The trade at Sunday’s Connemara/Mayo Blackface Breeding Group’s sale of in-lamb ewes and dry ewe hoggets bucked the trend of prices paid in normal weekly sales.
In-lamb ewes averaged in excess of €175 per head while 2025-born ewe hoggets averaged over €150 per head.
The trade was helped by a high standard of sheep on offer with a dedicated sale offering higher numbers, attracting buyers that may otherwise not have been active.
The group also reports that there was keen interest from younger farmers looking to get a small flock established and for sheep of organic status.
The sale is set up to facilitate young farmer interest with the 86 lots entered all having less than five sheep and ranging in size from a pair to five sheep.
This lets buyers get their hands on sheep with good breeding potential at a lower outlay.
Group member Brendan Joyce commented that the group has made a conscious decision in recent years to try and attract new blood in to the group to help ensure that every effort is made to try and attract the next generation of sheep farmers in to the fold.
This was also evident in judging with young sheep farmer Brian Grealish, tasked with the important job of adjudicating .
The Ballycroy man did a stellar job.
First placed in the in-lamb / ewes with lambs at foot class was Ray Sleater with his pen of ewes selling for the second highest price of €290 per head. The second-prizewinners offered by Dan Lydon sold for the top price of €315 per head.
The third-prized in-lamb ewes from Niamh Seoighe sold for €165 per head while the only offering of three ewes with single lambs at foot from Michael Duffy in fourth place sold for €200 per unit. While the fifth prize in-lamb ewes from Patrick Donnellan sold for €230 per head.
Lots at the Connemara/Mayo Blackface Breeding Group special spring sale in Maam Cross, Co Galway. \ Sean Lydon
Another 10 lots of ewes topped the €200 mark, selling from €200 to €245 per head, while 25 more lots ranged in price from €155 to €195 with 15 lots from €125 to €145.
Ewe hoggets
The 32 lots of 2025-born ewe hoggets averaged at about €152 per head. Gerard O’Malley’s ewe hoggets were placed first and sold for €200 each. The second and third-prizewinners from Thomas Joyce and Michael Lydon sold for €175 and €170, respectively while the fourth prizewinners bred by Alan Lee sold for €135 each. The fifth-placed lots from Tommy Conway sold for €150 each.
Another batch of ewe hoggets entered by Alan Lee secured the top price of €230 per head. There was a tight range in price with the majority of lots selling from €140 to €165 per head with just three lots below this range.
The trade at Sunday’s Connemara/Mayo Blackface Breeding Group’s sale of in-lamb ewes and dry ewe hoggets bucked the trend of prices paid in normal weekly sales.
In-lamb ewes averaged in excess of €175 per head while 2025-born ewe hoggets averaged over €150 per head.
The trade was helped by a high standard of sheep on offer with a dedicated sale offering higher numbers, attracting buyers that may otherwise not have been active.
The group also reports that there was keen interest from younger farmers looking to get a small flock established and for sheep of organic status.
The sale is set up to facilitate young farmer interest with the 86 lots entered all having less than five sheep and ranging in size from a pair to five sheep.
This lets buyers get their hands on sheep with good breeding potential at a lower outlay.
Group member Brendan Joyce commented that the group has made a conscious decision in recent years to try and attract new blood in to the group to help ensure that every effort is made to try and attract the next generation of sheep farmers in to the fold.
This was also evident in judging with young sheep farmer Brian Grealish, tasked with the important job of adjudicating .
The Ballycroy man did a stellar job.
First placed in the in-lamb / ewes with lambs at foot class was Ray Sleater with his pen of ewes selling for the second highest price of €290 per head. The second-prizewinners offered by Dan Lydon sold for the top price of €315 per head.
The third-prized in-lamb ewes from Niamh Seoighe sold for €165 per head while the only offering of three ewes with single lambs at foot from Michael Duffy in fourth place sold for €200 per unit. While the fifth prize in-lamb ewes from Patrick Donnellan sold for €230 per head.
Lots at the Connemara/Mayo Blackface Breeding Group special spring sale in Maam Cross, Co Galway. \ Sean Lydon
Another 10 lots of ewes topped the €200 mark, selling from €200 to €245 per head, while 25 more lots ranged in price from €155 to €195 with 15 lots from €125 to €145.
Ewe hoggets
The 32 lots of 2025-born ewe hoggets averaged at about €152 per head. Gerard O’Malley’s ewe hoggets were placed first and sold for €200 each. The second and third-prizewinners from Thomas Joyce and Michael Lydon sold for €175 and €170, respectively while the fourth prizewinners bred by Alan Lee sold for €135 each. The fifth-placed lots from Tommy Conway sold for €150 each.
Another batch of ewe hoggets entered by Alan Lee secured the top price of €230 per head. There was a tight range in price with the majority of lots selling from €140 to €165 per head with just three lots below this range.
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