Spring Premier Show & Sale - GVM Tullamore

The Spring Premier Hereford Show & Sale was held in GVM Tullamore on Saturday 22nd March. The day started bright and early, with the arrival of 32 top quality Hereford bulls to GVM Tullamore. The pre-sale show classes took place at 10.30am, ably judged by Mr. Brian Clarke of the Church Hill Herd in Co. Meath. He was assisted by Mr. Colin Burke, one of eight Next Gen Hereford members that will be travelling to the World Hereford Conference in Kansas City, USA this October.

The average price was up significantly from the 2024 sale (€4,000) at €5,040, with a clearance of nearly 75% of the bulls present. The top price was achieved by Lot 33 – Country Crest Brooks HH, who had placed second to the sale’s Reserve Champion in class 4. Brooks was purchased by Pedigree Hereford breeder in Northern Ireland for €8,600.

Judge, Mr. Brian Clarke had his work cut out for him with very even classes of strong bulls to be judged. Brian tapped out lot 22 as his Champion – Kye Ranger 034, from the herd of Padraig McGrath, Co. Roscommon. This August 2023 bull was sired by Pulham Ranger and bred from Kye Katie 927 ET – a Pulham Powerhouse dam. This very attractive looking bull had 5-stars on the Terminal Index and was 5-star in the beef sub-index of the DBI.

Reserve Champion of the sale was awarded to lot 32, Balleen Some Machine from the herd of Thomas Brennan, Co. Kilkenny. This October 2023 bull was sired by Ballinveney United 2 and bred from Balleen Cece 71091. Some Machine has a page of stars – 4 stars for the Replacement and 5 stars for the Terminal and Dairy Beef Indexes (€120), along with having almost three times the breed average kgs for carcass weight (+15.8kg). Some Machine sold for €7,400.

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The rest of the show class results were as follows:

Class 1:

1st Lot 5 Carrick Milo HH. Philip Lynch, Co. Cavan. Sire: Carrick Jake 178. Dam Glaslough Thora

2nd Lot 1 Clonleam Yank HH. Ivan Heffernan, Co. Westmeath. Sire: Dunsinane Samson. Dam: Clonleam Spot 21.

3rd Lot 6 Fortview Bedford PH. John Morrow, Co. Leitrim. Sire: Gouldingpoll 1 Gold Spice. Dam: Fortview Sunshine.

4th Lot 4 Ardstewart Bruce HH. Nelson & Wade McCrabe, Co. Donegal. Sire: Corlismore Caesar 092. Dam: Caonach Smart.

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Class 2:

1st Lot 11 Corlismorepoll 1 Fortunate 246. Sean, Gary & Evelyn McKiernan, Co. Cavan. Sire: Corlismorepoll 1 Declan 173. Dam: Boycefield Louisa 32nd.

2nd Lot 9 Clooncullane Magic 544 HH. Coman Neary, Co. Roscommon. Sire: Trillick George. Dam: Clooncullane Tina 460.

3rd Lot 13 Shiloh-Farm Jewel PH. Sarah and Hugh Murray, Co. Westmeath. Sire: Corlismore Cormac 076. Dam: Cill Cormaic Patricia.

4th Lot 7 Ardmulchan Ulirich HH. Philip & Catherine Smyth, Co. Meath. Sire: Ballinveney Tiger. Dam: Ardmulchan Clover 776.

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Class 3:

1st Lot 22 Kye Ranger 034. Padraig McGrath, Co. Roscommon. Sire: Pulham Ranger. Dam: Kye Katie 927 ET. Sale Champion.

2nd Lot 20 Grianan Bulter. T & A Fitzgerald, Co. Westmeath. Sire: Rossmore Rocky Balboa. Dam: Grianan Orange R 792 ET.

3rd Lot 15 Kye Ranger 003. Padraig McGrath, Co. Roscommon. Sire: Pulham Ranger. Dam: Kye Tess 778.

4th Lot 21 Griananpoll 1 Burly. T & A Fitzgerald, Co. Westmeath. Sire: Panmure 1 Henry. Dam: Griananpoll 1 Orange V 931.

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Class 4:

1st Lot 32 Balleen Some Machine. Thomas Brennan, Co. Kilkenny. Sire: Ballinveney United 2. Dam: Balleen Cece 71091. Reserve Champion.

2nd Lot 33 Country Crest Brooks HH. Gabriel Hoey, Co. Dublin. Sire: Coralstown Hurricane. Dam: Ballyaville Jen.

3rd Lot 31 Grianan Boy Wonder ET HH. T & A Fitzgerald, Co. Westmeath. Sire: Bowmont Storm A584. Dam: Grianan Dominique.

4th Lot 35 Portanob Horatio 2. J & J Canty, Co. Meath. Sire: Dunlever Guy. Dam: Portanob Karen 2.

