Cavehill Niall crowned champion Charolais
Below: Cormac Duignan, Laheen House, Eslin Bridge, CarrickOn-Shannon, with Champion Limousin Bull, Laheen’s Make Your Move, at Carrick-onShannon and Shane Kilraine, President, Midland and Western Livestock Improvement Society COUNTY Westmeath-bred Cavehill Niall was tapped forward for the Championship of the Show for the dominant Charolais breed at the first showing of the breed for 2019 at Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday.
The September 2017-born bull was bred and exhibited by Padraig Farrell, Aughavoneen, Fardrum, Athlone, and emerged from a good lineup for the top award on the choice of show judge, John Regan from Sligo.
The Cavehill herd is well established within the Charolais breed and the interest from the low attendance of customers at this sale secured €3,000 for the champion which found a new home nearby in Co Roscommon at the fall of the hammer.
The bull was bred by the sire, Dromiskin Viceroy, which is a combination of Doonally and Dromiskin genes, and out of the dam, Offaly Holly.
The reserve championship was awarded to Limkiln Nolan which had made the long trip from the herd of Richard Hackett at Coolistigue, Clonlara, Co Clare and failed to reach his reserve at the sale.
The June 2017-born bull was bred from the herd dam, Limkiln Jeeny, and by the sire, Gedeon, to deliver a bull with a Terminal Euro Value of €153 and €54 on the Replacement Index, and excellent stars under both carcass weight and conformation predicted for the progeny.
Three bulls sold for €3,000 each with Brickland Ned, a first prizewinner, bred and exhibited by Joseph O’Reilly, Brickeens, Kenagh, Co Longford and Portland Nero, bred and exhibited by Sidney McDaid, Ray, Kilmacrennan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, joining with the Champion to share the second highest price.
A number of bulls sold for between €2,500 and €3,000 with the clearance of 33pc and an average for the breed of €2,535.
There was a small entry of Limousin bulls from which the Champion of the Show was awarded to Laheen’s Make Your Move, bred and exhibited in the well-known Limousin herd of Cathal Duignan, at Laheen House, Eslin Bridge, Carrick-On-Shannon, Co Leitrim.
The well-bred 14-month-old bull, by Tomschoice Jet and the home dam, Laheen’s Jennifer, must have another outing to find a new home with Cathal and his son, Cormac, believing that the trade “could have a slow start to the season”, but will recover in late March/ early April when commercial breeders fill the ringsides in greater numbers.
The reserve champion rosette on Currycramp Milestone did not attract sufficient bids in the sales ring for Thomas Mulligan, Currycramp, Dromod, Co Leitrim to accept a new home for the May 2017-born bull.
Clearance of the small entry of Limousins was low and returned an average of €1,850 for two bulls from the Bellingham herd of Frances McKernan, Drumleck, Castlebellingham, Dundalk, Co Louth.
The general view of farmers attending the sale was that the pedigree season is likely to have a slow takeup due to the uncertainties within the sector.
Multi National Hall of Fame winner for his contribution to a number of pedigree breeds, Sligo’s Peter Casey, summed it up: “I’m not over-optimistic that it will be a great season for breeders, because there are a lot of pedigree bulls in every breed and there will probably be big entries for the sales over the next few months which is not the best in a weak trade.”