DENIS and Theresa Roberts from Queensland, Aust-ralia, purchased the three
top priced females in the recent Harrison & Hetherington Magnificent Moilies Spring online timed auction.
Sale leader at £3,000 was Ballyreagh Foxglove 6754, bred by William Edwards, Ballyreagh, Tempo, County Fermanagh, con-signed by N & M Moilies. This fully halter broken, stylish one year-old heifer is out of a homebred young cow, Ballyreagh Foxglove 6723, and sired by the stock bull Derrynagarra Clarence, which was bred by Christopher and Helen Kelly, Collinstown, County Westmeath.
From a ‘sister herd’ at the same home as the sale leader, in Tempo, County Fermanagh, of the Edwards family was the second joint highest priced animal of the sale at £2,900 for a highly well-bred three-year-old young cow, Curraghnakeely Pandora 0526, out of the homebred cow Curraghnakeely Pandora EX90,
sired by stock bull Latton Rick EX92, which was bred by Paul Ferguson of Kiltyclougher, County Leitrim. Curraghnakeely Pandora 0526 was sold in calf to the stock bull Ardfert Jackal bred by Patrick O’Sullivan of County Kerry.
Second joint highest price of £2,900 went to Brian O’Kane, Martinstown, Ballymena, for his
shapely one-year-old heifer Ravel-glen Bo Ez out of a homebred cow Ravelglen Emerald EX91, sired by 2021 Balmoral Overall Champion Woodbine Casper EX95, bred by Ciara and James White, County Wexford.
Denis and his wife Theresa Roberts, Queensland farmers in
Australia, who also own AAA Genetics (Australia), purchased the top three priced females as part of their second project of importing Irish Moiled embryos to breed full-blood Irish Moiled cattle.
In 2020 the first project of AAA Genetics was to introduce the first Irish Moiled semen to Australia and New Zealand, which it successfully completed, and presently it is negotiating the export of semen from two more Irish Moiled bulls.
Denis and Theresa are planning a visit to Irish Moiled herds in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and in Great Britain to source the very best bloodlines they can to continue their ambitious project that hopes to see them one day being able to offer Irish Moiled beef in restaurants and supermarkets in Australia.
Renown Irish Moiled breeder Robert Boyle, from Millisle, County Down, also had a very successful sale selling a homebred 18-month-old heifer Beechmount Louisa for £2,700 purchased by newly established breeder Christine Tay-lor from Lisburn. Beechmount Lousisa is out of Clandeboye Louisa VG85 bred by Clandeboye Estate, Bangor, and sired by Curraghanakeely Masterpiece EX90 and bred by Nigel Edwards, Tempo, County Fermanagh. Robert Boyle went on to sell four other females at the sale at prices of £2,600, £2,400, £2,300, and £1,600.
Females met an insatiable de-mand with an average of £2,300 for 10.
The IMCS would once again like to thank Harrison & Hetherington Auctioneers, everyone who put in the hard work in the run up to the sale, to all the breeders who entered cattle, and especially wishing everyone success with their new purchases.
The IMCS has a very busy season ahead with plans to have the Magnificent Moilie Autumn online sale at the end of September but before that and fast approaching is finally the start of agricultural shows, which hopefully members will support and enter cattle into Irish Moiled classes. It has been over two years since any local shows have taken place.
A tough time for show committees but no doubt there is now a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes to get the shows up and running again. It is a super opportunity to showcase the breed at any of these agricultural events.
On Tuesday, June 21, at 7.30pm there will be a breeders’ classification workshop to be held
at Robert and Linda Davis farm,
Doagh, Ballyclare (Covid restrict-ions will be adhered to and limited spaces apply, booking is essential – please contact the breed secretary Gillian for more information and to book your place by emailing secretary@irishmoiledcattlesociety.com.
The Great Britain Irish Moiled national show is once again being held at the Royal Three Counties, June 17-19. Judge for the occasion is Philip Mellor, York.
The breed’s Northern Ireland national show will be held at Antrim Show on July 23. Judge for the occasion is Trevor Chadwick, Galway. The Republic of Ireland national will be held at Tullamore Show on August 14 with the judge being Michelle McCauley, County Down.
A beef breeders’ day will be held at Killua Castle, County Westmeath, on Saturday September 3, where breeders will have the opportunity to have a guided tour of the meat plant and castle, visit the Irish Moiled herd and deer, rounded off with some delicious food.
The virtual Irish Moiled online show takes place on Saturday, September 10. It is a perfect occasion for all three constituen-cies to compete together with no hassle of having to leave the farm.
The next few months of hopefully good weather and long-
er evenings will provide the favourable opportunity to get out photographing and taking videos of your cattle. Judge this year is Dan Bull from Duffriesshire in Scotland.
This year’s IMCS AGM will be held virtually on Wednesday, August 3. Information on this will be available shortly. Meantime keep updated by following the Irish Moiled Cattle Society website, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets.
n If you want to enter any of the above or find out more information, please contact breed secretary Gillian at secretary@irishmoiledcattlesociety.com
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
