Trade, tradition and community since 1976 — celebrated by Roscommon People
Fifty years on, Castlerea Mart remains a place where business, farming and community come together — and for Mart Manager Brendan Egan, reaching the milestone is a source of pride.
“Since the Mart was established in 1976, we’ve maintained it, developed it and enhanced it,” he says. “It started off with one ring and today we have three.”
Brendan has been part of that story for more than four decades. He joined Castlerea Mart in November 1981 and became manager in 2012. In that time, he has seen enormous change in agriculture and in the way livestock is bought and sold.
The Mart draws buyers and sellers from a wide catchment area, supplies cattle across all four provinces and also serves as an assembly point for cattle exported to Northern Ireland.
“We’ve had a very loyal customer base, both sellers and buyers, since the Mart was established,” he says. “Over that period the Mart has grown and the customer base has grown as well.”
Perhaps the biggest change came during Covid, when restrictions accelerated the move towards online livestock sales.
“Before Covid, everyone was in attendance and you had huge crowds around the rings,” Brendan says. “There may be fewer people physically attending now, but a lot more stock is being bought online. It has changed the way business is done.”
Yet the Mart has never been simply a place of commerce.
“It has always been a meeting place,”
“Some people come in even if they haven’t livestock to sell. They come to observe the trade, have a look at the stock, meet people and maybe have a bit of lunch. There is a social aspect to it too, and in rural Ireland that is very important.”
That continuity can be seen in generations of families who have passed through Castlerea Mart.
“Some families have been coming here for three generations,” Brendan says. “They keep coming back, and it is great to see young people taking up farming and showing an active interest in it, because it can be a tough occupation and it is ever-changing.”
He is particularly conscious of the work done by suckler farmers in the region.
“These are people working early mornings and late nights, putting huge time and effort into their farms and producing quality cattle,” he says. “They deserve great credit, and hopefully they are rewarded with a good price for their stock at the end of the day.”
The Mart also has an impact beyond its gates.
“It is a huge economic benefit to the town. People come here to trade livestock, but they also use the local shops, restaurants and other outlets. It brings people into Castlerea.”
As the Mart marks 50 years, Brendan is keen that the milestone recognises all those who built and sustained it — from the founding members and boards of management to staff, auctioneers, buyers and sellers.
“It has always been a team effort,” he says. “An awful lot of people have dedicated years of their lives to Castlerea Mart, and I’ve been very fortunate to have a great network of people working with me and supporting me.”
Looking to the future, Brendan believes viable family farms will remain essential to rural Ireland.
“Without people farming and producing stock, marts won’t survive,” he says. “It is vital that the next generation is supported and that smaller farms remain viable.”
The anniversary will also be Mass of Remembrance at Castlerea Mart on Tuesday, September 1 at 7 pm, marked with afittingly held “where it all began”. Anyone with a connection to Castlerea Mart, past or present, is warmly invited to attend.
For Brendan, the occasion is about recognising those who made the Mart what it is today.
“It is important that we remember the people who were brave enough to get the Mart up and running in 1976, and everyone who has contributed to its success since then. This anniversary is a mark of respect to all of them.”
‘The Mart was in our house all the time’
Michael Sweeny Jr reflects on his father’s role in establishing Castlerea Mart and how the Mart became woven into the life of the Sweeny family
For Michael Sweeny Jr, Castlerea Mart’s 50th anniversary is not simply the story of a local institution reaching a milestone. It is part of his family story.
Michael was 15 years old when the Mart opened in 1976, and he clearly remembers the years of work that preceded it — particularly the long winter evenings when his father, Michael Sweeny, was frequently away from home, travelling with fellow committee members to raise the money needed to get the project off the ground.
“I remember the long winter nights and they’d be on the road constantly,” Michael says. “He was never at home for quite a number of years, trying to collect money to establish the Mart with his friends and colleagues at the time.”
Among those he particularly remembers from those early years are Richard Finan and Eamon Connally, who, together with his father, he describes as being at the “engine room” of what was to follow.
The commitment inevitably affected family life too. With Michael Sr giving so much time to the fledgling Mart, his wife took on additional work at home and on the farm, including milking cows in his absence.
“Don’t underestimate the amount of time and work and energy it took,” Michael Jr says.
Michael’s memories echo the account his father later wrote of the work involved in establishing Castlerea Co-operative Livestock Market.
