordon Cobbe took on the task of selling the stock on offer.
In the sales ring, Rooskeynamona Theodore topped the polls when he secured €6,600 for Co Leitrim breeder Gerard Mulligan.
The January 2022-born bull was sired by Sportsmans Neptune out of a Pirate dam and was tapped out as the reserve champion bull in pre-sale show by the Searson duo.
Selling for the next highest price of €5,500 was Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, breeder Brendan McConnell’s April 2022-born bull Ballytrain Tom.
The double five-star bull was sired by First out of a Blelack Digger dam and boasts a carcase weight figure of 42.6kg.
Trailing closely behind was Co Cavan breeder Basil Bothwell with his February 2022-born bull, Dereskit Tanko 1125.
The profit gene carrier was sired by Lapon out of an Alwent Goldbar dam and boasts five stars on terminal, scores 4% for calving difficulty and 42kg for carcase weight, and sold for €5,400.
Kicking off the sale with a great start was Galway breeder Francis Ryan with his November 2021-born bull Landleague Spud.
The Chic son out of a Texan Gie dam was one of the easiest-calving bulls in the sale at just 2.8%. The second prize winner scooped €5,300.
The final bull to hit the €5,000 mark was Corney Theo from the herd of David Magee from Ballyconnell, Co Cavan.
This March 2022-born bull was sired by Fiston out of a Blelack Digger dam and boasts five stars on the terminal index, five stars on the replacement index and comes in at just at just 4.9% for calving.