Roscommon Premier Sale Report & Photos October 2021

50^th Anniversary Years ends on a High

Saturday’s Irish Simmental Society Autumn Premier Show and Sale at Roscommon Mart was a fitting end to our 50^th Anniversary year. Roscommon Mart has been the main sales venue for the society since 2001 and it was noted to be the best yard of cattle forward for this sale in recent years.

Robert Forde of the Mullyknock Herd, Co Fermanagh had the judging honours in the pre-sale show.

Topping the trade on the day was the Senior Bull Champion Lot 21 Clonagh Matador for Garrett and Lyndsey Behan, Ballyfin. This August ’20 born son of herd sire Manor Park Hansome, out of a Kilbride Farm Dragoon daughter “Helen of Troy” received an opening bid of €5,000, following a flurry of online bids, he was eventually knocked down to the Crudie Herd, Angus Scotland for €18,000.

Next highest priced Bull was Lot 55 the Junior Champion, Bighill Magic Et for Fergal Doherty, Carrigart, Co. Donegal. This November ’20 born Dermostown Delboy son attracted much admirers in the presale show. He was knocked down to well known Northern Ireland breeders Joe Wilson for his Ballinalare Farm Herd, Co Down for €11,000

Next in the money was the Reserve Senior Bull Champion Lot 39 Rathnashan Mozzarella P ET for Patrick and Nigel Hogan, Bennekerry, Co. Carlow. Sired by the popular AI bull Curaheen Gunshot P, out of the homebred Rathnashan Heidi ET, this September ’20 born bull achieved €9,500, selling to M & J McCaskill, Woodhall Farm, Scotland.

Patrick & Nigel Hogans other entry in the sale was the May ’20 born Lot 3 Rathnashan Magnum, this Saltire Impressive son won his class in the mornings pre-sale show and went on to sell for €8,300 to the Corskie Herd of WJ & J Green, Moray, Scotland.

Lot 7 Mount Mozart for Joe & James Kelly, Ballynacally Co. Clare sold for €6,700, sired by the herds previous stock bull Kilbride Farm Glencloy 15, this May ’20 born bull sold to a Co. Louth based Pedigree Herd.

Other prices of note

Lot 32 Dermostown Mighty Mouse for Chris White, Co Dublin €4,500

Lot 13 Mooneking Master Blaster for David King, Co.Kildare € 4,200

Lot 19 Clonagh Meya Hansome for Garrett Behan, Co Laois €4,200

Lot 18 Clonagh Meyallica for Garrett Behan, Co. Laois €4,000

Lot 22 Clonagh Magnum Fabulous for Garrett Behan, Co. Laois €4,000

Lot 30 Thornford Matcho Man PP ET for Ryan & Sean Callan, Co.Monaghan €4,000

Lot 51 Ballykin Magic Mischief for Denis Maher, Co. Tipperary €4,000

Lot 17 Clonagh Major Fabulous for Garrett Behan, Co. Laois €3,800

Over all of the 40 Bull on offer, 29 sold with an average selling price of €4,400, with 18 going to export customers.

Topping the heifer trade was the Yearling heifer Champion Lot 79 Bighill Miami Ko Ko E Et for Fergal Doherty, this one sired by Kilbride farm Dragoon out of the homebred Bighill Ko Ko Ethna Et, who herself picked up a national title on the show circuit in 2019. Selling for €8,800 to the Manor Park Herd of Clive Houldey, Lockerbie, Scotland.

Second highest priced heifer at €7,800 was Lot 86 Broomfield Matilda ET for Paul McArdle, Castleblayney, Co.Monaghan. Sired by Banwy T-Rex out of Raceview King cow Brookwood Regina and sold to Cunnaghbainis Simmentals (Colleary Partnership) Curry, Co. Sligo.

