Irish Charolais Cattle Society

What Irish Charolais Cattle Society does

The Irish Charolais Cattle Society is a cooperative breed society founded in 1965 to promote Charolais beef cattle in Ireland. It maintains the official Irish Charolais herd book through a direct integration with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) Herdbook Online system, providing pedigree registration, calf recording, Euro-star genetic evaluations, linear scoring, myostatin and DNA parentage verification, and AI sire coding. The society operates a coordinated sales infrastructure at three primary venues: Tullamore Mart (regular spring bull sales), Elphin Mart (Premier Sale and the flagship Christmas Cracker sale), and Carrick-on-Shannon showgrounds (National Calf Show and Elite Heifer Sale), with ringside auctions augmented by online bidding via LSL and Martbids.ie. It also imports and distributes Charolais semen exclusively to members, most recently launching TEMPO (AI Code CH3045) at €58 per straw.

The society's primary customers are pedigree Charolais breeders and commercial suckler farmers in Ireland, with secondary reach into beef finishers, dairy-beef operators, and Northern Ireland buyers. Revenue is generated through transaction commissions on sale animals, recurring annual membership fees, society fees for registration and AI codes, and per-straw semen sales. It supports member activity through three regional clubs (North Eastern, Midland & Western, Cork & Kerry), an annual National Charolais Show, a Suckler Herd Competition, and recognition programs such as the Pedigree All-Star Award. The organization is led by a Secretary (Barbara Jay-Downey), a Field Officer (Shane Maguire, appointed October 2025), and an elected council headed by President David Erskine and Vice President Wesley Kellett (elected May 2026).

Name

Irish Charolais Cattle Society

Legal name

Irish Charolais Cattle Society

Website

https://charolais.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Irish Charolais Cattle Society is a 1965-founded cooperative that maintains Ireland's official Charolais herd book and operates bull and heifer sales at national livestock marts, distributing imported semen and serving pedigree breeders and commercial suckler farmers across Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pedigree Beef Cattle Breed Society

NAICS

Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming (112111)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cow-Calf Operations (Breeding Herds) (AFAEABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Livestock & Herd/Flock Operations Management Advisory (Nutrition, Housing, Performance) (AFACAJAL)

Keywords

• Pedigree cattle registry
• Beef breed society
• Livestock auction sales
• Cattle semen distribution
• Herd performance recording

Headquarters

HQ city

Kildare

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Bull and Heifer Sale Commissions: The society organizes and operates bull and heifer sales at livestock marts, taking commissions on transactions. Sales include spring bull sales, premier sales, elite heifer sales, and the annual Christmas Cracker sale. Average prices range from €5,000 to over €10,000 per bull.
2. Membership Fees: Annual society membership fees for pedigree breeders including access to herd book services, sale entries, and member resources
3. Semen Sales: The society imports and sells Charolais bull semen exclusively to members. New bulls brought in from France, such as TEMPO (CH3045) at €58 per straw.
4. Society Fees: Fees for calf registration, AI codes, breeding programme participation, and other herd book services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Irish Charolais Cattle Society operates the Irish Charolais Herd Book, organizes seasonal pedigree bull and heifer sales at livestock marts across Ireland, runs the annual National Charolais Show and Suckler Herd Competition, and distributes semen from imported and Society-approved Charolais bulls. It also delivers whole-herd performance recording, linear scoring and Euro-star genetic evaluations to members through integration with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).

Product overview

The Irish Charolais Cattle Society operates a comprehensive breed registry and livestock sales ecosystem. The core offerings include seasonal bull sales events (Tullamore, Elphin, Premier, and Christmas Cracker sales), the Elite Heifer Sale, and semen distribution through Society-managed bull programs. Supporting services include herd performance recording, calf registration via ICBF Herdbook, linear scoring, and regional Charolais Club activities. The Society also organizes the National Charolais Show and annual competitions including the Suckler Herd Competition and Pedigree All-Star Award. Digital services include online sales entry portals and integration with ICBF for breed registration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seasonal Bull Show and Sales Events
• Premier Sale
• Christmas Cracker Sale
• Elite Heifer Sale
• Charolais Semen Sales (Society Bulls and Imported Bulls)
• National Charolais Show
• Pedigree Calf Registration
• Whole Herd Performance Recording and Linear Scoring
• GENE IRL Beef Genetic Evaluation Service
• Society Membership
• Online Sales Entry Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Charolais steers achieved highest mart price average over five years in all weight categories
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICBF (Irish Cattle Breeding Federation)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026ICBF provides the herd book online system, genetic evaluations, and Euro-star index calculations for the society. All registered animals receive ICBF evaluations and the society uses ICBF's webapp for herd book services.
• LSL (Livestock Software Ltd)coreTechnology or IntegrationLSL provides online bidding platform for society bull sales, enabling remote buyers to participate in auctions at Tullamore Mart and other venues.
• Martbids.iecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline bidding platform used for Premier Sales and Christmas Cracker sales at Elphin Mart.
• Tullamore MartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary sale venue for regular bull shows and sales throughout the spring season.
• Elphin MartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts the Premier Sale and annual Christmas Cracker sale.
• Midland and Western Livestock Improvement SocietyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-hosts the National Calf Show and Elite Heifer Sale at Carrick-on-Shannon showgrounds.
• North Eastern Charolais ClubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMost active regional club, won Club of the Year 2025, organizes Rising Stars Show and supports society sales.
• Midland & Western Charolais ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional club organizing unhaltered heifer sales and supporting society events.
• Cork & Kerry Charolais ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional club covering southern Ireland, re-established with elected officers.
• Dovea GeneticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor genetics company that purchases top-priced bulls at society sales.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• World Charolais Technical Congress: International federation of Charolais breed societies — the global umbrella body the Irish Society has historically engaged with (notably hosting the 10th World Convention in 1973), representing the international peer ecosystem.
• Dovea Genetics: Major Irish AI and genetics company that purchases top-priced bulls at Society sales and distributes semen commercially — a key channel partner and customer rather than direct breed society competitor.
• ICBF (Irish Cattle Breeding Federation): Core technology and infrastructure partner providing the herd book online system and Euro-star genetic evaluations across all Irish breed societies — an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Munster Bovine: Irish cattle breeding and AI services company offering genomic testing, herd recording, and AI distribution — adjacent service provider with partial overlap in performance recording and genetic services offered to breeders.

Direct peers

• Irish Angus Cattle Society: Direct peer offering the same breed society model (herd book, sales, shows, member services) for Angus cattle in Ireland, competing for the same suckler and beef farmer customers as Charolais.
• Irish Belgian Blue Cattle Society: Direct peer Irish breed society for Belgian Blue, a double-muscled terminal beef breed competing with Charolais in the same suckler and dairy-beef production systems.
• Irish Simmental Cattle Society: Direct peer Irish breed society providing herd book, sales, and member services for Simmental cattle — another dual-purpose beef breed competing directly with Charolais.
• Irish Limousin Cattle Society: Direct peer as a fellow Irish beef breed society operating a herd book, pedigree registrations, bull sales at marts, and genetic evaluation services for Limousin — the principal commercial competitor to Charolais in Ireland.
• British Charolais Cattle Society: International breed society peer for Charolais — operates the same model (herd book, premier sales, genetic evaluations) in the UK, providing a closely comparable benchmark for sales performance and member services.
• Irish Hereford Breed Society: Direct peer breed society serving Hereford cattle breeders in Ireland with pedigree registration, sales, and shows — competing for the same commercial beef farmer wallet share.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/irishcharolais
• Facebookfacebook.com/Irish-Charolais-Cattle-Society-100057415279366

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irish Charolais Cattle Society