Michael Sr recalled how, as business at Castlerea’s traditional Fair Green declined, local farmers increasingly had to travel to marts elsewhere to sell their livestock.
“Without a doubt, it’s one of the top marts in the country.”
In 1973, the decision was taken to establish a mart in Castlerea. A local committee was formed, advice was sought from the IFA and ICOS, and the enterprise was established as a co-operative, with money raised through share capital. There was no grant aid available to build the Mart and an enormous fundraising effort followed.
For Michael Jr, however, his father’s motivation was straightforward: he wanted local farmers to have a better and fairer way of selling their stock.
“It meant absolutely everything to him,” Michael says. “He had a big grá for farmers and, at that time, farmers were fighting to be able to market their own product in a fair manner.”
Michael remembers the old Fair Green system himself — cattle being driven into Castlerea early in the morning, held there for much of the day and sold in conditions very different from the organised mart system that would follow.
“What he was trying to achieve was a place where farmers would come and sell their cattle safely and in a proper manner, and get the best marketplace for their cattle,” he says.
That ambition became reality in 1976. Building work began on March 1 and Noel Moran was appointed manager on September 10. Castlerea Livestock Co-operative Mart opened for business on September 30, 1976, with Michael Sweeny Sr serving as chairman of the founding committee.
For his son, what followed became inseparable from family life.
“The Mart was in our house all the time,” Michael Jr recalls. In its early decades, the Mart’s annual dinners and dances were major social occasions, while the Mart itself remained a regular subject of conversation in the Sweeny home. Whether his father was serving as chairman or not, the connection remained.
“It became part of our lives,” Michael says. “It was definitely there in our lives.” Half a century later, he looks at what grew from those years of fundraising and planning with considerable pride.
Today’s three-ring operation, improved walkways and safety measures, and the speed with which cattle can be moved through the Mart are a long way removed from its earliest days.
“It’s an incredible achievement,” Michael says. “From where it came from … to now have three rings and be finished as quick as we are during the day.
“Without a doubt, it’s one of the top marts in the country.” The Mart’s place in Castlerea has also grown beyond livestock sales. Michael points to the relationship between the Mart and other local organisations, its support for community causes and the business generated in the town on sale days.
But for the Sweeny family, the roots of the story remain in those long evenings 50 years ago: farmers and community members giving their time, raising money share by share and working towards an idea they believed Castlerea needed.
What began as a determination to give local farmers a fair marketplace became an institution that would remain part of the Sweeny family’s life for generations.
How Castlerea Mart began
Founding member Richard Finan recalls the determination, fundraising and hard work that turned an idea for a local livestock mart into reality 50 years ago
When Castlerea Mart opened its gates in September 1976, it marked the end of several years of planning, fundraising and persistence by a small group of local farmers who believed the town needed a livestock mart of its own.
Richard Finan, Carramore, was there from the beginning. “I was there from day one. I was one of the original founder members,” he recalls.
The idea began to gather momentum in the early 1970s, at a time when the traditional livestock fairs were declining and increasing numbers of local farmers were travelling elsewhere to sell their cattle.
For farmers in the Castlerea area, that frequently meant a journey to Roscommon Mart — and during the difficult cattle trade of 1974 in particular, Richard remembers just how demanding those days could be.
“You’d be leaving Castlerea at one o’clock in the morning and queuing for four or five hours to get into Roscommon,” he says. “It was a real hard trip.”
There were nights when committee meetings in Castlerea would finish around midnight, only for farmers involved to begin loading cattle immediately afterwards for the journey to Roscommon.
Experiences such as those strengthened the belief that Castlerea needed a mart of its own.
Richard recalls that the proposal was not universally welcomed. There was considerable scepticism about whether another mart in the West of Ireland could succeed. “We came up with a lot of opposition at the time,” he says. “They were saying there were too many marts in the West and that it wouldn’t be a viable project.
“But we didn’t give in.”Instead, the group continued to investigate and promote the idea, encouraged by growing support among farmers in the locality.
Michael Sweeny, who became chairman of the founding committee, later recorded that the Castlerea branch of the IFA decided in 1973 to proceed with plans for a mart. A local committee was established and advice was sought from the IFA and the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society.
The decision was taken to establish the business as a co-operative, with the money required to build it being raised through share capital. The minimum share purchase was £25. There was no grant aid available for construction, and the committee decided that work would not begin until at least £50,000 — the projected cost of the development — had been raised. By the end of 1973, £17,000 had already been secured.
