Cattle to be sold online as bidders fail to pay

The 1,000 cattle belonging to a Co Cork farmer which were auctioned earlier this week will have to be resold after the sales agent last night disclosed that the two successful bidders had failed to pay for their purchases.

The plan now is not to re-run the auction but to sell the cattle through an online tender process in an apparent attempt to avoid the protests that have surrounded the sale.

The auction, which took place on the farm of Peter Kingston, 51, from Nohoval, near Kinsale, was carried out on Tuesday after ACC Loan Management secured a €2.45m judgment against him.

Private security guards and gardaí were present around the farm while protesters confronted bidders arriving at the auction which was organised by Sinéad McNamara, sheriff of Co Cork.

In a statement last night, a spokeswoman on behalf of the sales agent said the 1,000 cattle would now have to be resold.

“The sales agent, Denis Barrett, acting on behalf of the Cork County Sheriff representing creditors who are owed a significant level of debt by Peter Kingston, wishes to state that it is with regret that approximately 500 animals that were bid upon at a pedigree herd auction, held earlier this week at a farm in Nohoval, Kinsale Co Cork, must now be resold due to a failure to receive payment,” said the statement.

“A significant number of animals, many of which were expected to achieve the highest prices on the day, were bid upon by two parties who have failed to comply with the terms and conditions in relation to payment.

“It is with regret, added expense and frustration that the sales agent must now proceed with an online tender process for the resale of the animals when legitimate bidders lost out on the opportunity to acquire the animals in question at the auction.”