01-05-2025
Offaly farmer takes top price at Kilmallock Hereford bull sale
The Irish Hereford Breed Society hosted its annual Hereford bull show and sale at GVM Kilmallock Mart, Co. Limerick, on Friday, April 25.
The morning started off very wet, but the sun came out for long enough to get through the showing before the rain came again.
The sale was described by the society as a success, with a 90% clearance of the 19 bulls shown.
The average sale price of the bulls on offer was €4,182 and four of the bulls sold for €5,000 or more, with the top priced bull making €6,100.
The pre-sale show classes were judged by Michael Bird of the Dunlever Herd in Co. Meath.
Michael chose a bull owned by Padraig McGrath from Co. Roscommon as the show Champion.
Kye Commander 032 HH is a July-2023-born bull sired by Corlismore Commander 080 and bred from Kye Rosie 830, a Glaslough Rooney-sired dam.
Champion Kye Commander 032 HH with breeder Padraig McGrath and judge Michael Bird. This bull sold for €5,000
Commander boasted 5-stars for the Terminal (€88) and Dairy Beef Indexes (DBI) (€111) as well as for the Beef Sub-Index (€104).
Commander was the first prize winner in class 2 before being tapped out as sale Champion. He went on to sell for €5,000.
The Reserve Champion title was awarded to Ardmulchan Ulrich HH from Philip and Catherine Smyth's Co. Meath herd.
This June 2022-born bull was sired by Ballinveney Tiger and is bred from Ardmulchan Clover 776 (a Church Preen Galileo daughter). Ulrich has 5-stars for Age at Finish at -19.31 days and was sold for €4,500.
Sale Reserve Champion Ardmulchan Ulrich HH with breeder Catherine Smyth and judge Michael Bird. This bull sold for €4,500.
The top-priced bull on the day came from the Co. Offaly-based herd of Michael Molloy.
Moyclare Winner HH sold for the top price of €6,100. Born in July 2023, the bull ranks highly across the board, sporting 4-stars for the Replacement (€111) and Terminal (€76) Indexes as well as for the Beef Sub-Index of the DBI (€90).
He had 5-stars for the Dairy Beef Index (€112) and dairy-cow calving figure of below breed average (3.5%).
The second-best price on the day was €5,600 and was paid for two separate bulls. The first of these was for Co. Clare breeder Gerard Donnelly's bull, Clondrina 1420TH HH.
This bull had 5-stars on the Replacement Index (€133) and 4-stars for the DBI. He was sired by Cill Cormaic Perseus and out of a Fabb 1 Northern Star daughter, Clondrinapoll 1 1328TH.
Clondrina 1420TH HH sold for €5,600
The second bull to make €5,600 was the first prize winner in Class 4, Padraig McGrath's Kye Paul 047.
This January 2024-born bull has five stars on both the Replacement (€149) and the Dairy Beef (€118) Indexes.
The Hereford bull was sired by Fabb 1 Northern Star and is bred from Firbosa 1 Rosa 321, a Moorside 1 Magic ET daughter.
Kye Paul 047 sold for €5,600 with breeder Padraig McGrath
A further five bulls in the sale went on to sell for €4,000 or more, two of which also came from Padraig McGrath's Co. Roscommon-based Kye Herefords.
Kye Ranger 034 HH placed first in Class 3 and sold for €4,600. He was sired by Pulham Ranger and bred from Kye Katie 927 ET (a Pulham Powerhouse daughter) and has 5-stars for both the Terminal Index (€84) and the Beef Sub-Index of the DBI (€114).
Kye Ranger 034 HH sold €4,600 with breeder Padraig McGrath
The Hereford bull also boasts five stars for Docility, Age at Finish (-22.48 days), Carcass weight (+13.9kg) and Carcass conformation.
Kye Fleecer 043 HH sold for €4,400. He was sired by Balleen Flyer and is bred from Kye Rosie 951 (a Free Town Nevada daughter). Fleecer also has 4-stars for the DBI.
Nigel Heatrick of Glaslough Herefords, Co. Monaghan had success with his two bulls. Glaslough Barrister HH placed third in Class four and sold for €4,200.
Barrister is sired by Cill Cormaic Quinlan and out of Glaslough Winona (A Glaslough Ultimate daughter). Glaslough Achiever placed 2nd in Class 1 and sold for €4,000. He is sired by Balleen Hitman and out of a Glaslough Ruler-sired cow, Glaslough Twiggy.
Adrian Curtin from Co. Cork sold his Hereford bull, Awebegpoll 1 Monty 281 for €4,000. He is sired by Panmure 1 Nugget and is out of a Kye Harry 686 daughter, Awebegpoll 1 Bella.
Monty has 5-stars for the Beef-Sub Index of the DBI (€99) as well as 4-stars for the Terminal (€72) and Dairy Beef (€106) Indexes.
The society expressed its thanks to the pre-sale inspector Tommy Fitzgeral; the show judge, Michael Bird; sale auctioneer, Eamonn Gaffney; all of the GVM Kilmallock staff; all stewards on the day; and Irish Hereford Prime for its continued sponsorship.
