Thomas Lyons The Irish Charolais Cattle Society held its penultimate bull sale of the season at Tuam Mart in Co. Galway on Saturday, May 6, with over 20 bulls going under the hammer. The trade was described as “lively” by the society, with five bulls selling for €5,000 or more on the day. Sixteen bulls sold for an average sale price of €3,960.
Caltun Ten Ten Twenty, a son of Alwent Goldbar and a Pirate-bred dam, topped the trade at €5,400. Born in February 2022, he had a five-star terminal index of €138 and a carcass weight figure of +37.8kg. He was placed second in his class and attracted intense bidding before being knocked down to a Co. Clare-based suckler farmer. Tonroe The Real Deal ET, a son of Pirate and a CF-52-bred dam, was next best at €5,100. He had a terminal index of €143 and a calving figure of 5.8%, and carried one copy of the Q gene. He was placed third in his class and was purchased by a Co. Mayo suckler farmer.
Cloughbrack Stan, a son of the French sire Chic and a Cavelands Fenian-bred cow, was named Overall Champion of the day. Born in October 2021, the Galway-bred bull had a replacement index of €123 and a calving figure of 2.6% on beef cows, the lowest on the day. He was knocked down at €5,000 to a local suckler farmer. Clonmahon Seanie, a son of Artois and a Goldstar Echo-bred dam, was exhibited by Eddie Daly from Co. Meath and sold for €5,000. He had a five-star terminal index of €136 and a below-average calving figure of 3.2% on beef cows, and went to a suckler farmer in Co. Mayo. Limkiln Tom, a rising 14-month-old bull exhibited by Richard Hackett from Co. Clare, was the final bull to sell for €5,000. He was a son of Fiston and a homebred Goldstar Echo daughter, and offered five stars on the terminal and replacement indices, along with a calving figure of just 5.5% on beef cows. He went to a Co. Roscommon suckler farmer.
Judge John Jennings awarded the Reserve Championship to Davron T Rex, exhibited by David Nilan from Athenry, Co. Galway. A son of Bova Sylvain and a Roughan Galant-bred dam, this powerful bull carries one copy of the Q204X gene. He sold for €3,200 to a Co. Westmeath farmer. The society wished all buyers the best of luck with their bulls. The final sale of spring 2023 will take place at GVM Tullamore Mart in Co. Offaly on Saturday, May 27, with 62 bulls and nine heifers catalogued.