Richard remembers the fundraising effort as one of the defining parts of those early years. There were frequent meetings to review progress, while committee members travelled throughout the surrounding countryside seeking support. At first, some farmers were understandably cautious.
“We didn’t even have the site secured,” Richard recalls. But as planning progressed, the Fair Green site was secured and people began to see that the Mart could become a reality.
“We did a second collection, so people topped up,” he says. “They might have given the £25 share initially and then, when they saw the Mart was going ahead, people came back and gave more.”
From the Fair Green to a new Mart
The site itself already had a long association with livestock trading. Michael Sweeny Sr recorded that Castlerea’s Fair Green had been established in the early 1900s after being relocated from Knockroe. It became a busy centre for livestock trading, with some animals transported by rail to Dublin before being shipped to Britain.
By the 1950s and 1960s, however, marts were increasingly replacing the traditional fairs as the preferred way of selling livestock.
For Richard, one of their greatest advantages was transparency. At the old fairs, livestock changed hands through individual deals and it could be difficult for other farmers to know exactly what prices were being achieved.
“At least at the Mart you could stand at ringside and know how the beast was going,” he says.
The stock was weighed, the bidding took place openly and farmers could see the trade for themselves.
“It was a special way to sell cattle,” Richard says. “It was the way to go.” Securing the site was only one part of the challenge. The committee had to negotiate a lease of the Fair Green with Castlerea Town Trust, obtain planning permission and work with planners, engineers, financial institutions and legal advisers.
Michael Sweeny Sr recalled meetings taking place monthly — and at times more frequently — throughout the development process. By March 1976, contractors had submitted tenders, a main contractor had been appointed and a lease of the Fair Green had been agreed.
Construction began on March 1, 1976. By September, the new Mart was taking shape. A licence to operate had been authorised by the Department of Agriculture that July, and on September 10, Noel Moran was appointed as the Mart’s first manager.
Richard was involved in that appointment. He remembers around nine or ten applications being received before Noel was chosen for the position — a decision that proved hugely significant in the years that followed. Noel would remain manager until the end of 2011.
Castlerea Livestock Co-operative Mart finally opened for business on September 30, 1976. The response demonstrated just how strong the appetite for a local mart had become. “The first sales were big — really big — and the crowds were big,” Richard remembers. For many people in the locality, simply coming in to see cattle being sold by auction was something new. “You could see the demand was there,” he says.
‘As good as Facebook’
Success was not automatic, however. Richard remembers trade becoming difficult during the first few months, particularly in the run-up to Christmas 1976. “We struggled for the first six months or so,” he says. “We really struggled.”
Then came a sale early in the new year which Richard still remembers as helping to build confidence in the fledgling Mart.
One farmer from the Ballintubber area brought eight or nine cattle for sale. The cattle sold well and, later that evening, the farmer went into a local pub carrying his sale tickets.
Pleased with the prices he had received, he passed the tickets around the bar so others could see for themselves how well the cattle had sold.
Richard laughs at the memory. “It was as good as Facebook now,” he says. Word spread quickly. “That type of thing promoted it.”
Trade strengthened during the spring and the Mart began to establish itself. Over the decades that followed, it continued to grow: additional rings were built, new sheds and facilities were developed and the business expanded far beyond the original operation envisaged by the founders. For Richard, one of the greatest achievements remains the fact that the people behind the project managed to get it built in the first place.
The share capital raised by local farmers meant that the Mart was substantially funded before it opened its doors. “The Mart was paid for,” he says. “It was a great achievement in itself.”
Fifty years later, the scale of what those founders created is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that Castlerea Mart remains a major centre for livestock sales and an important part of the economic and social life of the town. What began with late-night meetings, £25 shares and a determination to give local farmers a better way to sell their stock became an institution that has endured for half a century.
The founder members
Michael Sweeny, Dalefield — Chairman
Eamon Connally, Southpark — Secretary
Richard Finan, Carramore — Treasurer
Mick Cribben, Lisalway
Tony Flanagan, Moore
Paddy Hanley, Drimalough
Kevin Kelly, Trien
Jack Regan, Ballindrimley
A day at Castlerea Mart
Fifty years after Castlerea Mart first opened its doors, sale days remain a familiar fixture in the life of the town and surrounding farming community.
