Mart reports from Kanturk, Kilmallock, Ennis, Dowra, Balla, Castlerea and Kilkenny

A January '25 born Friesian bullock, weighing 550kg, sold for €1,800 in Bandon Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Finbarr Taylor of Kanturk Mart is a busy man.

Not only was he telling me about Tuesday's cattle sale, but also mentioning that the mart will be hosting a weanling show and sale this Thursday evening.

"We had a big yard of cattle on Tuesday, " Finbarr said, "With a flying trade, particularly for dry cows."

"Top dry cow prices included a Friesian dry cow weighing 665kg and selling for €1,940.

A January '23 born Simmental cross cow, weighing 645kg, sold for €1,880 in Bandon Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

"And a Friesian dry cow weighing 730kg and selling for €2,020.

"Overall heavy cows sold from €2.40 up to €2.90/kg, with lighter cows selling from €2.10 to €2.40/kg.

"In calf heifers made from €1,600 up to €1,920 a head."

And as Finbarr mentioned to me, on this coming Thursday evening November 5th, Kanturk Mart will hold a very timely weanling Show and Sale beginning at 6pm. With intake from 2.30pm, it's a sale ideally suited for those of us with busy lives off farm, as well as busy lives on farm.

Kanturk
Tuesday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
6	Fr	steers	682kg	2120
7	Hr	steers	530kg	1870
7	AA	steers	432kg	1550
6	Hr	heifers	496kg	1670
3	AA	heifers	461kg	1580
1	Fr	cow	730kg	2020
1	Fr	cow	735kg	2000

1400 cattle were sold at Kilmallock Mart this week.

Overall a thriving trade was seen with exceptional numbers and prices.

Bullocks on Monday made up to €2,520 a head or €4.15 per kg.

A March '21 born Simmental cow, weighing 710kg, sold for €2,320 in Bandon Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Dry cows made up to €2,150 a head or €2.98 per kg.

Heifers sold for up to €2,600 a head or €3.95 per kg.

Runners made up to €790 a head. Young calves made up to €450 a head.

On Tuesday weanling bulls made up to €1,925 a head or €4.87 per kg.

Weanling heifers sold for up to €1,200 a head or €4.74 per kg.

Kilmallock
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
3	Hr	steers	390kg	1420
7	AA	steers	393kg	1350
2	Hr	steers	698kg	2520
1	Hr	heifer	460kg	1790
4	Hr	heifers	508kg	1800
1	Fr	cow	450kg	1300
1	Ch	cow	720kg	2150

Ennis Mart had a big sale again on Tuesday with just over 800 head on offer.

On Tuesday, bull weanlings under 300kgs were dearer by 8c/kg.

A February '25 born Hereford bullock, weighing 480kg, sold for €1,650 in Bandon Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Bulls over this weight were a similar trade to last week, with more farmers about.

Weanling heifers up to 400kgs were dearer by 10c/kg and over this weight was a similar trade to last week.

There was a mixed run in the suckler ring as pairs hit €3,080 per lot.

In-calf lots made up to €2,900 a head.

There was a strong entry of organic stock on Tuesday, with quite a number of these being 2 year old Aberdeen Angus bullocks and these averaged €3.57/kg. A smaller entry of organic heifer weanlings made up to €1,340 a head.

Most of the stronger bullocks on Tuesday were bought for their organic status.

Ennis
Tuesday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
2	Lm	bulls	270kg	1830
1	Ch	bull	320kg	1810
2	AA	bulls	410kg	1600
1	Hr	bull	400kg	1500
1	Ch	heifer	295kg	1580
1	Lm	heifer	340kg	2160
4	Ch	heifers	277kg	1440

Dowra Mart had a bigger sale on Saturday with 670 cattle sold and with better quality weanlings and stores probably dearer on the day. Plainer cattle continue to be a hard sell.

A March '25 born Saler bullock, weighing 585kg, sold for €2,060 in Bandon Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Topping the sale on Saturday was an aged pure bred Charolais stock bull that weighed 1,090kg and sold for €3,820.

Topping the heifer trade was a Shorthorn heifer weighing 560kg that sold for €3,140.

