Charolais ends sale season on a high

It was a great finish to the spring bull sales for the Charolais society in Tullamore last weekend.

Shane Murphy

31 May 2017

Overall champion Derrylough Leader who sold for €6,800.

Reserve champion Baurnafea Major ET who sold for €5,200.

The Irish Charolais Cattle Society held the last of its spring sales in Tullamore last Saturday.With just over one-third of the catalogued animals forward for sale, the bulls present were in high demand. In all, 30 of the 34 bulls sold to average €3,518, up nearly €350 on last year. Coming out on top of the show ring and subsequently the sales ring was Thomas and Collette Connor’s Derrylough Leader. After much deliberation, judge Sean McGovern tapped the December 2015-born bull forward. Red ribbon

Red ribbon

Leader had secured the red ribbon in the second class earlier in the morning. Sired by Hideal, with Doonally New and Doonally Donald in the back breeding, Leader attracted a number of bids before the hammer finally fell at €6,800. The successful bidder was Padraic Hegarty, Farnagh Hill, Co Longford.

Top price of €6,800 with an 88% clearance at Tullamore

Claiming reserve championship honours was John Bambrick, Castlewarren, Co Kilkenny, with Baurnafea Major ET.

This embryo-born Goldstar Echo son carried five stars on the terminal index and went on to claim the third-top price of €5,200. Major ET found a new home in Co Armagh with Aaron and Niall O’Rourke.

Kevin Molloy realised €10,700 for the first two bulls into the ring. Securing the second-top price of €5,600 was Molloy’s November 2015-born Dolland Luke. This Cavelands Fenian-sired bull carried five stars down the line and was secured by Ivan Hughes, Co Armagh.

Cavelands Fenian was also the sire behind Molloy’s second exhibit, Dolland Lewis 2. Again five stars down the line, this bull was awarded first prize in the pre-sale show and sold to Thomas Corcoran, Co Galway, for €5,100.

Two bulls hit the €4,800 mark. First at the money was Peter McLoughlin’s Aquancoua Marco. This February 2016-born bull sees Doonally New, Mogador and Meillard Rj in his lineage. Monaghan-based Michael Fee was the successful bidder for this one.

Matching Marco at the money was Aghfad Major from Edward Walsh, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. Sired by Indurain, with Hermes and Major in the back breeding, this stylish first-prize winner was secured by Pat Cox, Co Roscommon.

A further three bulls made it to the €4,000 or more bracket, two of which hit €4,200. First at the money was Conal Tiernan’s Coshleens Meillard. Sired by Nectargerc, Meillard is out of homebred Lyonsdemesne Tzar daughter Coshleens Frances. Carrying five stars for carcase weight and carcase conformation, he sold to Waterford farmer Tony Harrington.

Dalehill Miley was the next to hit the €4,200 mark. This five-star son of Doonally New was exhibited by Basil Kells, Killeshandra, Co Cavan, and sold to local farmer Andrew Brazil.

Tony Lyons’ first-prize winner Roonagh Mark realised €4,000. This March 2016-born son of Gedeon also featured Mogador and Doonally New in his pedigree. This was one of three bulls purchased on the day from Scottish-based William Glazebrook.