These photographs capture a typical day at Castlerea Mart as it marks its 50th anniversary — the people, livestock and activity that continue a tradition established in 1976.
The road to opening day
Early 1900s
Castlerea Fair Green is established after being relocated from Knockroe and becomes an important centre for livestock trading.
1950s–1960s
The growth of livestock marts elsewhere leads to a decline in the traditional Fair Green trade.
1973
The decision is taken to pursue the establishment of a livestock mart in Castlerea. A local committee is formed and the project is structured as a co-operative.
End of 1973
£17,000 has been raised through share capital. The minimum share purchase is £25.
1974–1975
Fundraising continues while the committee progresses planning, engineering, legal and financial work. No grant aid is available to build the Mart.
March 1, 1976
Construction begins on the Fair Green site.
July 16, 1976
A licence to operate is authorised by the Department of Agriculture.
September 10, 1976
Noel Moran is appointed as the first manager.
September 30, 1976
Castlerea Livestock Co-operative Mart opens for business.
The People behind Castlerea Mart
As Castlerea Mart marks 50 years, the contribution of the people who have kept the Mart running day after day is central to its story.
Behind every sale at Castlerea Mart is a team responsible for keeping a busy livestock business moving. Among those who have played an important part in that work are Siobhán Earley, Seamus Mannion and John Cribbon, along with their colleagues across the Mart.
Long-serving staff members Siobhán and Seamus spoke to the Roscommon People about the changes they have witnessed, the characters and generations who have passed through the gates, and what it has meant to be part of Castlerea Mart.
‘There is no other office job like it’
Siobhán Earley has worked at Castlerea Mart for 45 years and has watched the business change enormously.
“When we started here first, there was only one ring,” she recalls. On the busiest days, sales could run well into the early hours. The addition of a second and later a third ring transformed the working day, while technology has changed almost every part of the office operation.
On a busy sale morning, Siobhán and the office team are in from around 7.30 am, setting up and testing the online systems before cattle begin arriving. Cards and animal information are processed so buyers can view details before the three sales begin at 11 am.
For all the changes, however, she says the people are what have made the job special. “It has been very, very hard work, but it has been very rewarding too,” she says. “The camaraderie between buyers and sellers — there is no other office job like it.”
She also sees first-hand the Mart’s social importance. While online bidding is now part of the business, the rings remain busy with people who come as much for the company and conversation as for buying cattle.
For some farmers, particularly those living alone, Thursday is an important weekly outing. “My God, Thursday is their day,” Siobhán says. “They’ll have their lunch out, their breakfast out. It’s a great social outing.” Reaching the 50-year milestone, she says, is a source of pride for the staff and the wider town. “It has been a privilege to be part of the Mart and to have reached this 50-year mark.”
From opening day to online bidding
Seamus Mannion’s association with Castlerea Mart goes right back to its beginnings. Before the Mart opened, he helped with the effort to raise share capital, travelling with members of the fundraising team around the wider area. Then, aged 21, he worked on the first sale day in 1976.
Seamus remembers arriving at around six o’clock that morning, with first manager Noel Moran organising the staff and experienced mart workers brought in to help the new team find their feet. The crowds were enormous.
“It was like county final day,” Seamus recalls. Many cattle were still walked into town, while others arrived in the simple tractor-and-trailer arrangements of the time. The first sale was so busy that it continued until two or three o’clock the following morning.
Seamus has since witnessed every major stage in the Mart’s modernisation. Imperial weights gave way to kilograms, blackboards and chalk were replaced by digital displays, punts changed to euro and, eventually, online bidding became part of everyday sales. “You have to keep with the times,” he says.
Today Seamus works as an auctioneer’s clerk, but the social side of the Mart remains as familiar to him as the changes in technology. He has also seen generations of the same families return through the gates. In his own family, he can now count four generations connected with the Mart — from his father, to Seamus himself, to his son and grandchildren. “Four generations,” he says. “It’s nice to see it.”
Mart ‘A great boost’ to Castlerea
Local councillor Paschal Fitzmaurice has described Castlerea Mart’s 50th anniversary as a major achievement and says its success has benefited the entire town.
He said the Mart has continued to attract farmers and buyers from across Roscommon and neighbouring counties and has gone “from strength to strength” over the years.
Cllr Fitzmaurice has first-hand experience of the economic impact of mart days, having previously operated a fruit and vegetable shop close to the Fair Green.
