Cattle marts report: In-calf heifer sells for €5,100 at top quality Gigginstown House annual Angus sale
Angus heifers and bulls were flying high at Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Angus Sale on Saturday last.
The purchase of Angus bull Rosemead Korona in 2015 has certainly brought an extra flair to the herd, with many of the Gigginstown heifers up for grabs on Saturday in-calf to the famous bull.
“Korona has been the very busy fellow,” I quipped to the Ryanair boss after the sale.
“Sure we’ve all been busy,” responded the upbeat herd owner. “We had an excellent sale here today, bulls sold well but really for me I thought the heifers stole the show. They were outstanding.
“We had a noticeable number of buyers from down south also, which just goes to show the power of the Irish Examiner and yourself. You’ve brought the buyers with you,” Michael O’Leary said.
And never a fellow to shy away from a compliment, I gladly accepted his remark, with my head having swelled to an extraordinary degree.
The overall top seller on the day was a December 2015 born in-calf heifer — which was sold by auctioneer Paul Murtagh to a Tipperary purchaser for €5,100. The top selling Angus bull made €4,750.
A total of 44 lots of Angus bulls and heifers were on offer at the Westmeath farm, with an average of €3,300 paid for stock.
Almost 50% of the bulls sold on Saturday were purchased by Cork or Munster based buyers.
And from Gigginstown on Saturday to Bandon mart on Monday, where Angus cattle were once again making the headlines.
Students Mark Shorten and Conor Lehane of St Brogan’s College in Bandon were at the mart, campaigning to raise awareness for the Irish Angus breed, and doing a good job of it too, if I am any judge of such things.
The pair are finalists in this year’s Irish Angus Beef Schools Competition, and have been rearing five Angus cattle since September.
“So how are the cattle?” was my first question for the boys. After all, even the most well cared for animals can sometimes let you down with a bang.
"Well, the good news is that all five are hale and hearty, out-wintering was no problem, and they are now on the grass and looking forward to their date with Larry Goodman.
“We had a great day here at the mart,” Mark Shorten told me, “there was a lot of interest in our Angus stand. With schools closed, we’ve had questions about Angus cattle and the Angus competition from all ages, young and old.”
It’s to the cattle sale in Bandon we go next and to mart manager, Tom McCarthy, who summed up the day as only Tom can.
“When you have a bank holiday and good grass growth, you have the perfect conditions for a good sale, and that is exactly what we had here today.”
In Bandon on Monday, dry cows sold from €200 to €555 with the kilo. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks sold from €450 to €780 with the weight.
Continental bullocks sold from €480 to €871 with the kilo. Friesian bullocks in Bandon made from €300 to €555 with the kilo.
Bandon
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
8 Ch steers 578kg 1450
4 AA steers 512kg 1100
7 Fr steers 346kg 660
1 BB steer 440kg 1220
2 Sim steers 547kg 1190
1 Fr cow 830kg 1320
1 Hr cow 920kg 1475
Kilmallock mart on Monday last had 2300 stock on offer with prices remaining rock solid. The mart had 325 buyers purchasing stock with bullocks selling up to €2.90 per kg.
Weanlings hit an exceptional €3.46 per kg (paid for two Limousin bull weanlings weighing 253kg and selling for €875). Dry cows sold for up €1.91 per kg. Heifers went to a high of €2.84 per kg.
Dairy stock sold for up to €1,660 each, while in the suckler ring, a five-year-old Limousin and her Limousin heifer calf made €1,560.
On tomorrow, Friday, April 21, the Irish Hereford Society will hold their spring sale at Kilmallock mart.
And next Monday, April 24, a clearance sale of 50 top class dairy cows takes place at Kilmallock mart, 20 breeding heifers from a local dairy farmer will also be included in this sale.
The action will commence at 11am sharp.
Kilmallock
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Sim steers 385kg 1115
3 Hr steers 380kg 845
2 Lm steers 353kg 910
1 Lm heifer 430kg 1040
1 Hr heifer 475kg 1165
2 Fr cows 498kg 900
1 Lm cow 615kg 1130
In Macroom on Saturday, dry cows sold from €60 to €695 over the kilo. Continental bullocks made from €330 to €740 over the kilo.
Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold from €290 to €765 over their weight. Heifers sold from €270 to €775 over their weight.
Macroom
Saturday
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 Hr steers 540kg 1300
2 AA steers 410kg 980
2 Lm steers 470kg 1210
1 Ch steer 440kg 1145
2 Lm heifers 475kg 1210
1 Ch heifer 375kg 900
1 Sim cow 685kg 1380
Kanturk mart had a smaller sale than its record breaking sale of last week, but the mart still had 1,700 cattle and calves on offer.
Mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe reported a very good trade for all types of stock, with Hereford bull calves making up to €400 a head.
Included in the mix at next Saturday’s dairy sale in Kanturk will be 80 top class breeding heifers. This sale will begin at 12 noon.
Kanturk
Tuesday
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Lm steers 620kg 1300
2 BB steers 585kg 1070
3 Fr steers 570kg 1080
10 Hr steers 350kg 830
2 AA heifers 490kg 950
2 Ch heifers 485kg 1010
8 Hr heifers 505kg 955
Skibbereen
Friday
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 Ch steers 487kg 1250
2 Lm steers 396kg 1050
4 AA steers 378kg 840
4 Fr steers 407kg 790
2 Lm heifers 490kg 1170
1 Sim cow 780kg 1400
1 Fr cow 760kg 1160
In Skibbereen on Friday dry cows sold from €100 to €620 with the kilo. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks sold from €300 to €650 with the weight. Continental bullocks sold from €400 to €800 with the kilo.
Friesian bullocks in Skibbereen sold from €200 to €500 with the kilo. Heifers in Skibbereen sold from €250 to €750 with their weight.
Weanling bulls made from €250 to €600 with the kilo. Dairy stock in Skibbereen sold from €900 to €1,400, with suckler stock selling from €800 to €1,460.
Dungarvan
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 AA steers 702kg 1550
7 Ch steers 583kg 1300
2 Lm steers 537kg 1225
1 Ch heifer 555kg 1160
2 Lm heifers 525kg 1090
1 AA cow 770kg 1430
1 Fr cow 625kg 1130
In Dungarvan on Monday Friesian bull calves made €75 to €200 a head. Hereford bull calves made up to €320 a piece, with up to €350 a head being paid for the continental bull.
Meanwhile, Corrin mart had 1,900 stock on offer on Tuesday. Mart manager Sean Leahy reported that the mart saw “an exceptional trade” for bullocks and heifers.
Corrin
Tuesday
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 Lm steers 386kg 1205
1 Sim steer 725kg 1485
2 AA steers 490kg 1075
1 Ch heifer 560kg 1260
4 AA heifers 430kg 1000
1 Ch cow 775kg 1490
1 Fr cow 785kg 1270
In Corrin mart on Tuesday, bullocks made from €180 to €820 with their weight, with beef bullocks making up to €760 with the kilo.
Store heifers sold from €220 to €610 with the weight, with butcher types making up to €700 with the kilo. A large entry of dry cows saw prices range from €500 to €1,490 a head.
