Monagh Rusty, who sold for the top price of €3,800.
The last of the Kilkenny bull sales of 2021 took place on Wednesday, with a strong demand throughout for the main beef breeds on offer.
While the top price and top average came from the Limousin breed, the best trade on the day was for Angus animals, with three times as many bulls sold as the other breeds.
The Angus bull sales have been hard to judge. With a strong trade in farm sales from the beginning of March, some early live sales suffered, regaining traction again in April.
Drumcrow Lord Joker W801, who sold for €3,200.
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Ernehill Samson who sold for the new record Elite sale price of €8,600, pictured with Catherine McCollum
The Irish Angus Cattle Society hosted its annual elite sale in Carrick-on-Shannon over the weekend. This was the 13th year of the sale and proved to be one of the best yet, with a record price and average rising to the highest seen in five years. Clearance rates for both bulls and heifers rose to the highest level since 2016, an impressive stat given the catalogue entry has increased substantially since then.
The general sentiment from both breeders and organisers was that the sale was a great success. It must also be noted that the overall standard of bulls offered for sale over the weekend was well up on previous years.
A final bid of €8,600 from a young livestock breeder at the ringside secured the much-admired price topping bull at the Irish Angus Cattle Society Elite Sale at the Showgrounds, Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday.
Fifteen-month-old Ernehill Samson, bred by Francis and Noel Fitzpatrick, Milltown, Belturbet, Co. Cavan received a flurry of bids from both the restricted ringside attendance and online breeders before auctioneer Francis McGowan knocked him down to his new home in the mid-west.
The bull was bred by the sire Ballymagrine Wonder, a son of Bohey Jasper, and out of the home bred dam Ernehill Niamh and carries five stars all the way for docility, carcase weight and conformation.
Ernehill Samson sold for €8,600
Pedigree Angus cattle proved to be in-demand last Saturday (December 12) as the Irish Angus Cattle Society hosted its annual ‘Elite Sale’ at the Showgrounds, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim.
There were a total of 57 Angus bulls and 34 Angus heifers on offer at the auction, with a fine display of Angus cattle all round. Under Covid-19 health and safety guidelines, the pre-sale viewing attracted great interest with potential buyers coming from a mix of pedigree, commercial beef and dairy herds.
In the male section, a total clearance rate of 80% was achieved alongside an average of €3,300. This saw a €400 rise from last year’s sale average for males which was €2,900.