The Belclare Sheep Society hosted its 2024 premier sale at Cillin Hill, Kilkenny, on Tuesday, 6 August.

This day was marked by a special occasion, as the founder of the breed Dr Seamus Hanrahan was in attendance to present the new JP Hanrahan Cup to the 2024 premier sale champion from Charles and Dylan Hughes of the Lankill flock, Westport, Co Mayo.

With 115 sheep on offer on the day, the average price was €692/head. However, the clearance rate was a little lower than expected.

Judge for the sale was Declan Miley, one of the society’s most prestigious former breeders.

Belclare premier sale 2024.

The first class judged was the senior ram class, where the top honour went to the Slanemore Hill flock of Eunan and Mark Bannon, with their ram, originally bred by the Oltore flock of Tim Keady, Oltore Griff, that went on to sell for €800.

Overall champion from the Belclare premier sale 2024.

Out of the 27 hogget rams on show, the top-priced hogget of the day went to John Renehan of the Violet Hill flock for Violet Hill Jules, which sold for €1,450 and was purchased by the Slanemore Hill flock of Eunan and Mark Bannon.

Line-up in one of the classes at the premier sale.

Tim Keady with his first-prizewinning ewe at the Belclare premier sale 2024.

In a highly contested ram lamb section of 77 lambs, first prize was awarded to Lankill Koi, which was also crowned the 2024 overall Belclare national champion earlier in the summer from breeders Charles and Dylan Hughes of the Lankill flock.

Belclare premier sale 2024.

Ranking in the top 3% (€8.48) of the breed for replacement and the top 2% (€2.71) for terminal indices, it later went on to be awarded overall champion of the sale and sold for €1,080 to the Canyon flock of Adam Stephenson, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow.

Reserve champion and top-priced ram lamb from Paul Smyth at the Belclare premier sale 2024.

Second prize and reserve overall championship were awarded to Silverbrook Kane from the Silverbrook Flock of Paul Smyth, Tullamore, Co Offaly, and sold later in the sale for €1,450.

Ranked in the top 1% for both replacement (€8.96) and terminal (€3.02), it sold to the New Heights flock of Clive, Geraldine and David Vance.

The Silverbrook Flock had a hugely successful day in both the show ring and the sales ring, selling nine of their 10 entries, averaging over €900 and selling to seven different pedigree flocks.

Among these entries was the highest-priced ram lamb in the 2024 premier sale Silverbrook Kami, which sold for €1,800.

It was purchased by pedigree breeder John McTague of the Ballynulty flock in Co Galway.