Shock as mart in Cavan closes

Pressure is coming on Poles Co-op from the farming and business communities in Cavan to facilitate the speedy leasing of the Farnham Road premises of Cavan Livestock Mart so it can be re-opened quickly. The decision by Poles Co-op to cease trading on the site as a livestock mart has come as a bombshell in Cavan, notwithstanding the challenges facing livestock marts, a business activity that has to operate on tight margins. Poles Co-op purchased Cavan Mart in 1992 and through a subsidiary company, Binnacle Ltd, has been running weekly sales there. However, due to a decline in throughput the parent company has decided to cease trading as a livestock mart on the Farnham Road site. Leaseholders are being sought for the property and a Poles Co-op source expressed his belief that it is unlikely to re-open as a livestock mart given that marts are such a high risk, low profit business at this time. At the time of closure Cavan Livestock Mart employed a total staff of 12 people, mainly part-time, including three auctioneers and the company has paid full and adequate redundancy to the employees in question, it is revealed. The closure of Cavan Mart has come as a bolt from the blue to the business community and to farmers who used the weekly sales to sell and purchase stock. Since it was founded by the Brady family in 1966 it has been an important feature in the life of the town - the sales created a valuable spin-off to business. This was particularly true in the earlier decades when there was a visible increase in the number of people on the streets of the town on mart day (then a Tuesday). Street traders were evident on mart day and the pattern continued when Poles Co-op acquired the mart and moved the main sales day to Friday. According to a co-op representative the mart has been showing poor returns for three years, leaving the business unprofitable. The site is now being offered for leasing, he stated, though it regretted having to take that action. Cavan Livestock Mart was founded by the Brady family in 1966 on the site of the old Cavan Great Northern Railway station. It was part of the new generation of livestock marts across Ireland replacing traditional fair days that were part of life for a century. Located in the county town and close to the Border, it became the biggest mart in this area and the four rings operated on mart day, when some 1,500 cattle went under the hammer (75,000 animals annually). In the earlier years there was also a lively pig sale. Eugene Brady, one of the original owners, recalls that besides Cavan buyers, farmers and dealers also came from the North and the midlands to purchase animals. Some 30 people were employed on sales day and the mart benefited the business life of the town, he recalls. Now, increased overheads and the decline in throughput due to changes in farming practices are among the reasons for difficulties - the throughput is down to 9,000 cattle annually. Laragh farmer and IFA man Joe Brady reflected the disappointment of farmers: "The mart has been there for a long number of years and provided a good service to the farmers of this area. I hope it will be re-opened sooner rather than later because it would be huge loss to the people of the area if it doesn't," he said.. Killygarry farmer and livestock man Peadar Conaty also acknowledged that it was a major blow to the farmers, who would have to take their animals to the sales in Ballyjamesduff or Carnaross. He recalled that in 1992 when Poles Co-op bought Cavan Mart he was secretary of the Co-op, Leslie Maye was chairman and Shay Power was manager. It was they who effected the purchase on behalf of the Co-op and he is disappointed at the decision of the present committee to close the mart. "I can't understand why it was closed," said Mr. Conaty, who revealed that there are a few interested parties in favour of leasing the premises as a livestock mart. He feared that if it was closed for much longer it would never re-open. Also expressing his disappointment at the closure, Cllr. Paddy Conaty said that while most of the jobs at the mart were part-time their loss was huge to those employees. The closure was a major blow to farmers and business, and farmers that he had spoken to felt the co-op could have done more to keep the mart open.