Home sales for bulls continue to be strong in dairy beef circles, with just 24 of the 38 entries turning up for the Irish Hereford Cattle Society show and sale of bulls in Central Auctions Mart in Nenagh on Thursday.

There were lots of customers for the bulls that were there, with the average price coming in at €3,304/head and just three of the 24 going home unsold.

Topping the trade was Limerick man Maurice Geary with his August 2021-born bull Dromona Oscar.

Oscar was by Allowdale Rambo 738 going back to an FH William-bred cow. He came with five stars on carcase weight and carcase conformation, along with a 4.3% calving difficulty figure and was knocked down at €5,100.

Philip and Catherine Smyth sold their January 2022-born bull for €4,300.

It was a worthwhile journey for well-known Meath breeders Philip and Catherine Smyth when they took home the reserve champion rosette for their January 2022-born Ardmulchan Trailblazer.

He was sired by Ballinveney Tiger and out of a Grianan Emperor cow and carried a carcase weight figure of +13.9kg, a dairy cow calving difficulty figure of 5.4% and a €74 terminal index. He was knocked down at €4,300.

Also hitting the €4,300 price tag was Padraig McGrath with his March 2022-born bull Kye Bruce 974. Bruce was sired by Pulham Ranger and out of a Free Town Hotspur cow and he came with a +11.2kg figure for carcase weight.

JJ and Michael Barrett sold their November 2021-born bull that sold for €4,100.

JJ and Michael Barrett had a good day out selling their November 2021-born bull Gurtaleen Inchvale Joker for €4,100. Joker came with a five-star figure for carcase weight at +12.9kg, along with five stars for carcase conformation.

Local man William Duff sold his July 2021-born bull Ballinalickpoll 1 Harvey for €4,000. Harvey was sired by Normanton 1 Laertes and came with a +5.5kg carcase weight figure, along with a 4% calving difficulty figure.

For more pictures and a full sale report, see next week’s Irish Farmers Journal.