Saturday’s sheep sale in Mountbellew Mart witnessed a sharper trade across all classes.

Nice-quality ewe lambs were particularly sought after. Heavier ewe lambs weighing 47kg to 50kg sold from €160 to €170, with a couple of batches rising to a top of €186 for top-quality Suffolk ewe lambs.

Good-quality fleshed lambs weighing 50kg to 55kg sold from €164 to €174.

Lighter fleshed lambs weighing 47kg to 49kg and lighter-quality ewe lambs weighing 42kg to 47kg sold from €150 to €160, with lesser-quality lots back to €140/head.

Prices for store lambs were strongly influenced by quality and lamb type.

For example, lambs weighing 38kg to 40kg sold from €122 to €140, while lambs weighing 35kg to 37.7kg ranged from €115 to €140.

Lambs weighing 30kg to 32kg sold from €95 to €120 in the main, with a few batches of ewe lambs rising as high as €130 to €140.

Hogget entries have fallen sharply, adding to keen demand and strengthening prices paid.

Light average-quality hoggets sold from €140 to €170, while medium-sized hoggets ranged from €180 to €258/head.

The mart will hold a show and sale of spring-born weanlings on Friday 18 October and its annual show and sale of cattle on Friday 25 October.

In pictures

The speckle-faced ewe weighing 40kg on left sold for €150 each (€3.75/kg) while the 38kg ewe lambs on right sold for €141 each (€3.71/kg).

These 36kg Charollais-cross ewe lambs sold for €137 each (€3.80/kg).

These two batches of Mule ewe lambs weighing 39kg sold for €130 each (€3.33/kg).

On left, three Charollais-cross lambs weighing 45kg sold for €137 each (€3.04/kg). The 32kg Charollais-cross lambs on right sold for €109 (€3.41/kg).

The Suffolk-cross ewe lambs weighing 32kg on left sold for €123 each (€3.84/kg) while the ewe lambs weighing 48kg on right sold for €164 each (€3.42/kg).

The nice-quality Suffolk ewe lambs on left weighing 42.8kg sold for €152 each (€3.55/kg). The speckle-faced ewe lambs weighing 49.1kg on right sold for €174 each (€3.54/kg).

This batch of Charollais-cross ram lambs weighing 46.6kg sold for €160 each (€3.43/kg).

These Cheviot lambs weighing 42kg sold for €131 each (€3.12/kg).

This batch of 17 crossbred ram lambs weighing 38.5kg sold for €120 each (€3.12/kg).

This batch of 40kg Texel-cross ram lambs sold for €142 each (€3.55/kg).

Weighing 39.5kg these Charollais-cross ewe lambs sold for €140 each (€3.54/kg).

The Charollais-cross ewe lambs on left weighing 39.1kg sold for €140 each (€3.58/kg). The eight 38.5kg Suffolk ewe lambs on right sold for €136 each (€3.53/kg).

This batch of Texel-cross lambs weighing 37.5kg sold for €111 each (€1.96/kg).

This batch of 14 Suffolk and Texel-cross lambs weighing 51kg sold for €168 (€3.29/kg).

Averaging 42kg the Suffolk ewe lambs on left sold for €153 (€3.64/kg). The 47.1kg Suffolk ewe lambs on right sold for €170 each (€3.61/kg).

These quality Suffolk ewe lambs weighing 44kg sold for €159 each (€3.61/kg).

These Charollais-cross and Milford-cross ram lambs weighing 54.1kg sold for €168 each (€3.11/kg).

Averaging 53.7kg, these Texel-cross ram lambs sold for €173 each (€3.22/kg).