Albert and Jennifer De Cogan held a highly anticipated reduction sale of their prestigious Mogeely Aberdeen Angus Herd on Saturday, July 1st, at the Mid Tipperary Co-Operative Livestock Mart in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The Mogeely herd is well-known and respected in Angus cattle-breeding circles, having been crowned Supreme All-Ireland Champion on an impressive seven occasions. The sale was a resounding success, with the Irish Aberdeen Angus Association dubbing it a “record breaker” for the Thurles venue, as the average sale price reached an astounding €4,600. The top price achieved was €9,000, and the overall clearance rate was an impressive 100%.
The online platform MartEye played a significant role in the success of the sale, as auctioneer Denis Barrett secured the highest bid from the platform for 56% of the Angus lots on offer. The highlight of the day was the sale of Mogeely Diana X808, a daughter of Wedderlie Blackbox. Diana X808 had previously claimed the title of All Ireland Senior Cow Champion in 2022, and she also placed second in her own class on that day, despite being the youngest forward. With a carcass figure of 24.7kg, she carried the highest carcass figure in the catalogue. Diana X808 was ultimately sold for €9,000 to a notable Simmental breeder from Co. Galway, who purchased four foundation females on the day. The heifer was recently inseminated to a prominent Angus sire.
Two heifers also achieved impressive prices of €8,000 each. The first was Mogeely Flora X787, a top female from the renowned Flora line. Sired by HW Farghal, this heifer’s pedigree includes the Fleur and Flora lines, which trace back to one of the most renowned cows in the breed, Cee Bar Favourite 8. Flora X787 had been crowned Aberdeen Angus Champion at the Midleton show in 2023 and is expected to have a successful summer of shows ahead. She was sold in calf to Rawburn Jagger Eric R094 to a breeder in Co. Donegal. The second heifer to reach the €8,000 mark was Mogeely Flora Y860, described as “Albert’s Pick” and a show heifer in the making. Sired by the three-time All-Ireland champion Rosemead Karona, this young heifer hails from the Flora cow family and possesses both pedigree and presence. She found her new home as a foundation female for a young breeder in Co. Kildare.
Another notable sale was that of Mogeely Flora Y858, one of the first-ever HW Lord Horatio heifers offered for sale. With a pedigree that includes the Flora line, Rosemead Karona, and Young Dale Touchdown, this heifer is expected to make waves in the remaining 2023 show season. Flora Y858 had already claimed the title of Aberdeen Angus Calf Champion at the Bandon Show this year, and she was sold for €7,400.
Mogeely Flora X773 was another impressive sale, leaving the ring at €7,000. This heifer was sold in calf to the famous Rosemead Karona and boasted a sire stack of Laheens Reputation, Cashelane Bart, and Young Dale Touchdown. The only red female of the day was Mogeely Red Elize Y842, which sold for €6,600. This heifer had a pedigree packed with super family lines, including Karona and Stirling champion Cheeklaw Jake Eric. She was purchased by a breeder from Co. Laois.
Two heifers achieved a price of €6,400 each. The first was Mogeely Miss Essence X763, a daughter of Wedderlie Oscalade from the Tilson’s herd in Scotland. Her dam, Luddenmore Miss Essence, descended from the famous DMM Miss Essence 147H. Miss Essence X763 had a carcass weight value nearly three times the breed average, selling in calf to Keirsbeath Karma to a young breeder in Co. Westmeath. The second heifer, Mogeely Pretty X798, was a five-star daughter of Drumbeera Everest. Her dam, Portanes R Pretty, stood as the reserve female champion in Kilmallock. Pretty X798 was sold in calf to Rawburn Jagger Eric R094 to the Lisnafanna Herd based in Co. Cavan.
Mogeely Lady Gail X786, sired by the successful National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC) artificial insemination (AI) bull HW Farghal T516, was another standout heifer. Out of Portanes R Gail 930, who was the overall champion at the Munster Angus breeder’s sale in Kilmallock, Lady Gail X786 was backed by two exceptional bulls in Lisduff Dinky and Liss Man K089. She was sold for €6,200 in calf to Rawburn Jagger Eric R094.
Mogeely Mylo Y818, the only female from her cow family, also garnered attention. The Mylo cow family is one of the oldest in Ireland and boasts an impressive lineage. Her dam, Mogeely Miylo P341, is a daughter of the three-time All-Ireland champion Rosemead Karona and a maternal sister to Mogeely Minto, who has successfully bred in the Mercury, Captainshill, and Briarhill pedigree herds. Miylo X818 was sold in calf to Kealkil Prime Lad for €5,800 to the Liss Herd based in Meath.
Other notable prices achieved at the sale included €5,500 for Mogeely Elize X766, €5,000 for Mogeely Lady Haxel X777, €5,000 for Mogeely Evening Tinge X802, €4,900 for Mogeely Lady Hines X800, €4,800 for Mogeely Lady Blossom Y812, €4,700 for Mogeely Pru X770, €4,400 for Mogeely Blackbird X805, and €4,000 for Mogeely Black Beatrice X761.
The sale marked the first-ever use of the Irish Aberdeen Angus Association’s sales-management package for one of its breeders. The Mogeely Angus Herd has amassed numerous championships and titles at shows across the country over the years. As the herd has grown, the decision was made to hold a major reduction sale in order to bring cow numbers back to 30 breeding females. This allowed for fairness to all purchasers and potential purchasers, ensuring that all top female lines were made available.
