With over 60,000 cattle and 40,000 sheep brought to be sold every year, the Clogher Valley Mart is the largest livestock market in Co Tyrone. Irish Tractor & Agri caught up with Harrison Boyd – one of the mart’s three directors along with Bryan Barnett and his brother Edwin – to find out more.
The selling and buying of livestock might well be an annual event for some, but for Harrison Boyd it’s something he has been involved in and at the core of all of his working life.
Born outside the village of Clogher in Co Tyrone, Harrison came into farming from a young age along with his brother Edwin through their father’s co-ownership of the local mart.
In 1965, Harrison became an auctioneer at Clogher Valley Mart and his involvement has evolved to the point where he now one of the three owners of the company, which is officially titled ‘Clogher Valley Livestock Producers Co Ltd’.
Given his family background, it’s fair to say that Harrison was born into the line of work that he currently finds himself in and wouldn’t rather be in any other circumstance.
“I’m from just outside the village here and we would have all come from a farming background and our fathers were all directors here,” he explained.
“I would have been coming here with my father from back when I was a kid and enjoyed every minutes of it – I still do.”
Ideally situated on the A4, the motorway which runs from Belfast to Enniskillen, the historic village of Clogher boasts the biggest mart in Co Tyrone. It has extensive car parking facilities and a state of the art canteen, as well as a vibrant Animal Health retail unit within its complex.
The mart’s sales yard has six sale rings and pens for up to 2,000 cattle with ample loading/unloading bays on hand to make handling stock easier.
Those at Clogher Mart compliment their reputation for service and prompt payment by using a fully computerized sales administration that is available six days per week.
Saturday is the main sale of the week, as store cattle, dairy and suckler cows, dropped calves and weanlings and fat cows are brought and auctioned and sheep sales are on a Thursday evening.
It’s safe to say that the mart is the heartbeat of the farming community in Clogher Valley, with farmers, dealers, handlers and their cattle all from all over Northern Ireland coming to town for it.
For Harrison Boyd, it’s his way of life. The Clogher village native has been coming to the mart since practically from when he could walk and is a driving force behind its success today, despite giving up auctioneering almost a decade ago
“I started my auctioning career in 1965 but I haven’t done any auctioneering for the last seven or eight years. We have all younger men doing that now,” he explained.
One of those younger men is James McCarney, an enthusiastic 19-year-old who only recently got into the auctioneering game and is responsible for selling up to 250 animals on any given day he’s at Clogher Mart.
James says he’s glad to get the experience at Clogher Mart and feels he’s “learning more and more every week”.
It’s certainly a trade worth learning too when you take into consideration the fact that close to £1m of stock changes hands in a day in the biggest mart in the county, with six auction rings which sees the animals organised by age and type.
Money like that changing hands brings its own pressures to someone like James as an up and coming auctioneer at the mart. However, he is one of many that are there to do their job and make sure things run smoothly on big sale days.
Another is the lady in charge of the canteen, Jean Maguire. With dozens of men passing through her canteen every day, Jean is entrusted with the responsibility of making sure they’re all fed, watered and ready for another busy day of sales.
Harrison would tell you himself that Jean has an excellent memory for the names of all her customers in the mart and she does a fine job in making sure that none of them leave it hungry. She also does weddings and outside catering functions, with her cooking skills admired far and wide.
“I have to pay thanks to our faithful long standing staff who play a vital role,” added Harrison. “The office is managed by Julie and Linda and on a Saturday we have an excellent part time staff who come in to help with the business.”
Come the last week in July it’s very much all hands on deck, as Harrison and co gear up for the ‘Clogher Valley Show’, which has very much become renowned for its historic success.
Dubbed ‘Northern Ireland’s Best One Day Show’, last year saw the Clogher Valley Show celebrate its 97th year on July 29th and this summer will see its organisers at the mart gearing up for number 98, with a century of shows just around the corner.
The show covers approximately 60 acres in the scenic Clogher Valley and is eagerly looked forward to by thousands.
It is host to a number of Finals with exhibitors from all over Ireland proudly presenting their livestock in the judging rings. It also hosts Irish Shows Association Qualifiers and is the only show in Ireland to host a qualifier for the ‘Horse of the Year’ final, which is held at the NEC Arena in Birmingham.
“We have it on the last Wednesday in July and we’re getting close to 100 years now,” said Harrison.
“It was first founded in 1904 but there was a break during the war years, so we’ve actually done over 100 shows and today it’s the biggest show around.
“One year we had over 400 livestock at the show and every county in Northern Ireland would be represented as we have it on a Wednesday which is a very suitable day for farmers.”
Indeed Clogher Valley Mart represents the free market at its best and if you were ask one of its owners about what he sees for it down the line; you’ll draw plenty of encouragement from him.
“People have talked about the demise of the markets,” said Harrison. “I remember 25 years ago a man saying to me ‘you’ll not be here in five years’ time’.
“We’re still here and hopefully will be in another 25 years and more.”
Great to hear, Harrison.
Clogher Valley Mart
Station Road
Clogher
Co. Tyrone
T: 028-8554 8279
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 3, March 2016
