Drawing in a large crowd from across the whole of Ireland was the highly anticipated sale of in-lamb Blackface females from three of Donegal’s leading societies, the Donegal Blackface Sheep Breeders' Association, Brockagh Blackface Sheep Breeders' Association and the Sliabh Liag Longwool Perth Sheep Breeders' Association.
Making up the strong entry of just under 70 lots were nine in-lamb shearling ewes, 15 in-lamb aged ewes and 42 empty ewe hoggets. The demand from buyers both ringside and online was extremely strong leading to an overall clearance rate of 96%.
Topping the sale, selling his leading hogget for €1,750 was Carndonagh man Patrick Kearney.
This standout female came with a super pedigree being sired by the ever consistent 1,500gns Killen and her dam going back to the €2,150 Logue.
She was picked up after fierce online and ringside bidding by an undisclosed buyer.
Champion pair
Following directly after the sale topper was another flashy hogget from the Kearney consignment. This sparky hogget had had a very successful summer show season being part of the champion pair of ewe lambs at both Clonmany Agricultural Show and Brockagh Sheep Show. This prizewinning hogget also had a great pedigree sharing the same sire as the €7,200 record-breaking ram lamb that the Kearney’s sold earlier in the year.
Placing the winning bid of €1,100 on this super lot was well-known breeder Hugh Logue.
Patrick Kearney sold six hogget ewes to average just over €788 a head.
Taking the next highest price of €860 in the hogget section was Martin Friel.
This strong ewe lamb was sired by the 2,400gns Connolly and her dam was the much admired 1,100gns M Connolly ewe.
Jerry Morrow was the successful purchaser on this occasion. Friel went on to sell two more hoggets to average €567 for his pen of three.
Clonmany based breeder Charles McGonigle also had a successful day with his pen of three hoggets topping at €820 and averaging €533.
A total of 39 hoggets were sold on the day to average €407 per head.
Shearling ewes
Topping the shearling ewe section and taking the second highest price of the day was Edward Gallaghers pen leader. This super shearling ewe was sired by the €4,000 Friel and was scanned in-lamb carrying twins to a G Breslin bred ram. The winning bid of €1,540 for this quality ewe came from an undisclosed buyer. Gallaghers second shearling ewe hit the ring seconds later and sold for €980. She was also sired by the €4,000 Friel and scanned carrying a single to the Breslin ram. Micheal John Moy was the successful purchaser of this lot.
Gallagher achieved the highest pen average of the day with his pen of two shearling ewes selling to average €1,260.
The next highest priced lot in the shearling ewe section came from the pen of Patrick Kearney. The powerful shearling ewe was sired by a Killen ram and scanned in-lamb to a standout homebred ram lamb that was retained for breeding by the Kearneys. She was also described in pre-sale comments as ‘one of the favourites, that has a big future ahead’. It was local breeder Seamus Kelly that snapped her up with the winning bid of €1,100.
Kearneys' second shearling ewe sold for €760 to well-known breeder David Tourish. She was sired by a homebred ram and was scanned carrying twins. Kearney took home an average of €930 for his consignment of two in-lamb shearling ewes.
A total of nine in-lamb shearling ewes were sold on the day to average €864 per head.
Aged ewes
Barry McDermott was the last into the ring but was by no means least, selling his pen leading fourth crop ewe for €1,000. Purchasing the top priced aged ewe was Dunfanaghy based breeder Andrew Duffy.
The second highest price paid out in the aged ewe section was €820. This was for a fourth crop ewe from the pen of Patrick Kearney. Kearney also sold a third crop ewe directly after for €440, giving his aged ewe entry an average of €630.
It was a J Patton sired aged ewe from the pen of longstanding breeder Patrick Friel that took the next highest price of the section selling for €640 to Jason Maloney. She was scanned in-lamb carrying twins to a Fraher bred ram.
A total of 15 aged ewes were sold to average €477 per head.
Breeder Paul Kearney and handler Hannah Tourish pictured with the sale topping hogget ewe that sold for €1,750. / Glenalla Photography
Patrick Moy pictured with his in-lamb shearling ewe that sold for €620. / Glenalla Photography
Paul and Stephen Kearney pictured with their hogget ewe that sold for €1,100. / Glenalla Photography
Patrick Friel pictured with his aged ewe that sold for €640. / Glenalla Photography
Hogget ewe from Martin Friel that sold for €860. / Glenalla Photography
Edward Gallagher pictured with his top priced in-lamb shearling ewe that sold for €1,540. / Glenalla Photography
Charles McGonigle pictured with his hogget ewe that sold for €820. / Glenalla Photography
Seller Barry McDermott and purchaser Andrew Duffy pictured with the top priced aged ewe that sold for €1,000. / Glenalla Photography
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Drawing in a large crowd from across the whole of Ireland was the highly anticipated sale of in-lamb Blackface females from three of Donegal’s leading societies, the Donegal Blackface Sheep Breeders' Association, Brockagh Blackface Sheep Breeders' Association and the Sliabh Liag Longwool Perth Sheep Breeders' Association.
