Large crowds gathered at Fennor Farm in Co. Westmeath this afternoon (Saturday 18 April) for the 2026 Gigginstown House Angus Sale.
Gigginstown House Angus is a pedigree cattle herd owned by Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary. The farm sale started at 1:00pm and was conducted by Ballyjamesduff Co., Ltd. Operative Livestock Mart, with online bidding available via MartEye.
Auctioneer Tommy Harrison was on the stand and the bulls were the first to enter the ring.
There were 23 bulls for sale that day, selling for prices ranging from €3,700 to €6,300 a head.
There was a check for €500 on offer to the buyer of the top-priced cow and bull of the day and €250 for the second top.
Plot 17, Gigginstown Red Eagle He received the highest price in the bullish section, which was 6,300 euros.
The Red Angus bull was sired by Colderry Red Uncle Buck and his dam was Gigginstown Red Edeline.
Two bulls were sold for €6,200 a day. The first to enter the money was the third batch, GIGGINSTOWN CAPTAIN EBONHILL.
This five-star final bull had a dairy beef index of €152 and a calving difficulty of 2.6% in dairy cows.
He was sired by Stouphill Master Prince and his dam was Captainshill Sarah.
The second bull, which reached €6,200, was the fifth installment. Gigginstown Drum Roll.
The September 2024-born bull was sired by Drumcrow Twenty Twenty and his dam was Gigginstown Dawn Run.
Plot 23 Gigginstown Elvis Sold for €6,100. This bull also sired Drumcrow Twenty Twenty and his dam was Shadwell Elandia.
After all the bulls were sold, it was the turn of the heifers with an entry in this section guaranteeing the highest selling price.
A total of 13 cows passed through the paddock on the day, and the top price for the division and overall 2026 auction went to lot 33, Gigginstown Lady Gatsby selling for €9,600.
The April 2024-bred heifer was sold in calf to Ebon Hill Extra Gold and had a five-star replacement index.
She was bred by Drumcrow Polar Express and her dam was Gigginstown Lady Alcatraz.
Selling at €8,200 was for lot 28 Gigginstown Templar Rose. The March 2024-bred heifer was sold as-calf to Gigginstown Lord Belvin.
She was bred by Les Martin and her dam was Gigginstown Transworld.
The insurance price of 6,500 euros was for batch 37, Baroness Gigginstown.
This cow was sold as a calf to Ebon Hill Extra Gold and her sire was Stouphill Master Prince with Gigginstown Bullet Proof as her dam.
Finally, it was a ton of virgin calves, and there were five of them for sale that day.
The highest priced first heifer was Lot 41 Gigginstown Eva Blackcap, selling for €5,850.
The November 2024 foal was sired by Steil Theodore and her dam was Gigginstown Essence.
Plot 44 Gigginstown Red Tigerless Sold for €5,100.
The first cow was foaled in November 2024 by Coolderry Red Uncle Buck and her dam was Gigginstown The Stowaway.
talking to Agriland Following the sale, Ballyjamesduff Mart manager John Tiflin said the sale had been “very successful” with full clearance secured.
Tevlin said the strong calf prices currently being achieved were resulting in more dairy farmers buying a better quality bull, and he said this was evident from the “huge interest” in the bulls for sale.
Prices of heifers ranged from 3,500 to 9,600 euros per head, and prices of first heifers ranged from 3,700 to 5,850 euros per head.
