Walsh clan take Aubrac top honours
Donegal family take top two awards in Tullamore, writes Martin Ryan
THE long journey from Donegal was rewarded with the cream of the rosettes for the well-known Walsh brothers. But the ringside customers’ top choice went to a Co Galway-bred bull at the Irish Aubrac Breed Society Show and Sale at GVM Mart, Tullamore on Saturday.
Showing the overall champion of the show and reserve champion was a measure of the quality of Aubracs being bred by the Walsh brothers, Liam and John, of Ballintra, Co Donegal. They are well-known farmers who run a thriving butcher business with numerous awards to their credit.
Champion of the Show was awarded to the three-year-old female, Ballintra Kora, carrying her second calf, from the herd of John Walsh which sold for €2,400, the second highest price of the sale for a female. That was topped in the female sector by his 19-month-old heifer, Ballintra Meri, which sold for €2,450.
Kora was bred by Despagnou out of the dam, Barriol Umar and went to a new home near Mullingar, Co Westmeath, while Meri, bred by Caporal (s) and Ballinatra Ebba (d) was purchased by a Gorey, Co Wexford breeder.
In all nine females from the herd sold for an avarage of just over €2,060, with the largest individual entry at the show coming from the herd.
Show judge, William Smith, Old Castle, Co Meath selected the first prizewinning bull, Hazelwood Mario, from the herd of William P Walsh as Reserve Champion. Bred by the sire, Johnstown Harry and out of the dam, Hazelwood Aurora, he sold for the second highest bull price of €2,900, destined for a new home at Ballymote, Co Sligo.
Handler was the breeders’ nephew, 14-year-old Kyle Walsh, an animal lover who devoted the past month train- ing the bull for showing and made a 3am start to get to the show and sale.
The top price bull was the overall price leader of the sale, Turloughmore Miley, bred and exhibited by well-established Aubrac breeder Kevin O’Brien, Barnaboy, Turloughmore, Athenry, Co Galway which sold for €3,300, qaulifying for the €200 cash-back being paid by the society on the highest price bull.
He was bred by the sire Eros and dam Garvanaugh Fran, and purchased by Karl Ovington, Old Leighlin, Co Carlow.
The quality lots met with a good trade, while a third of the entry failed to reach their reserve. 2. 2.