Making up the strong entry of just under 70 lots were nine in-lamb shearling ewes, 15 in-lamb aged ewes and 42 empty ewe hoggets. The demand from buyers both ringside and online was extremely strong leading to an overall clearance rate of 96%.
Topping the sale, selling his leading hogget for €1,750 was Carndonagh man Patrick Kearney.
This standout female came with a super pedigree being sired by the ever consistent 1,500gns Killen and her dam going back to the €2,150 Logue.
She was picked up after fierce online and ringside bidding by an undisclosed buyer.
Champion pair
Following directly after the sale topper was another flashy hogget from the Kearney consignment. This sparky hogget had had a very successful summer show season being part of the champion pair of ewe lambs at both Clonmany Agricultural Show and Brockagh Sheep Show. This prizewinning hogget also had a great pedigree sharing the same sire as the €7,200 record-breaking ram lamb that the Kearney’s sold earlier in the year.
Placing the winning bid of €1,100 on this super lot was well-known breeder Hugh Logue.
Patrick Kearney sold six hogget ewes to average just over €788 a head.
Taking the next highest price of €860 in the hogget section was Martin Friel.
This strong ewe lamb was sired by the 2,400gns Connolly and her dam was the much admired 1,100gns M Connolly ewe.
Jerry Morrow was the successful purchaser on this occasion. Friel went on to sell two more hoggets to average €567 for his pen of three.
Clonmany based breeder Charles McGonigle also had a successful day with his pen of three hoggets topping at €820 and averaging €533.
A total of 39 hoggets were sold on the day to average €407 per head.
Shearling ewes
Topping the shearling ewe section and taking the second highest price of the day was Edward Gallaghers pen leader. This super shearling ewe was sired by the €4,000 Friel and was scanned in-lamb carrying twins to a G Breslin bred ram. The winning bid of €1,540 for this quality ewe came from an undisclosed buyer. Gallaghers second shearling ewe hit the ring seconds later and sold for €980. She was also sired by the €4,000 Friel and scanned carrying a single to the Breslin ram. Micheal John Moy was the successful purchaser of this lot.
Gallagher achieved the highest pen average of the day with his pen of two shearling ewes selling to average €1,260.
The next highest priced lot in the shearling ewe section came from the pen of Patrick Kearney. The powerful shearling ewe was sired by a Killen ram and scanned in-lamb to a standout homebred ram lamb that was retained for breeding by the Kearneys. She was also described in pre-sale comments as ‘one of the favourites, that has a big future ahead’. It was local breeder Seamus Kelly that snapped her up with the winning bid of €1,100.
Kearneys' second shearling ewe sold for €760 to well-known breeder David Tourish. She was sired by a homebred ram and was scanned carrying twins. Kearney took home an average of €930 for his consignment of two in-lamb shearling ewes.
A total of nine in-lamb shearling ewes were sold on the day to average €864 per head.
Aged ewes
Barry McDermott was the last into the ring but was by no means least, selling his pen leading fourth crop ewe for €1,000. Purchasing the top priced aged ewe was Dunfanaghy based breeder Andrew Duffy.
The second highest price paid out in the aged ewe section was €820. This was for a fourth crop ewe from the pen of Patrick Kearney. Kearney also sold a third crop ewe directly after for €440, giving his aged ewe entry an average of €630.
It was a J Patton sired aged ewe from the pen of longstanding breeder Patrick Friel that took the next highest price of the section selling for €640 to Jason Maloney. She was scanned in-lamb carrying twins to a Fraher bred ram.
A total of 15 aged ewes were sold to average €477 per head.
Breeder Paul Kearney and handler Hannah Tourish pictured with the sale topping hogget ewe that sold for €1,750. / Glenalla Photography
Patrick Moy pictured with his in-lamb shearling ewe that sold for €620. / Glenalla Photography
Paul and Stephen Kearney pictured with their hogget ewe that sold for €1,100. / Glenalla Photography
Patrick Friel pictured with his aged ewe that sold for €640. / Glenalla Photography
Hogget ewe from Martin Friel that sold for €860. / Glenalla Photography
Edward Gallagher pictured with his top priced in-lamb shearling ewe that sold for €1,540. / Glenalla Photography
Charles McGonigle pictured with his hogget ewe that sold for €820. / Glenalla Photography
Seller Barry McDermott and purchaser Andrew Duffy pictured with the top priced aged ewe that sold for €1,000. / Glenalla Photography
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