Pictured above: Show Champion, Keltic Shadow, bred by Teleri Thomas; he sold for the top price of €4,600
It was a cold and frosty morning at Athenry Mart on Saturday last, December 10th, where the Irish Limousin Cattle Society 2022 show and sale season came to an end.
Accounting for direct farm-to-farm sales, 22 of the 31 bulls catalogued were presented for sale on the day, with bulls heading to their new homes in Galway, Meath, Carlow, Cavan, Westmeath, Mayo and Clare.
Demand was good for quality bulls on offer leading to a clearance rate of 64% and an average price of €3,364 for the bulls that passed through the sale ring.
Sean Maher kicked the judging kicked off shortly after 10:00am, while George Candler resumed his position in the rostrum for the sale at 12:00pm.
Show judge, Sean Maher
Champion and Reserve
As always, we’ll start with the prize winners. The Champion on the day was awarded to Teleri Thomas and her bull, Keltic Shadow.
This May 2021-born bull carries 5-stars on both the Replacement and Terminal Index. Sired by Keltic Handsome and out of Cwmpedran Cassandra, he sold for €4,600 – the top price on the day.
The Reserve Champion went to Ballinascraw Superstar – bred by John and Stephen Lynch in Co. Longford. Sired by Gorrycam Notorious, this April 2021-born bull went under the hammer for €3,600.
Ballinascraw Superstar, the Reserve Champion on the day, made €3,600
Turning to the sale prices, €4,000 or more was broken on four more occasions. Currance Smokey – a Mereside Godolphin son – bred by Mayo-based breeder Michael McKeown, was sold for €4,100.
Carrying 4-stars on the Replacement and Terminal Index, he has a calving difficulty of 4.5% on beef cows and was a second-prize winner in his class.
Currane Smokey made €4,100
Lot 14, Bovinion Slick, an April 2021-born bull, went under the hammer for €4,000; he was bred by Galway native Thomas Finnerty. An Ewdenvale Ivor son, he carries all the stars on both the Replacement and Terminal Indexes.
Bovinion Slick made €4,000 on the day
€4,000 was achieved again, this time by Teleri Thomas and her bull, Keltic Sion. Sion is a son of Loyal out of a Tomschoice Ironstone-sired dam.
Born in April 2021, he too carries 5-stars on the Replacement and Terminal Index.
Keltic Sion sold for €4,000
John and Stephen Lynch also secured €4,000 for their bull, Ballinascraw Simba. Born in May 2021, the Lodge Hamlet son was bred from a Hatcliffe Dancer-sired cow. He carries 4-stars on the Replacement Index and 5-stars on the Terminal Index.
Ballinascraw Simba made €4,000
Other noticeable prices on the day included €3,400, again for Teleri Thomas and her Loyal-sired bull, Keltic Sior. €3,100 was paid for John Flannagan’s bull, Lochanboy Shepard, while Patrick Mulconroy secured €3,000 for his Moondharrig Knell-sired bull, Maghera Saint.
| Other prices from the sale |
| Price | Exhibitor | Animal | Sire | Dam | |
| €2,800 | Sean Vahey | Carrowclogher Spartacus | Neuf | Glebe Park Ita | |
| €2,800 | Anthony Glynn | Glencarrigh Sonny | EBY | Glencarrigh Mags | |
| €2,700 | Michael McKeown | Currane Sugar | Plumtree Fantastic | Currane Mia | |
| €2,500 | Sean Vahey | Carrowclogher Supreme | Ampertaine Elgin | Carrowclogher Lady Lucy ET | |
| €2,500 | Martin Sean Donagher | Coolcholly Sam | Noob | Coolcholly Lucia |
Sale Highlights
- 64%: Clearance Rate
- €3,364: Ave. Bull Price
- €4,600: Top-priced Bull
- 5 Bulls €4,000-5,000
- 4 Bulls €3,000 -4,000
- 5 Bulls €2,000-3,000
The society would like congratulate all breeders and thank all under bidders and wish all successful purchasers the very best of luck with their new bulls and heifers. The society would also like to thank Athenry Mart and the Limousin council stewards for their help on the day.
Show results
| Male Classes |
| Class 1: (Lots 1-11) | Exhibitor | Animal | Sire | Dam |
| 1st | Frank Philbin | Clydagh Shane | Shire Milton | Clydagh Lady Red |
| 2nd | Patrick Mulconroy | Maghera Saint | Monndharrig Knell | Maghera Nancy 2 |
| 3rd | Anthony Moloney | Fairhill Sandy | Lodge Hamlet | Fairhill Gberth A |
| 4th | Sean Vahey | Carrowclogher Spartacus ET | Neuf | Glebe Park Ita |
| Male Classes |
| Class 2: (Lots 12-21) | Exhibitor | Animal | Sire | Dam |
| 1st | J & S Lynch | Ballinascraw Superstar | Gorrycam Notorious | Ballinascraw Kylie 2 |
| 2nd | Teleri Thomas | Keltic Sior | Loyal | Keltic Katie |
| 3rd | Michael McKeown | Currane Sugar | Plumtree Fantastic | Currane Mia |
| 4th | Teleri Thomas | Keltic Sion | Loyal | Keltic Llinos |
| Male Classes |
| Class 3: (Lots 22-31) | Exhibitor | Animal | Sire | Dam |
| 1st | Teleri Thomas | Keltic Shadow | Keltic Handsome | Cwmpedran Cassandra |
| 2nd | John Flannagan | Lochanboy Simon | Lodge Hamlet | Lochanboy Lady |
| 3rd | Martin Sean Donagher | Coolcholly Sam | Noob | Coolcholly Lucia |
| 4th | Anthony Moloney | Fairhill Sweeney | Goldies Jackpot | Fairhill Lab |
| Male Championship |
| Exhibitor | Animal | Sire | Dam | |
| Champion | Teleri Thomas | Keltic Shadow | Keltic Handsome | Cwmpedran Cassandra |
| Reserve Champion | J & S Lynch | Ballinascraw Superstar | Gorrycam Notorious | Ballinascraw Kylie 2 |
