The annual Hereford show & Sale was held in GVM Kilmallock on Friday 19th April.

The continuous wet weather further hindered the clearance rate of this sale and also added to the unusually large number of entries. Despite this, the prices remained steady throughout the sale. The average price of the sale was €3,600 and all to one bull sold for €3,000 and above.

The task of judging on the day fell to well known local Hereford breeder Patrick O’Donnell from Glenvalley Herefords, Mitchellstown. There were five large classes to judge on the day but that didn’t deter the judge in carrying out the job efficiently. Patrick’s choice of Champion on the day was Ballinveney Flincher by Rory Farrell, Tipperary. This October 2022 bull was sired by Black Water Lad and bred from a Churchill Storm dam.  

There was further success for the Farrell family when their second lot and the youngest bull in the sale – Ballinveney Fireball topped the sale at €5,650. This December 2022 born bull was sired by Haven Kingpin and bred from a Bowmont Storm dam. He has three stars for the Replacement Index and four stars the Terminal Index, +12kg for carcass weight and five stars for carcass conformation. Fireball was sold to Gageboro Herefords for €5,650.

Reserve Champion was awarded to Clondrinapoll 1 1404^TH by Gerard & Declan Donnelly, Clare. This November 2022 born bull was sired by Cill Cormaic Perseus and bred from a Solpoll 1 Lawman dam. This bull has four stars for the Replacement Index, an easy calving figure of 1.5% for beef cows and 4% for beef heifers. This bull was sold to a Pedigree herd for €4,050.

The next top priced bull on the day was Lot 18 – Kyepoll 1 1 Panda 989 by Padraig McGrath, Roscommon. This July 2022 bull was purchased by Richard and Jack Heffernan for €4,000. Panda was sired by Fabb 1 Northern Star and bred from a Hollystone 1 Liquid Gold 390 dam. Panda has a page of stars including five stars for the Replacement Index (€160) – the highest Replacement bull catalogued, Five stars for Termina Index, nearly double the breed average for milk, Dairy Beef Index value of €125 and a dairy cow calving figure of 3.6%. Kye Herefords also sold two other bulls on the day – Lot 21 Kyepoll 1 1 Panda 991 (the second highest Replacement bull catalogued) for €3,000 and Lot 33 Kye Ranger 999 for €3,400.

Lot 14 Moyclare Victor by Michael Molloy, Offaly also sold on the day for €3,700. This July 2022 bull was sired by Caislean Jake and bred from Moyclare Ursula 14^th, a Nanscient Lookout dam. Victor has a very easy calving figure of 1.5% on beef cows, 3.2% on dairy cows, -0.1 days for gestation and four stars for the Replacement Index.

The next lot into the ring was Kingsgrovepoll 1 Kid 15, exhibited by Michael Dullea, Cork. This July 2022 bull was sired by Solpoll 1 Kentucky Kid P and bred from a Gouldingpoll 1 Captain dam. Kid has five stars for both the Replacement and the Terminal Index along with being -0.6 days for gestation. Kid sold for €3,700 also.

The next lot into the ring was Awbegpoll 1 Dylan by Adrian Curtin, Cork. Another July bull – Dylan is sired by Gouldingpoll 1 Gold Spice and bred from a Kye Harry 686 dam. Dylan has five stars for the Replacement Index, four stars for the Terminal index and carcass weight. Dylan was purchased by a Limerick farmer for €3,600.

There were a further four bulls sold during the sale for €3,200:

Lot 17 Keenagh Theo

Lot 34 Trillick Gerry 2

Lot 46 Rathnollag Dasher

Lot 48 Keenagh Twister

Many thanks are extended to the pre-sale inspector Tommy Fitzgerald, the show judge, Patrick O’Donnell, Sale auctioneer, Eamonn Gaffney, GVM Kilmallock staff, Shanon Kinahan & the Irish Farmers Journal for the sale photography & coverage and Irish Hereford Prime for their continued sponsorship.