Marts reporting strong demand for all types of cattle

Latest mart prices from Macroom, Kanturk, Dungarvan and Kilmallock

At Macroom Mart this month this Charolais cow and her one-month-old Charolais heifer calf sold for €1,380.

Marts can be wonderful places. They can have many uses. They can be the best place to sell and buy a bullock or dry cow.

They can also be places where news is gathered, and (in normal times) where pals meet pals.

A lot of good can come from a visit to a mart, and in Listowel Mart recently, this was certainly proven.

A very successful fundraising calf sale was held in aid of palliative care in Co Kerry, and in the memory of North Kerry farmer John McGrath.

John, from nearby Moyvane, was only 41 when he succumbed to cancer in January, 2021.

Before he died, John set up a fundraising drive to support palliative care in the Kingdom, and the cause was further boosted at the mart recently, where calves were donated by farmers from all over, to a fundraising sale.

Almost €90,000 has been raised from the calves for palliative cares.

Speaking on Radio Kerry after the sale, Erin Stack, fiancé of the late John McGrath, spoke about the man and of how grateful she was to all those who supported the special mart sale.

“We never expected what it all has become. We are so grateful.

“We had 300 plus calves, it was amazing to see the support, and it just goes to show how this affects so many families.

“We just want to say thank you, it’s a fantastic cause and we appreciate it so, so much.

“John had raised €50,000 himself and I know that man is looking down on everyone here and he is the proudest man ever.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much.”

Erin also thanked Listowel Mart manager Barney O’Connell, retired mart manager Richard Hartnett, and everyone who worked to make the calf sale such a success.

Speaking of success, if cattle prices at the marts keep heading in their present trajectory, none but the immensely wealthy will be able to buy a beast by next September.

The trade is flying high, and with a guaranteed fine spell of weather that always comes with Easter, “The only way is up, baby!”

We will begin with prices at Macroom mart.

A smaller sale on Saturday, but a good one.

Dry cows sold from €65 to €740 over the kilo. Friesian bullocks sold from €1.60/kg to €1.85/kg. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks in Macroom sold from €2.10/kg to €2.45/kg. Continental bullocks sold from €2.15/kg to €2.40/kg.

Heifers made from €2.10/kg to €2.80/kg. And looking at weanlings, bulls in Macroom sold from €2.10kg to €2.70/kg.

Macroom
Saturday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Lm	steer	730	1630
2	Hr	steers	600kg	1250
5	AA	steers	334kg	750
3	Lm	heifers	505kg	1160
1	AA	cow	960kg	1690
1	Lm	cow	755kg	1440
1	Fr	cow	765kg	1140

Those with an interest in the milking cow can look forward to a large dairy sale taking place at Kanturk mart on Saturday.

And for those with an interest in what happened at Kanturk mart on Tuesday, mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe reported as follows.

“We had a lovely day today here in Kanturk on Tuesday with fine weather and a huge sale of 1,440 animals, including 680 calves.

“There was a great demand around for all types of cattle, with €500 being paid for a Belgian Blue bull calf.”

Kanturk
Tuesday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
8	Fr	steers	558kg	1020
1	Hr	steer	520kg	1090
6	AA	heifers	622kg	1280
4	Hr	heifers	552kg	1110
2	Lm	heifers	600kg	1250
1	Hr	cow	755kg	1330
1	Fr	cow	710kg	1050

After the sale of cattle in Dungarvan mart on Monday, mart manager Ger Flynn gave us this report.

“The sale was bigger, with dry cows selling well, prices were similar to last week.

“The bullock trade was slightly easier for all the lighter stores around 300kgs.

“The strong trade continued for bullocks over 400kgs and the heifer trade was similar to last week.”

Suckler cows with calves at foot that took my fancy at Dungarvan mart on Monday were a seven year old Hereford cow and her Aubrac calf that made €1,560, and a seven year old Limousin cow and her Aubrac calf that sold for €1,620.

Dungarvan
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
2	Lm	steers	600kg	1300
2	Sim	steers	597kg	1210
10	Fr	steers	265kg	500
9	Hr	steers	458kg	1000
3	Lim	heifers	460kg	1070
1	Fr	cow	735kg	1040
1	AA	cow	675kg	1000

At Kilmallock mart, 2,000 cattle went under the hammer this week.

This included 300 organic stock.

Bullocks sold for up to €1,450 a head or €2.62 per kg.

Dry cows hit €1,610 a head, or €2.15 per kg.

Heifers sold for up to €1,380 a head or €2.55 per kg.

Up to €430 was paid for calves.

A dispersal sale of pedigree Angus stock made up to €1,840 per lot. Dairy stock this week hit €1,820, with breeding heifers selling for up to €920 a head.

On Saturday, at the mart’s organic sale, bullocks an bulls sold for up to €1,480 a head or €3.26 per kg.

Heifers made up to €1,290 a head or €2.95 per kg.

Kilmallock
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
3	AA	steers	507kg	1130
8	Hr	steers	521kg	1120
11	AA	steers	503kg	1040
3	AA	heifers	335kg	720
2	Hr	heifers	338kg	670
6	AA	heifers	270kg	630
1	Fr	cow	485kg	820