Following closely behind her was Lot 111 Lissadell Mercedes ET for Kieran & Paul Mullarkey, Ballinful Co. Sligo, no strangers to winning, she was the weanling heifer champion in the pre sale show. This Kilbride Farm Bantry daughter was knocked down to J W Gosmore’s Newton House Herd, Chester, England at €7,200.

Her herd mate Lot 87 Lissadell Midnight Lady Et, a Hillcrest Champion daughter sold for €7,100 and is returning home to Co Sligo to join the Enniscrone herd.

Next at €7,000 was Lot 115 Coose Matilda, a Dec ’20 born Tulla Jaguar P daughter, bred by John & Ronan Tuohy, Co.Clare, she took reserve heifer calf champion in the pre-sale show, this one heads across the water to the Overhill House Herd of Richard McCulloch, West Lothian, Scotland. Also heading to the Overhill House herd is Coose Nikkie P2, Lot 120 selling for €5,800 this one again sired by Tulla Jaguar P.

Our reserve Junior heifer was Lot 67 Limehill Missy Mac for Mark Neenan, Co. Galway, this March ’20 born Kilbride farm Delboy daughter sold for €6,200 to the Lissglass Herd of Leslie & Christopher Weathrup, Co. Antrim, NI.

Robert & James Dunne Belturbet, Co.Cavan picked up Junior Champion female with Lot 65 Kilduff Matilda, born Feb ’20 sired by Kilbride Farm Dragoon and selling for €6,000. They also had the reserve senior heifer champion with Lot 58 Kilduff Lucinda, this one a Derreen Declan daughter, calving Jan ’22 sold for €4,500.

Senior Heifer champion went to Lot 59 Corlesmore Lady Annabel for Sean & Garry McKiernan, Co Cavan. This Sept ’19 born Kilbride farm Dragoon daughter, calving Feb ’22 sold for €5,600.

Ardunsaghan Margo Lot 83 for the Connolly Family, Co. Leitrim, a Curaheen Gunshot daughter, off Curaheen Wakeman cow Bearna-Dhearg Janey, born Aug ’20 and sold for €5,300, another one heading across the water to Scotland.

Following closely behind is Lot 77 Lissadell Magic, this time sired by the homebred Lissadell Kruiser, a Kilbride Farm Bantry son out of the Mullarkey’s show heifer Tawley Gretta, selling for €5,000.

Our Reserve Yearling Heifer Champion Lot 90 Boyerstown Missy for Maurice Darcy, Navan, Co Meath, a Sept ’20 born Dripsey Eddie Rocket daughter sold for €4,500.

Final two heifers of note were Lot 69 Ardunsaghan Moneypenny P for the Connelly Family, this March ’20 born heifer sold for €4,100 and headed to Co.Kilkenny, Lot 88 Tullyfarm Milly’s Fallon for Michael & Ciaran Kinahan, a Derreen Jack daughter out of the homebred Tullyfarm Heavenly Fallon, selling for €4,000 to a new breeder in Co. Clare.

Heifers met an 83% clearance, with an average selling price of €3,809, of the 44 heifers sold, 14 were to export customers, with 6 going to Northern Ireland and 8 to mainland UK. With fifteen heifers trading at €4,000 and above

The famous Co Cork based Raceview Herd of Peter & Marian O’Connell offered up a draft of heifers. In total all 11 heifers on offer sold, with 8 finding new homes in Northern Ireland and the remaining 3 staying in the South. The sale topper here was Lot 133 My Jolly Diana selling for €8,700 to the Ballinlare Farm Herd of Joe Wilson, Co Down. The Raceview herd’s 100% clearance achieved an average selling price of €4,709.

The Portroyal Herd of John Hession also offered a draft of heifers, the top price here was €2,800 for Lot 137 Portroyal Mercury P, this Polled heifer was due to calve March ’22 selling to a new breeder.

Commenting on the sale, President Jennie Aherne stated the success of the sale is a testament to the high standard of stock put forward by the members, the numbers exported shows the strong reputation Irish genetics has internationally and this bodes well for the breed as we face into the next 50 years.