Gloomy November days are always lit up by the red-hot trade at the Carrick-on-Shannon Winter Fair where records were yet again broken for commercial show cattle.

Early in the day, a 260kg Limousin heifer calf sold for €18,400 (€70.77/kg) before that record was smashed later in the night with a Belgian Blue selling for €21,500.

Spirits were high around the ring as bids flooded in, with the usual characters and craic present. The Dealer was ringside on the day. However, my hands were firmly in my pockets and I kept the head down for fear of accidentally bidding on a beast and blowing the Christmas present budget.