Dowra
Saturday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Sim	steer	850kg	3250
1	Lm	steer	810kg	3200
1	AA	steer	800kg	3060
1	Ch	heifer	430kg	2200
1	Lm	heifer	460kg	1950
1	Lm	cow	665kg	2480
1	AA	cow	795kg	2700

Balla Mart had a big sale of cattle on Saturday with 1100 head on offer, up 190 on the previous week.

Cattle are showing the signs of the weather, but a good clearance was still seen.

Two March '25 born Angus bullocks, averaging 557kg, sold for €1,930 each in Bandon Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Some strong Charolais bullocks were in great demand from feedlot and northern factory buyers.

The mart had only 27 bullocks weighing over 700kg with nothing heavier than 795kg. Five bullocks made over €3,000 a head.

The mart had a lot of quality heifers on offer with some meeting a great trade.

One heifer weighing 550kg sold for €4,850 (€8.82/kg).

Balla
Saturday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Lm	steer	295kg	1400
1	Ch	steer	640kg	2860
1	Ch	steer	790kg	3260
1	Lm	steer	450kg	2540
1	BB	heifer	595kg	4300
1	Lm	heifer	495kg	2640
1	Lm	heifer	385kg	1860

Ennis Mart on Thursday had a big sale of heifers, cull cows and aged bulls, with 632 on offer.

The heifer trade was slightly easier and back 5c/kg on the week.

Ennis had more dairy type Friesian cows on offer.

Three April '25 born Angus bullocks, averaging 528kg, sold for €1,840 each in Bandon Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Cows up to 700kg were similar trade to last week, with cows over this weight back 10c/kg on the week.

The mart had over 20 aged bulls on offer with a Limousin bull weighing 955kgs making €3,500 and a Limousin bull weighing 1,055kg made €3,500.

It was noticeable that plainer type stock had taken the biggest hit.

Ennis
Thursday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Lm	heifer	665kg	2810
2	Ch	heifers	670kg	2650
1	AA	heifer	570kg	1980
1	Fr	heifer	665kg	1680
1	Fr	cow	715kg	2220
1	Lm	cow	650kg	2490
1	AA	cow	710kg	2350

Castlerea Mart had large numbers of stock presented for sale on Thursday.

With weather conditions having become more wintery, prices and the trade have taken a hit.

Plainer type stock was the hardest hit, while quality stores still remain a good trade.

In the heifer ring despite a reduction in prices, a good demand with was still seen for quality lots, which made up to €4.70 a kilo.

Breeding type heifers sold for up to €3,100 a head.

The weanling ring recorded a top price of €8.43 a kilo for a Charolais bull weanling, while €7.23 a kilo was given for top heifer weanlings, again with Charolais weanlings being the best sellers.

Cows with calves at foot made up to €2,240 per lot, while springers made up to €2,740 a head.

Dry cows made up to €2,760 a head, with more store cows coming on the market.

The runner ring with bigger numbers on offer recorded tops of €1,640 for continentals, but plainer type lots were harder sold.

Castlerea
Thursday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Ch	heifer	415kg	1850
1	Ch	heifer	403kg	1730
1	Lm	heifer	640kg	2760
1	Lm	heifer	520kg	3100
1	Sim	cow	625kg	1980
1	Lm	cow	495kg	1690
1	AA	cow	710kg	2120

Kilkenny Mart on Thursday had a slightly smaller sale with just 1000 head on offer.

Plain cattle were more difficult to sell as were Friesians, with a lot of the light cattle in this sector ranging from €2.90 up to €3.30 per kilo.

British Friesian types met a sharper trade.

Better sharper types ranged from €3.30 up to €3.60 per kilo.

The clearance rate for bullocks was 98% with heifers clearing 96%, which was ahead of the previous week's returns.

Kilkenny
Thursday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Ch	steer	870kg	3380
2	Lm	steers	715kg	2740
5	AA	steers	605kg	2120
3	Fr	steers	530kg	1750
1	Sim	heifer	820kg	2880
1	Lm	heifer	385kg	1500
6	Ch	heifers	265kg	1220