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Class 5:

1st Lot 38 Balleen Thunderstruck. Thomas Brennan, Co. Kilkenny. Sire: Ballinveney United 2. Dam: Balleen Lenoie 71166.

2nd Lot 43 Moyclare Xzander HH. Michael Molloy, Co. Offaly. Sire: Caislean Jake. Dam: Moyclare Rose 40.

3rd Lot 36 Cloonfree Fruitful HH. John Mullooly, Co. Roscommon. Sire: Skehanore Fruitful. Dam: Cloonfree Sallyann.

4th Lot 39 Cashel Alfie PH. John Beirne, Co. Leitrim. Sire Fabb 1 Northern Star. Dam: Lios Breac Moresa 171.

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The rest of the sale went off as a great success, with a further eight bulls making over €5,000, (in total ten bulls made in excess of €5,000), with six of these exceeding €7,000!

Lot 38, Balleen Thunderstruck from the herd of Thomas Brennan, Co. Kilkenny was the second highest priced bull at the sale, making €7,500. He was purchased by Keenagh Herefords of Co. Longford. Thunderstruck is a November 2023 bull, sired by Ballinveney United 2 and out of Balleen Lenoie 71166, with 5 stars on the replacement index and a Beef Sub-Index of €102.

Lots 11 and 43 both sold for €7,200.

Lot 11, Corlismorepoll 1 Fortunate 246, from Sean, Gary & Evelyn McKiernan, Co. Cavan was sired by Corlismorepoll 1 Declan 173 and out of Boycefield Louisa 32nd. He sported 5 stars on the Terminal Index and the DBI (€117) along with a below breed average calving difficult figure for dairy cows of 3.3%.

Lot 43, was the final lot in the catalogue. Moyclare Xzander from Michael Molloy’s Co. Roscommon based herd was sired by Caislean Jake and his dam is Moyclare Rose 40. Xzander has 5 stars for the Terminal Index, DBI (€132) and Beef Sub-Index (€102) and also has a below breed average calving difficulty figure (dairy cows - 3%, beef cows 1.6%).

The final bull to meet the €7,000 mark was lot 10, Ardmulchan Vesuvius HH. Vesuvius comes from the herd of Philip & Catherine Smyth in Co. Meath and has 5 stars for Docility (+0.17), Age at Finish (-23.87 days) and Daughter Milk . He is sired by Ballinveney Tiger and is out of Ardmulchan Clover 619.

Lot 9, Clooncullane Magic 544 HH, a strong July 2023 bull sired by Trillick George was sold for €5,600. Magic comes from Co. Roscommon based breeder, Coman Neary and is out of a home bred cow, Clooncullane Tina 460. He has 5 stars for replacement, with double the breed average fertility (Daughter calving interval - -6.76 days).

Lot 13, Shiloh-Farm Jewel PH was the next highest price of the sale, selling for €5,500. From the herd of Sarah and Hugh Murray in Co. Westmeath, Jewel has 5 stars for both the Terminal Index and DBI (€125). Another easy calving bull, Jewel has a below breed average Dairy Cow figure of 3.3%.

Also hailing from the Lake County, lot 20, Grianan Bulter, from the Co. Westmeath herd of T & A Fitzgerald, sold for €5,300. Another 5-star Terminal Index bull, Bulter is sired by Rossmore Rocky Balboa and is out of Grianan Orange R 792 ET.

The Fitzgeralds were straight into the ring again with lot 21, Griananpoll 1 Burly who was the last bull to make more than €5,000 on the day. A Panmure 1 Henry sired bull, out of Griananpoll 1 Orange V 931, Burly has a page of figures to go with him. He has 4 stars on the Replacement Index and has 5 stars for the Terminal Index (€113), the DBI (€124) and the Beef Sub-Index (€109).

Other prices on the day include:

• Lot 1 – Clonleam Yank HH sold for €4,300

• Lot 2 – Corranpoll 1 Kingbull sold for €4,000

• Lot 3 – Corranpoll 1 Kingfisher sold for €4,200

• Lot 4 – Ardstewart Bruce HH sold for €4,400

• Lot 5 – Carrick Milo HH sold for €3,700

• Lot 8 – Daneswood Nascar sold for €4,500

• Lot 14 – Portanob Fred sold for €3,600

• Lot 16 – Bawnlea Fatboy Slim HH sold for €3,900

• Lot 23 – Macmine Goliath HH sold for €4,800

Many thanks are extended to the pre-sale inspector Mr. Thomas Fitzgerald, the show judge, Mr. Brian Clarke, sale auctioneer, Mr. Eamonn Gaffney, GVM Tullamore, sale photographer, Tricia Kennedy, all stewards on the day and Irish Hereford Prime for their continued sponsorship.

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