All eyes will be on Elphin Mart, Co Roscommon, at the weekend where the annual Irish Charolais Cattle Society Christmas cracker sale of pedigree Charolais bulls will be taking place.

Some 93 bulls are catalogued for entry, down from 101 in 2018. Last year’s sale saw a top price of €10,000, with a sale average of €4,216/head.

The sale is always a good barometer of confidence in the marketplace within suckler circles and attracts interest from Northern Ireland and the UK.

Weanling sales have been good across the west over the last few months.

However, pedigree bull sales have endured a tough autumn with averages down across most breeds.