The ringside in Carrick-on-Shannon was thronged with buyers all weekend for the annual Winter Fair, with all sorts of cattle being met with strong demand.

The trade remained steady from start to finish, with the highest-priced animal in the sale coming after over 15 hours of non-stop selling.

Selling at €14,500 was junior Belgian Blue champion Miss Moneypenny from the herd of Chris Meehan, Charlestown, Co Mayo.

This May 2022-born calf caught the eye of many spectators on Saturday evening at the pre-sale show and was certain to be one to watch for Monday’s sale.

Moneypenny is sired by BYU and is bred from the same cow as Meehan’s 2019 sale-topping calf which sold for €10,000.

Speaking on his success, Chris told the Irish Farmers Journal: “To breed the top-priced animal in Carrick once is amazing, but to do it twice is a dream come true.”

Not far behind was Pearse McNamee’s junior Limousin champion, which impressed spectators around the Limousin ring and further afield.

The champion from Convoy, Co Donegal, has had a successful showing career, securing titles as prestigious as first prizes at the FBD Tullamore National Livestock Show, Clonmany Show and Moate Show, where she was also reserve supreme champion, and what a lineage she has with Elgin, Empire, CF52 and EPI in her sire stack.

Her mother was calf champion in Tullamore, Limerick and Virginia in 2012, champion beef animal of the future in Tullamore in 2013, all-Ireland baby beef champion in Limerick and supreme champion in Mohill in both 2012 and 2013 and was senior Belgian Blue champion at the Commercial Cattle Winter Fair and the Winter Fair in 2013.

Her granddam was purchased by Pearse as the champion calf at the 2007 Winter Fair for €10,000.

Cian McGloin, Kinlough, Co Leitrim, brought a rare offering to the table when he brought forward two full sisters of equally exceptional quality to the sales ring.

The sisters are sired by Solway View Dynamite and are out of an Empire cow and were interbreed pairs champions at Oldcastle Show earlier this year.

The pair were placed first and second in their class at the pre-sale show on Saturday, with the first-prizewinning heifer also securing the reserve junior Belgian Blue championship before going on to sell for €12,200.

Her second-prizewinning sister followed her over the €10,000 mark, securing a massive €11,400.

Holding the top price in the sale of €9,100 for a number of hours was Eamon and Aidan O’Donovan, with their Ballinloan Jaegerbomb-sired heifer Armani.

This September 2021-born heifer is bred from a pedigree Belgian Blue cow and secured the senior Limousin championship for the Limerick men.

Closely behind at €9,000 was Luke, Clive and Victor Barnett, Co Donegal, with their March 2022-born first-prizewinning Ballinloan Jaegerbomb heifer.

Other prices of note:

  • Shane Giltinane’s Hazard-sired heifer, which sold for €8,200.
  • Kieran and Martin Killeen’s Anside Foreman heifer, which sold for €7,100.
  • Johnathan McGowan's reserve junior Limousin champion at €7,000.

    • This is only a small summary of some of the top-priced animals in the sale. For more show results and sale prices, head over to our specialist online coverage and make sure to pick up a copy of Thursday’s Irish Farmers Journal for full coverage of the show and sale.