Thomas Lyons 
Farmers from all over Ireland and Northern Ireland gathered at GVM Carrigallen Mart in County Leitrim for the annual heifer sale of Jim Heery, a well-known commercial cattle breeder from Bailieborough, County Cavan. The event was a huge success, with an exceptional demand for the top-class weanling heifers on offer. Mart manager Helen Kells spoke to Agriland after the event and said that there was a full clearance of the 60 homebred weanling heifers available. Kells also commended the quality of stock on offer, saying that they were an “exceptional group of well-bred heifers”.
Buyers from both Ireland and Northern Ireland secured heifers at the event, with the top price of €5,550, or €10.99/kg, going to Lot 47, a 505kg heifer. The top-priced heifer was sired by K Genetics-owned purebred red Belgian Blue bull Leonardus Van De Uilenvlucht (S3671). The February 2022-born five-star heifer’s dam was a Belgian Blue-cross Simmental cow by DBZ and Seepa Tee Jay. The second-highest price and top-price per kilo was lot 44, a stylish red roan-type Belgian Blue heifer. This four-star February 2022-born heifer weighed 440kg and sold for €5,000 or €11.36/kg. The red heifer was sired by a son of Accord De Wihogne (S527) and her dam was a Belgian Blue-cross Limousin cow.
The average sale price at the Cavan-based commercial cattle breeder’s third annual sale at Carrigallen Mart was €2,415.50. The event was a huge success, with buyers from all over the country taking home top-quality heifers. The success of the event is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Jim Heery and the team at Carrigallen Mart.
Aside from the special sale, Carrigallen Mart also hosted its normal sale of weanling bulls and heifers, which featured around 200 heifers (including the special sale) and 150 bulls. In the calf sale, there were almost 300 head on offer between calves and runners. There was a high clearance across all categories, with the top price in the calf sale going to a March-born Belgian Blue heifer calf that sold for €630.
The mart manager explained that numbers are still good in the calf sale but said they will likely drop off over the coming weeks. Despite this, the success of the event is a positive sign for the Irish farming industry, which has faced many challenges in recent years. It is events like this that showcase the quality of Irish livestock and the hard work of farmers across the country.
In conclusion, the annual heifer sale of Jim Heery was a huge success, with a full clearance of the 60 homebred weanling heifers on offer. The exceptional demand for top-quality weanling heifers resulted in buyers from both Ireland and Northern Ireland securing heifers at the event. The top-priced heifer was sired by K Genetics-owned purebred red Belgian Blue bull Leonardus Van De Uilenvlucht (S3671), and the second-highest price and top-price per kilo was lot 44, a stylish red roan-type Belgian Blue heifer. The success of the event is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Jim Heery and the team at Carrigallen Mart.
