The Premier Hereford Show & Sale was held last Saturday in GVM Tullamore and the outcome was a huge success. The sale went very well and kicked off the year on a high with some fantastic statistics to report including; the average sale price of €3340, 75% sale clearance rate, 75% of bulls sold for over €3000 and 25% bulls sold for over €4000. The pre-sale show was held as usual which brought a nice atmosphere to the mart. Mr. William McMordie of Solpoll Herefords, Co. Down, judged the four bull classes with great tact.

Top of the town in the sales ring was Cavehill Max, bred by Padraig Farrell & sons of Cavehill Herefords, Westmeath, who sold to a Northern Irish breeder for €5200 after placing first in the second class. Max, sired by Allowdale Rambo 475 and bred from Dunlever Candy, is exceptionally well bred with traditional and modern breeding. With four stars for carcase weight and conformation & fertility tested – this bull should breed very well in his new home.

Mr. William McMordie tapped lot 34 – Aughakil 1 Paddington as the Champion of the day. This November 2020 born bull is sired by Solpoll 1 Lawman and bred from a Moyclare Lieutenant cow. Paddington has five stars for Replacement Index and milk and has four stars for the terminal index and carcase conformation. Paddington was sold to Co. Laois for €2750.

Glaslough Woody secured the second top priced bull of the day. Bred by Nigel Heatrick, Glaslough Herefords, Monaghan, Woody sold to a repeat customer & fellow breeder for €4200. Woody, sired by Ballyaville Ger, has a four-star replacement and four star terminal index.

There was great success also for Padraig McGrath of Kye Herefords, Roscommon. Kye Will 918, sired by Pulham Ranger & bred from a Trillick Hotspur dam, has a five star terminal index with five stars for carcase traits also. This bull was purchased for €4050.

Tom Brennan from Balleen Herefords, Kilkenny, kicked off the sale with Balleen Hitman who won first place in the first class and was then purchased by a fellow breeder for €4000. Balleen Hitman is sired by Balleen Achiever & bred from a Gageboro Eugenic daughter. Hitman, fertility tested, has easy calving figures along with Five Stars for both the replacement and the terminal index.

Tom Brennan’s second lot into the ring also sold for €4000. Balleen Crunchy is the first son sired by Ballinveney United 2 and also has five stars for both the replacement and terminal index along with fives stars for carcase weight and carcase conformation.

The next top price of the day was €3900 for Trillick Wrestler. Wrestler, bred by JJ Farrell of Trillick Herefords, Longford, is sired by Free Town Nevada and bred from a Steil Gerard cow. Wrestler has five stars for the replacement index and milk and has low calving calving figures.

T&A Fitzgerald of Grianan Herefords, Westmeath had a successful day all round. Their first of four lots of the day sold for the next top price of €3850; Grianan Va Va Voom. This July 2020 born bull was sired by Grianan Freddy and bred from a Rathcor Ranger dam, who is one of the most consistent breeders in the herd – having bred a number of their former show heifers. Grianan Va Va Voom has five stars for Terminal index & carcase weight.

Fitzgerald’s second lot of the day; Grianan Valentine is also sired by Grianan Parker and bred from a dam from the Orange cow family – his dam was shown successfully as a calf and is proving to be just as good as a breeder. Valentine has super stars with five stars for both the replacement and the terminal index, milk and carcase conformation. Valentine also has easy calving figures. Valentine was purchased for €3750.

Grianan Vindicator followed suit when he was purchased online by a fellow Westmeath breeder for €3650.  This October 2020 born bull was a first prize winner at the National Calf Show. Again, sired by Grianan Parker – he was bred from a proven cow line, Grianan Orange R792, who is a full sister to the twice National Hereford Champion; Firecracker. Vindicator has four stars for terminal index & easy calving figures.

Another Grianan Parker son & the final lot of the day for Grianan Herefords was Grianan Vortex. Again, with four stars for terminal index, this bull was bred from a dam from the Orange cow line and a Hollow point Broker dam who is a proven breeder with extra milk. Vortex has been a standout bull since birth, he was National Junior Male Champion at the National Hereford Calf Show before being crowned Reserve Champion at the show ahead of this sale. Vortex was sold to Co. Meath for €3000.

