The Irish Charolais Cattle Society hosted its first show and sale of the year at GVM Tullamore Mart, Co. Offaly on Saturday, February 21.

There was a clearance rate of just under 80% on the day with a top price of €10,200 and the average sale price settling at just over €6,000, which was over €1,300 above the average price from the same sale last year.

The top price on the day went to the Champion bull in the pre-sale show which was judged by well-known Charolais cattle breed enthusiast, Basil Bothwell, owner of the Dereskit Herd based in Co. Cavan.

Bred by William Scanlon from Co. Mayo, the pre-sale show champion and entry that secured the top price was Fermoyle Verome.

This bull was sired by Cloonradoon Ricky and out of a home bred dam with Jupiter as the maternal grand-sire.

Carrying a single copy of the Q204X gene, he found his new home in Mountrath in Co. Laois.

Larahill Vermont (et) secured the next highest price on the day of €8,000.

Bred by John O’Connor from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Vermont was sired by Pirate and had an impressive back pedigree which included Meillard, Doonally New, Invincible, Hermes and Utrillo Mic.

The bull carried one copy of the Q204X gene and sold to a farmer in Co. Offaly.

Fermoyle Vito, also owned by William Scanlon made €7,200. Sired by Orbi and out of a home-bred dam, he carried one copy of the Q204X gene and sold to Co. Sligo.

Two bulls sold at the €7,000 mark and the first to hit the price was Nolagh Vance 2 bred by Martin Shevlin from Co. Cavan.

This bull is sired by Mornity Nero and out of a home-bred dam with Cavelands Fenian as the maternal grand-sire, he was a single carrier of the Q204X gene and sold to a farmer in Co. Meath.

The second bull to sell at €7,000 was Lisnagre Verie (et).

Bred by Jim Geoghegan from Co. Westmeath, this October-born bull carried one copy of the Q204X gene.

Sired by Doonally New and out of a home bred dam, he found his new home in Co. Clare.

Dalehill Vance bred by Basil and Victoria Kells from Killeshandra, Co. Cavan, achieved the next highest price at €6,000.

Sired by Tonnalaura Oh Man and out of a home bred dam, he had Prime Roberto, Fleetwood, Doonally New, Insurain in his back pedigree. He went to a farmer in Tullamore in Co. Offaly.

Also selling at €6,000 was Sugarloaf Vasco de Gama bred by Kevin Molloy from Bray in Co. Wicklow.

Sired by Lapon and carrying a single copy of the the F94L and Q204X gene, he sold to a farmer from Loughrea in Co. Galway.

The Reserve Champion of the show was Derryolam Vacha. This bull went on to sell for €5,600 on the day.

Vacha was bred by Niall McNally from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan.

He was sired by Pacha and out of a home bred dam with Excellent as the maternal grand-sire. He found his new home in Ennistymon in Co. Clare.

Three bulls sold for €5,200 and first up was Sugarloaf Volvo. Born in September 2024, he was sired by the Society bull Neptune.

Volvo was bred by Kevin Molloy from Bray, Co. Wicklow and sold to a farm in Co. Wexford.

The next entry securing €5,200 was Derryolam Viston bred by Niall McNally from Carrickmacross in Co. Monaghan.

He was bred by Fiston and out of a home bred dam. This bull sold to a farm in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.

The last bull at €5,200 was Topnotch Victim. Sired by Clenagh Superior (et) and out of a home bred dam, he was a single carrier of the F94L gene.

Victim was bred by Seamus McCann from Lusk, Co. Dublin, and headed south to Templemore in Co. Tipperary.

Michael Carey from Killucan, Co. Westmeath received €5,000 for his offering Chanonstown Vision.

Sired by Pottlereagh Mark and out of a home-bred dam with Ocelot, Bova Nebuleux, Cavelands Fenian, Naoille and Enfield Hara Kiri in his back pedigree.

He sold to a farmer in Castletown Geoghegan, Co. Westmeath.

The next Irish Charolais Cattle Society sale will be the Premier on Saturday, March 21, with 55 bulls and 15 heifers catalogued.