The South of Ireland Suffolk branch held its premier show and sale at Roscrea Mart last Friday and Saturday. Big entries of cattle for the day sale on Friday meant proceedings for the Suffolk show that evening went on a bit later than anticipated.
The South of Ireland Suffolk branch held its premier show and sale at Roscrea Mart last Friday and Saturday.
Big entries of cattle for the day sale on Friday meant proceedings for the Suffolk show that evening went on a bit later than anticipated.
Despite this, crowds stayed around till dark to watch judge Allister Gault from the Forkins flock tap out his champion and reserve.
While it was the champions who stole the limelight on the Friday evening, the sale will be remembered primarily for the high seller on Saturday.
The sale’s €11,000 high seller came from the pen of Philip Byrne.
First ram
This was the first ram the new breeder brought to auction having started his flock two years ago.
Placed second in the novice class and fourth in the open ram class, the stylish December-born lamb caught the eye of well-known breeder Jimmy Douglas of the Cairness flock in Scotland. Adamant not to leave without the young ram lamb, Mr Douglas went back and forth with another interested party before the hammer finally fell at €11,000.
The high seller is sired by former Scottish National Show champion Cairness Achievement who sold for 20,000gns and out of a dam by the 2011 Irish national champion Errigal Simply the Best which was purchased privately from Susan O’Keeffe’s Clyda flock.
Mrs O’Keeffe too was again on form, as judge Allister Gault tapped out her ram lamb as his choice for male and supreme champion, as well as first prizewinner in the open ram class.
The late-December-born ram lamb sired by the 62,000gns Cairness Costello is out of a ewe sired by stock ram Rookery Classic.
His power-packed pedigree and show appeal proved worthy, as he was secured by Roscommon man Thomas Egan for €1,450.
Mr Gault then lined up a December-born ram lamb of Gerry Killilea from the Carragh flock as his reserve supreme champion choice.
This lamb was second prize to the champion in the open ram lamb class before claiming the reserve male and reserve supreme championships.
Sired by Lakeview Harbinger out of a ewe by Strathisla Dylan Thomas, he was purchased by Shaun and Seamus Gahan of the Barrowlands flock for €2,800.
The Carragh flock also produced the show’s female champion. This ewe lamb was sired by Carragh Black Diamond out of a ewe by the aforementioned Errigal Simply the Best.
She sold for €950 to Eric Campbell who owns the Master flock in Tuam, Co Galway.
Philip Lynch’s mid-January-born ewe lamb was the judge’s choice as second prizewinner in the ewe lamb class and reserve female champion. Sired by Balmoral Show-winning ram Burnview Gin & Tonic, she is out of a homebred ewe sired by Glyde Cracker.
She sold for €500 to fellow breeder Aidan Loftus from Crossmolina, who also took home Matt Pearse’s second prize-winning shearling ewe for €750.
While the top price was nearly four times higher than 2016, both average and clearance took a hit on the year. Clearance rates crept back to 57% from the 66% witnessed last year, while average price dropped from €970 to €940.
Other notable exhibits on the day included:
Wm J and R Wilson sold the first prizewinning ram lamb sired by a South of Ireland-bred ram to Robert Sands of Portlaoise for €1,350.Arthur O’Keeffe’s first prizewinning recorded class ram sold to Patrick McAndrew from Belmullet for €1,200. Lexi and Alan Kilpatrick from Donegal captured first prize in the novice ram lamb class and sold him for €2,000 to Campbell Watson from Ballymena.Group of three ram lamb class went to Donegal native Jonathan Lucas; these three fine sheep were sold for an average of €900gns.Class results:
Shearling ewe class1st Michael & James O’Connell.
2nd Matt Pearse.
3rd Robert Walker.
Ewe lamb class1st Gerry Killilea (female champion).
2nd Philip Lynch (reserve female champion).
3rd Michael and James O’Connell.
Ram lamb sired by
Irish-bred ram1st Wm J & R Wilson.
2nd Arthur O’Keeffe.
3rd Patrick O’Keeffe.
Recorded class1st Arthur O’Keeffe.
2nd Susan O’Keeffe.
3rd Philip Lynch.
Novice ram lamb 1st Lexi and Alan Kilpatrick.
2nd Philip Byrne.
3rd Brian Boland.
4th Colin Watchorn.
Open ram lamb class1st Susan O’Keeffe (male and supreme champion).
2nd Gerry Killilea (reserve male and reserve supreme champion).
3rd Lexi & Alan Kilpatrick.
Group of three ram lambs1st AJ & JA Lucas.
2nd Susan O’Keeffe.
3rd Philip Lynch.
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