The Irish Hereford Breed Society (IHBS) held its second sale of the season in Central Auctions, Nenagh, on Thursday 4 April with 48 bulls in attendance.

Judge for the day was Angus and Hereford breeder Michael Dullea from Dunmanway, Co Cork, who is well-known in pedigree circles for running his own successful Deelish Herd.

David and Marshall Abbot, IHBS president John Boddy and judge Michael Dullea with the show champion, Woodviewpoll 1 Tomboy, that sold for €5,000. \ Shanon Kinahan

Big classes meant there were a number of tough decisions to be made in the show ring and Michael found his champion in Woodviewpoll 1 Tomboy from the herd of Marshall and David Abbot from Killeshandra, Co Cavan.

Cathal O'Meara with Shane McKiernan's third prizewinner, Drumcarbin Undertaker 2 that sold for €4,500 at the IHBS spring show and sale in Nenagh. \ Shanon Kinahan

Tomboy was a November 2022-born bull sired by Fisher 1 Profile P456 and was bred from a Fabb 1 Northern Star dam going back to Woodview Betty, possibly one of the most influential Hereford cows in the British and Irish isles.

The hammer fell for the champion at €5,000 to a pedigree breeder from Co Leitrim. Securing the top price of the day was the reserve champion, Moyclare Winston, from the herd of Michael Molloy from Belmont, Co Offaly. Born in January 2023, the Caislean Jake son was bred from a Witherstone Archie dam and was yet another bull to score four stars on replacement and five stars on terminal.

Robert and Paddy McNevin with their first prizewinner, Creggpark 1 Tommy ET, that sold for €4,200 at the IHBS spring show and sale in Nenagh. \ Shanon Kinahan

He was very easy calving at just 2% and sold to the Irish Hereford Breed Society breed improvement programme for €5,300.

Shane McKiernan from Ballinagh, Co Cavan, secured the next highest price of the sale with his September 2022-born bull, Drumcarbin Undertaker 2.

The Battalion Undertaker M023 ET son was bred from a Church Preen Galileo dam, Bellingham Nevin, which was an all-Ireland champion show heifer in 2018. The third prizewinner boasted four stars on replacement and five on terminal and sold for €4,500.

The next best on the day was Creggpark 1 Tommy ET from the herd of Robert McNevin from Tubber, Co Galway.

Dan Farrell with his second prizewinner Ballinveney Fugitive that sold for €4,000 at the IHBS spring show and sale in Nenagh. \ Shanon Kinahan

The August 2022-born bull was sired by Kinglee 1 Hero and was bred from a Panmure 1 Henry dam going back to Remitall Nation Wide ET and Gouldingpoll 1 Captain. The first prizewinner boasted a huge index of €165 on replacement and €98 on terminal and sold for €4,200.

Securing €4,000

There were three bulls to secure €4,000 on the day, the first of which was Kingsgrovepoll 1 Nor Star 13 from the herd of Michael O’Keeffe from Newmarket, Co Cork.

The July 2022-born bull was originally bred by John Kingston from Ballineen and was sired by Fabb 1 Northern Star out of a Normanton 1 Laertes cow.

Matthew Shortall and Sinead Conry with third prizewinner Rathnolag Spotlight that sold for €4,000 at the IHBS spring show and sale in Nenagh. \ Shanon Kinahan

The double five-star polled bull has a full brother in Eurogene AI Services and he was the first bull of the day to hit the €4,000 mark.

Next to secure €4,000 was second prizewinner Ballinveney Fugitive from the Nenagh, Co Tipperary-based herd of Rory Farrell.

Sired by Kaludah Powerhouse L478 out of a Ballinveney Nigel dam, this August 2022-born bull boasted yet another double five-star index with a carcase weight figure of 11.1kg, which is almost double the breed average.

Travelling from Castlerea in Co Roscommon was Sinead Conry with the November 2022-born bull, Rathnollag Spotlight. Spotlight was a son on Cill Cormaic Kasper and was bred from a Trillick Hotspur dam. The third prizewinner boasted €139 on the replacement index and was very easy calving at just 2.5%. He was the final bull to hit the €4,000 mark on the day.

Notable prices

  • JJ and Michael Barrett’s Gurtaleen Inchvale Gene that sold for €3,800.
  • Peter Cooke’s Boneleapoll 1 Everest sold for €3,800.
  • Sean, Gary and Evelyn McKiernan’s Corlismorepoll 1 Eddy 211 sold for €3,800.
  • Eoin Lynch’s Ballylinepoll 1 General Lee sold for €3,800.
  • Rory Farrell’s Ballinveney Fusion sold for €3,600.
  • Sinead Conry’s Rathnollag Rambler sold for €3,500.