“Farmers who were in selling cattle came out and bought produce off me,” he recalls. “It was a huge benefit to me, but also to the other shops.”
He said the effect extended beyond those actually buying or selling livestock, with people coming to Castlerea to watch the trade, meet others, eat locally and do their shopping.
Cllr Fitzmaurice also highlighted the Mart’s wider community role, including making its grounds and facilities available to the Castlerea Rose Festival and Castlerea Agricultural Show.
He paid tribute to the original committee whose vision established the co-operative, as well as successive committees, management, staff and farmers who have supported it. “It’s been a huge success, and the town has benefited hugely from that,” he said.
Mart has been more than a place of business – Fitzmaurice
Independent Ireland TD and local farmer Michael Fitzmaurice says Castlerea Mart has made an important economic and social contribution to the community throughout its 50 years.
Deputy Fitzmaurice, who worked at the Mart during the 1980s, said it had always been an important part of local life and paid tribute to current manager Brendan Egan and former manager Noel Moran for their stewardship.
He believes the Mart’s value extends well beyond the livestock trade.
“Castlerea Mart was a ‘men’s shed’ long before they became part of communities around the country,” he said.
He pointed in particular to farmers living alone who come to the Mart each week, not only to follow cattle prices but to have lunch and meet other farmers.
“They might be the only people they would meet until the next week,” he said. “It has made a huge positive contribution to the wellbeing of the community in that way, and it is still happening today.”
Congratulating everyone associated with Castlerea Mart on its 50th anniversary, Deputy Fitzmaurice said he had no doubt it would remain an important part of the local community for many years to come.
Roscommon IFA congratulates Castlerea Mart on its 50th Anniversary milestone
Roscommon IFA extends heartiest congratulations to Castlerea Mart on its 50th Anniversary. This is a wonderful milestone achieved through the hard work, dedication and commitment of management, staff and volunteer committee members and all those who have served the mart over the last 50 years.
It is great to see Castlerea Mart go from strength to strength under the stewardship of Manager Brendan Egan, his staff and the hard working committee. Castlerea Mart has grown and developed over the years from the original fair day, which the older generations would still remember, to the establishment of the mart itself and the development of the modern facilities that exist today.
Livestock marts are unique in that they offer farmers real time market value for their livestock. Marts guarantee security of payment for the seller which reduces financial risk compared to private sales. Castlerea Mart and others in County Roscommon offer an economic boost to the local towns in which they operate. In addition, marts provide a social outlet for farmers, whether that is to get their breakfast or dinner in the mart canteen on sale day or meeting with friends and neighbours for a chat.
Suckler farming is the cornerstone of farming in the west of Ireland. County Roscommon is renowned for producing the best cattle in the country. Suckler farming is continually under pressure from a number of factors including an aging farmer population, income pressure, erosion of support and payments and an enhanced focus on environmental schemes and increased regulation. Castlerea Mart offers a valuable outlet and route to the market for farmers for their livestock.
According to Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) studies, every €1 of support invested in the beef and livestock sector underpins over €4 in output across the broader Irish economy. This emphasises the ongoing IFA campaign for more direct financial support for suckler farmers.
I remember attending the mart in Castlerea from a young age with my father. It is wonderful to witness how Castlerea Mart has developed and grown over the decades including the introduction of online bidding most recently. The 50th anniversary celebrations are important to remember and acknowledge all those living and deceased who have been part of the development journey of the mart to the present day.
Roscommon IFA continues to work and advocate on behalf of farmers. The next two years will be foundational in terms of farming and the future of the family farm. The CAP budget and proposed cuts from the EU, if implemented, will be a big challenge for all family farms. There is a growing global need for high quality, traceable food. The future for farming can be a positive one with Castlerea Mart being a key facilitator of access to the market for farmers.
Congratulations and continued success to Castlerea Mart from all in Roscommon IFA.
Seán Finan, Ballinlough, Castlerea
Chairman of Roscommon IFA
Mass of Remembrance
As part of Castlerea Mart’s 50th anniversary celebrations, a Mass of Remembrance will be held at Castlerea Mart on Tuesday, September 1 at 7 pm.
The Mass will remember all those who have contributed to the Mart since its establishment in 1976.
Anyone with a connection to Castlerea Mart, past or present, is warmly invited to attend.
