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

Tickets to Garth Brooks cheap in comparison to mart prices

A February '25 born Angus cross bullock, weighing 635kg, sold for €2,180 in Macroom Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Wed, 11 Nov, 2026 - 07:33

Denis Lehane

While there is nothing cheap about the Garth Brooks concert tickets this time round, there hasn't been anything cheap in the mart with almost two years.

Those of us who bought cattle, to keep over the short term, either earlier this year or last year, will be making no profit worth talking about as we go to sell them this winter.

And as for next year, well, I don't think there will be too much to sing about then either.

Four January '25 born Simmental cross bullocks, averaging 446kg, sold for €1,550 each in Macroom Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Cattle are still very expensive to buy.

But for our ANC payment, or the sheer love of having cattle, I'm not sure how many of us would still be bothered having them at all.

To keep this business alive there needs to be a profit at the end of the day.

1200 cattle were sold at Kilmallock mart this week.

Monday saw yet another excellent day of trading, with high numbers, a strong demand and a fantastic buzz around the ring (Probably due to Garth).

Bullocks made up to €3,480 a head or €5.67 per kg.

Dry cows made up to €2,010 a head or €3.13 per kg.

Heifers sold for up to €1,990 a head or €3.37 per kg.

Runners made up to €845 a head .

On Tuesday weanling bulls made up to €1,780 a head, or €5.21 per kg. Weanling heifers sold for up to €1,520 a head or €4.87 per kg.

Kilmallock
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
4	Hr	steers	310kg	1760
2	AA	steers	365kg	1370
5	Lm	steers	515kg	1980
1	AA	heifer	325kg	960
2	Hr	heifers	400kg	1340
1	Fr	cow	495kg	1550
1	Hr	cow	480kg	1320

Finbarr Taylor of Kanturk gave us the following report after Tuesday's cattle sale.

"We had plenty of stock here at Kanturk on Tuesday with dry cows meeting a flying trade."

And they certainly were, with one Friesian cow weighing 825kg selling for €2,320.

Kanturk
Tuesday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
8	AA	steers	543kg	1930
5	Hr	steers	524kg	1860
2	AA	steers	427kg	1580
6	Hr	heifers	431kg	1480
2	AA	heifers	380kg	1220
1	Fr	cow	765kg	2160
1	Ch	cow	765kg	2300

Ennis mart had a good size sale on Tuesday with 730 head on offer.

Quality was a bit more variable, with plainer lots harder to sell.

Bull weanlings were back about 10c/kg on average.

Three April '25 born Hereford cross bullocks, averaging 445kg, sold for €1,750 each in Macroom Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

Weanling heifers back 10-15c/kg on the week.

The mart had a good entry of quality sucklers, and they made up to €4,450 for pairs, with in-calf lots making up to €2,620 a head.

Runner numbers are starting to get smaller, with quality lots still holding a good trade, but plainer lots were back a shade.

Ennis
Tuesday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
2	Lm	bulls	282kg	1660
1	Ch	bull	390kg	2100
2	AA	bulls	295kg	1640
1	BB	bull	400kg	2150
2	Ch	heifers	270kg	1380
1	Lm	heifer	350kg	1890
2	Ch	heifers	270kg	1380

Dowra mart had a smaller sale of cattle on Saturday with just shy of 500 cattle sold and a quieter trade across the board for all cattle.

Topping the sale was a Limousin in-calf cow that sold for €3,520.

Seven November '24 born Simmental cross bullocks, averaging 540kg, sold for €1,810 each in Macroom Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

While the top in-calf heifer, a Limousin weighing 600kg sold for €3,260.

A Charolais bull weanling weighing 275kg sold for €1,850 or €6.73/Kg.

While a 355kg Charolais bull weanling made €2,160 or €6.08/Kg.

Dowra
Saturday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Ch	steer	450kg	2080
1	Lm	steer	465kg	2090
1	Hr	steer	590kg	2480
1	Ch	heifer	295kg	1540
1	Lm	heifer	275kg	1690
1	Lm	cow	825kg	2950
1	Hr	cow	830kg	2800

Balla Mart was back in numbers of Saturday, with the cattle sales closing in like the days.

The mart had a smaller sale of heifers with 120 on offer and the trade up on the previous week.

Balla
Saturday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Lm	bull	195kg	1140
1	Ch	bull	295kg	1990
1	Ch	bulls	435kg	2460
1	Lm	bull	360kg	2290
1	BB	heifer	285kg	1990
1	Ch	heifer	180kg	940
1	Ch	heifer	370kg	2320

Ennis Mart on Thursday had smaller numbers on offer especially in the heifer ring, with cull cow numbers steady on the week.

Heifers under 500kgs were easier by 10c/kg, and over that weight were similar to last week.

Two April '25 born Aubrac cross bullocks and two May '25 born Saler cross bullocks, averaging 438kg, sold for €1,860 each in Macroom Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

The mart saw more cull dairy cows on offer, with some great continental cows also available.

The cow trade was marginally better, by about 5c/kg on the week.

A dozen aged bulls on offer on Thursday averaged €3.27/kg, with a Charolais bull weighing 1,140kgs making €4,210.

Ennis
Thursday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	Ch	heifer	805kg	3140
2	Hr	heifers	425kg	1580
1	AA	heifer	595kg	2120
1	Ch	heifer	490kg	2060
1	Fr	cow	595kg	1550
1	Lm	cow	675kg	2540
1	AA	cow	710kg	2180

Ennis Mart on Friday had 664 bullocks on offer.

The mart had a good mix of stores and forward cattle on offer.

Good quality continental stores in the 400kg to 500kg bracket, were up 10c/kg on the week, with the heavier cattle over 700kg back 10c/kg.

Ennis
Friday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
7	Hr	steers	742kg	2700
1	Ch	steer	460kg	2420
1	Ch	steer	720kg	3060
2	Lm	steers	445kg	2340
2	AA	steers	815kg	2840
5	Fr	steers	739kg	2280
3	Ch	steers	668kg	2670

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

The trade was similar to last week, with quality lots noticing a slight improvement in prices.

Four March '25 born Hereford cross bullocks, averaging 423kg, sold for €1,720 each in Macroom Mart. Picture: O'Gorman Photography.

There was increased buyer interest in heifers and this was reflected in the prices on offer, with top quality lots exceeding €5 a kilo.

Understandably then, a good clearance of heifers took place at Castlerea.

There was also increased buyer activity for weanlings, with farmer buyers seeking replacement stock for cattle sold in recent weeks.

Bull weanlings recorded a top price of €6.70 a kilo, while heifer weanlings topped out at €5.73 a kilo.

Dry cows sold for up to €2,850 a head, while cows with calves at foot made up to €3,300 per lot.

Springers (with bigger numbers on offer) made up to €3,080 a head, while in the runner ring a lively trade was reported with up to €1,600 a head paid for better quality continental type lots.