With considerable numbers of animals returned indoors in many areas, due to a combination of scarce grass and poor underfoot conditions, the mart trade has seen numbers reduced, as sellers concentrate on getting their farms realigned to overcome weather difficulties.

By the time I had this week’s mart report completed, I had heard of stock being re-housed in Cork because of the wet, a scarcity of grass in Meath because of the cold, and a mart in Kerry that takes in foreign coach tours on mart days!

Nenagh mart manager Michael Harty summed up Tuesday’s sale with the phrase, “The confidence is just tremendous.”

I made the mistake this week of mentioning Cheltenham and cattle prices in the same sentence to a friend. Came the reply, “Never mind the bloody horses.