Lighten up: New year, new you at the mart — our Denis's 10 tips for mart success in 2026
Four April 2025 born Hereford cross bullocks, averaging 250kg, sold for €1,020 each in Dungarvan Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography
After the year we have put down, the pressure (blood, financial) is really on us now.
And there is no greater pressure than the one to buy cattle. You can't just go on selling cattle forever! It's unsustainable!
Selling cattle in 2025 was no bother; you could do it from the comfort of your bed.
The trade was so good that many fellows left the seller's box punching the air like a victorious Rocky Balboa, after overcoming Clubber Lang.
Selling cattle was a dream, a winner's game. Woo hoo!
But now comes 2026, and you have to buy cattle. You have to! There's no other option.
That's the catch with being a beef farmer. And buying cattle these days is a beast wearing a very different coat.
The prices are shocking (high). Brace yourself, take long breaths, don't think too much about the money.
Will it hurt? Of course it will.
A fellow who thinks that he can farm without minding his P's and Q's with regards to the bank, is like a bullock with one ball thinking he's Rosemead Karona (the famous Aberdeen Angus bull).
The days of the bank manager greeting you with a smile and a glass of whiskey are long over. It's time to sober up.
And you won't be long sobering up in 2026, when you realise how few cattle can be purchased with your current stocking loan! Ouch!
Don't treat the mart like your personal playground. Respect the place and those who work there.
Most marts are very accommodating to the farmer, exporter, dealer in every way possible. They want you to succeed as much as you do. Afterall, it takes two to tango.
But don't push the mart around, credit-wise or in any other way. The stick hasn't gone away, you know. And the mart still knows how to use it.
Mind your mart and your mart will mind you.
A day out at the mart has been a joy for generations.
Online activity has of course revolutionized the business, but that doesn't mean you can't still rock on in and look at all the fine cattle in the flesh.
Never let go of the personal touch with the place. It will keep you grounded.
Marts these days are so much more than just venues to sell and buy cattle.
They can also be venues for a céilí, a cooking demo, or a charity auction.
In 2025 Cónal Creedon (the novelist) and myself (the chancer) bravely performed a book reading event from the main ring at Macroom mart.
A first for a mart. It was a blast and, like a pair of unsold bullocks, we will return.
Towns like Macroom, Kanturk, Bandon and Skibbereen depend on, and indeed greatly appreciate, the footfall that their local marts create.
Don't forget to spend a few quid in town before you leave it.
And don't forget to wipe your boots too. While footfall is always welcome, clean boots will make you even more welcome.
I know it's not easy. Particularly this year when it's going to be tough to buy.
But don't let go of the bullock, the heifer or the joy of rearing a calf.
It keeps a fellow young, even if you are not.
Alice Taylor the great Irish writer has a saying "Any day you wake up is a good day."
Hold onto that thought my friend.
A lot can be achieved in a day. You can change the world.
Of all the important things that are contained within a mart, gates come top the list.
If you have to open a gate, make damn sure you close it again.
And if you forget to close a gate at the mart, don't be one bit surprised if you see a bullock galloping at speed towards you.
The only thing separating us from the animal kingdom at the mart are a few steel railings.
Always be aware of this, and make sure that this kind of separation is always there.
Bullocks, heifers, bulls and suckler cows are not pets. They are livestock, that can on occasions be very live.
Marts are not Disneyland; they are the real deal.
Have a great and hopefully prosperous 2026.
