While most marts are taking a well-earned break over the Christmas period, Carrigallen Mart in Co Leitrim opened its doors for a special sale of 52 in-calf heifers from local Cavan man Herbie Griffith.

Griffith has concentrated over the last few years on buying top-end weanling heifers and maiden heifers, putting them in calf and then selling them at special sales in Carrigallen during the year.

He’s built up a big following with heifers being sold as far away as Donegal and Tipperary on the day.

Top call

Top call went to an April 2021 born Belgian Blue x Limousin heifer due to calve on 20 March 2024 to a hybrid Limousin x Belgian Blue stock bull. After a flurry of online and ringside bidding, she was eventually knocked down by auctioneer Eamon Gaffney to a Tipperary suckler farmer for €6,100. The next highest price went to a Charolais heifer out of a Limousin bred cow. The May 2021 born heifer was scanned in calf to the Salers/Belgian Blue hybrid stock bull due to calve on 31 March 2024. She sold for €5,400.

Next in the top price list was a big roan heifer sired by BB2247 and out of a Charolais cross cow. The April 2021 born heifer was scanned in calf to the Belgian Blue x Limousin hybrid stock bull due to calve on 27 Jan 2024. She sold for €5,200. Next up was another Charolais heifer, this time by Knockmoyle Loki out of a Limousin cross cow. The March 2021 born heifer was scanned in calf to the Salers x Belgian Blue Hybrid stock bull due to calve on 1 Feb 2024 selling for €4,400. The big money didn’t stop there though with two more heifers breaking the €5,000 price barrier.

The first of these was a roan Belgian Blue x Limousin November 2020 born heifer sired by the Belgian Blue bull BB4599 going back to a Limousin x cow. She was sold scanned in calf and due to calve on 10 February 2024 to an Ewdenvale Ivor sired Limousin stock bull selling for €5,000. The next heifer to hit €5,000 was a March 2021 born Charolais heifer going back to a Belgian Blue cow. She was scanned in calf to the Limousin x Belgian Blue hybrid stock bull and due to calve on 15 February 2024.

The sale resulted in a 96% clearance with just two of the 50 heifers presented for sale returning home unsold. The 50 heifers that were sold averaged €3,502/head.