Boyanna Apache was also among the top earners of the day. Apache was bred by John Farrell of Boyanna Herefords, Westmeath. Sired by Allowdale Rambo 738 and bred from a Bowmont Storm & Glaslough Esquire dam – Apache was purchased by a fellow Cork breeder for €3700. Apache has five stars for the replacement index and five stars for carcase conformation.

Tooma Eubank also sold for €3700 on the day. Exhibited by Alan Gibbons of Carrowboy 1 Herefords – Eubank was sired by Gageboro Morgan and bred from a Kye Rodge 553 daughter. Eubank is bred from easy calving bloodlines.

Wexford breeder, Glenn Jacob of Dunsinane Herefords, also had an empty trailer returning home when he sold Dunsinane Samson for €3200 to a fellow Westmeath breeder. Sired by Karoonda Sampson – this five star terminal index bull was bred from a heifer, Dunsinane Fiona 9th and weighed 35kgs at birth. Samson also has a four star replacement index and easy calving figures.

A number of bulls sold for €3000 on the day including;

Two lots from Joe O’Connor of Boveen Herefords, Offaly. The first lot; Boveen Usain, sired by Gageboro Morgan and bred from a Glaslough Esquire grand daughter.

The next lot into the ring was Boveen Uriah who was purchased by a Kilkenny breeder. Uriah is a five star terminal index bull with five stars also for carcase weight and carcase conformation – bred from Ballyvlinngold Captain, a Cill Cormaic Kasper son and a Smithston Darby grand daughter.

Peter Cooke of Bonlea Herefords, Tipperary, also secured €3000 for Bonleapoll 1 Calvinharris. This September 2020 bull is sired by Gouldingpoll 1 Superstar – a son of Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 591 who was National Hereford Champion –  and bred from a Glaslough cow. He has five stars for replacement and terminal index and was a prize winner at the National Hereford Calf Show 2021.

Tullyviewpoll 1 Rocky, bred by Michael Kinahan of Tullyview Herefords, Westmeath, also sold for €3000. This five star terminal bull is bred from Fabb 1 Northern Star and bred from Corlismore Oyster 916.

Keenagh Rio also sold for €3000 to a fellow breeder from Northern Ireland. Bred by Edwin & Robert Jones of Keenagh Herefords, Longford, Rio is a Pute Nascar son and a Cedar Liam daughter. Rio was the overall Male Champion during the National Hereford Calf Show 2021.

Females

There was also a selection of heifers for sale on Saturday. Of the 10 heifers for sale – four of them sold on. The top priced heifer on the day was €2600 for Kye Lady 915 who was purchased by a breeder from Northern Ireland. This July 2020 heifer was sired by Pulham Ranger and bred from a Glaslough Rooney dam. She is scanned in calf to Corlismore Commander 080.

Many thanks

Congratulations to all exhibitors & we wish every purchaser the very best of luck.

Many thanks to Mr. William McMordie for taking on the task of judging the show and doing so with great dedication.

Many thanks are extended also to the newly appointed IHBS auctioneer for 2022; Mr. Eamonn Gaffney who conducted a great sale.

Many thanks are extended to Irish Hereford Prime for sponsoring this sale by awarding €250 to the buyers of each of the 18 bulls that sold for over €3000.

Irish Red Cross/Ukraine Crisis Appeal Collection

The Irish Hereford Breed Society & Irish Hereford Prime committed to donating the full commission from this sale and the next Hereford Sale in Kilmallock next month to the Irish Red Cross/Ukraine Crisis Appeal. The Society are delighted to be able to donate €4465 from this sale alone to the cause. There is also an iDonate page set up for anyone who wishes to make a donation via this link; https://www.idonate.ie/irishherefordUkrainecrisisappeal . Many thanks to all who have donated so far both online and through the bucket collection at the mart.

Upcoming Hereford Show & Sales;                          

Bandon multi-breed sale: Wednesday 13th April

Kilmallock: Saturday April 16th – 55 Bulls – CATALOGUE

Nenagh: Thursday April 21st

North Leinster Hereford Branch Bull Sale – Friday May 6th

Munster Branch Hereford Bull Sale – Saturday May 14th

Nenagh: Saturday May 28th

Buyers will receive €200 towards any bull sold for €2800 & over in Bandon, Kilmallock , Nenagh & the North Leinster Branch Sale, proudly sponsored by Irish Hereford Prime