Sixmilebridge Mart set to close

WHEN auctioneer Brendan Considine strikes his gavel at Sixmilebridge Mart next Saturday to close the last deal of the day, it will also signify the closure of the mart, which has been in operation for almost 40 years.

Locks will be put on the gates of the mart, now in the hands of the Golden Vale Co-Op Marts Group, after Saturday’s sale. The company says they arrived at the decision to close because the mart is no longer a viable proposition.
When news of the proposed closure hit the public domain, an emergency meeting of the Sixmilebridge–Kilmurry branch of the IFA was held on Tuesday night. The meeting mandated a deputation, to be led by parish priest Fr Harry Bohan, to seek an immediate meeting with Golden Vale management to discuss ways of keeping the mart operating as a going concern.
A follow-up meeting of the IFA branch is planned for next Tuesday night in The Pump House, Kilmurry, at 9pm.
The Clare Champion has learned that one avenue the deputation will explore is the possibility of a group of farmers acquiring the mart from Golden Vale and keeping it open for a weekly sale.
When the mart first opened for business in 1973, it was founded by a group of local businessmen and traded as Bunratty Farmers Export Mart. The mart subsequently changed hands 20 years ago when it was purchased by Golden Vale Co-Op Group. Since then, it has been managed by Kevin Leahy Jnr.
Chief executive of the Golden Vale Marts group, PJ Buckley, confirmed to The Clare Champion that they propose to sell the mart after the last sale on Saturday and that they are also proposing to sell another of their marts in Rathkeale.
He said that they regretted very much having to make the decision in relation to Sixmilebridge Mart. However, they were forced into the situation because of falling numbers going through the mart.
“This is happening over the past few years. We carried the mart for a long time but there comes a time when you have to make a decision,” he said.
As well as less movement of stock through the mart, the chief executive also blamed the increase in the number of farm sales, in addition to increased regulations as contributing to their making a decision on the South-East Clare mart, which held weekly sales on Saturdays. On sale days, a staff of seven people worked with the manager.
Founded in 1958 to operate livestock marts for the benefit of farmers, Golden Vale also owns marts in Kilmallock, Dromcollogher, Abbeyfeale, Tullamore and Carrigallen in County Leitrim.
Councillor PJ Ryan has described the impending closure as another blow to the farming community. He said that the mart had been extremely profitable for years and, like all marts, had been hit by a drop in the throughput of cattle.
“I’m at a loss at the decision. It’s a devastating blow to the local farming community,” he remarked.
“Sixmilebridge Mart attracted buyers from all over the country and was a popular mart with farmers not alone from Clare but from Limerick as well. With the opening of the tunnel not too far off, the convenience of travel I believe would have opened up opportunities for the mart to broaden its business.
“With the way the economy has gone, you have more and more part-time farmers and a Saturday mart was ideal for them. Now with the closure, they have to travel to Ennis, which will inconvenience them because Ennis Mart is held on work days,” he said.
Councillor Ryan said that a feasible option to closure was for a group of farmers to come together and try to acquire the mart premises.
“Big conglomerates have dictated to the farmers for years. Perhaps it’s time for the farmers to take back some of that power and wouldn’t it be great if a group of farmers did band together and keep the mart operational,” he said.