Tullow Mart’s first sale of 2026 saw the lamb trade pick up where it finished in 2025, with wholesale buyers continuing to dominate the trade.
Well-fleshed lambs weighing upwards of 50kg to 52kg continued to exceed the €180 mark.
Prices here ranged from €180 to €188 per head for lambs weighing from 51kg to 59kg.
The average price for more than 400 lambs in this category was recorded in the region of €184.50 for lambs averaging 55kg.
Three lots of lambs topped €190 and sold from €195 to €198 per head.
This included a top price of €198 for nice-quality Suffolk-cross-Cheviot ewe lambs weighing 51kg, €197 paid for quality ewe lambs weighing 64kg and €195 paid for a batch of heavy ram lambs weighing 68kg.
At the other end of the quality spectrum, a selection of lesser-quality lambs weighing 52kg to 55kg sold from €176 to €179 per head, while fleshed lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg sold from €173 to €176 per head.
Increase
Factory agents were slightly more interested in sheep, with an increase in paid carcase weights on their side, but were priced out of the market for a high percentage of quality lambs.
Fleshed lots weighing from 44kg to 47kg sold from €162 to €170, with some lots with a lower cover of flesh and weighing from 43kg to 44kg selling from €150 to €157.
The general run of prices for lambs weighing from 40kg to 42kg was €145 to €150, with prices paid for lighter stores very dependent on quality.
Good-quality types weighing from 33kg to 39kg sold from €3.50/kg to €3.80/kg with lesser-quality lots back to €3/kg and under in cases.
Mart manager Eric Driver reported much more life in the cull ewe trade, where ewes were comfortably up in price by upwards of €10 per head compared with the final sale in 2025.
Heavier ewes weighing from 80kg to 94kg sold from €204 to €222 or €2.30/kg to €2.60/kg.
Fleshed ewes
There was also keen demand for fleshed ewes weighing from 70kg to 80kg, with prices ranging from €170 to €190 or €2.30/kg to €2.50/kg, with lesser-quality types back to €2/kg.
In-lamb ewes sold from €250 to €310 for good ewes carrying 1.5 to two lambs, with some plainer-quality ewes carrying back to a lamb apiece selling back to €160 to €200.
A dispersal sale of 120 top-quality Suffolk-cross ewes and Belclare-cross-Suffolk hoggets lambing in March takes place next Tuesday.
These Charollais-cross ram lambs weighing 53kg sold for €177 each (€3.34/kg).
Weighing 51kg on average, these Charollais-cross lambs sold for €179 (€3.51/kg).
Averaging 49kg, these fleshed Charollais-cross lambs sold for €181 each (€3.69/kg).
This mixed batch of ewe and wether lambs weighing 48kg sold for €173 (€3.60/kg).
These 46kg Suffolk x Cheviot-cross and Cheviot wether lambs sold for €168 (€3.65/kg).
These mixed breed wether lambs weighing 44kg sold for €165 (€3.75/kg).
These Charollais-cross ewe and weather lambs weighing 43kg sold for €155 each (€3.60/kg).
This pair of ewe lambs weighing 40kg sold for €146 (€3.65/kg).
This mixed batch of 39kg ewe and wether lambs, with one ram possibly, sold for €144 (€3.69/kg).
These three Cheviot store lambs weighing 37kg sold for €135 (€3.65/kg).
This batch of ewe and wether lambs averaging 30kg sold for €120 each (€4/kg).
These good-quality store ewe and wether lambs weighing 38kg sold for €141 (each (€3.72/kg).
Weighing an average of 47kg these mixed breed wether lambs weighing 47kg sold for €173 each (€3.68/kg).
Weighing 41kg on average these ewe and wether lambs sold for €147 each (€3.59/kg).
These 54kg Charollais-cross lambs sold for €183 per head (€3.39/kg).
Tullow Mart’s first sale of 2026 saw the lamb trade pick up where it finished in 2025, with wholesale buyers continuing to dominate the trade.
Well-fleshed lambs weighing upwards of 50kg to 52kg continued to exceed the €180 mark.
Prices here ranged from €180 to €188 per head for lambs weighing from 51kg to 59kg.
The average price for more than 400 lambs in this category was recorded in the region of €184.50 for lambs averaging 55kg.
Three lots of lambs topped €190 and sold from €195 to €198 per head.
This included a top price of €198 for nice-quality Suffolk-cross-Cheviot ewe lambs weighing 51kg, €197 paid for quality ewe lambs weighing 64kg and €195 paid for a batch of heavy ram lambs weighing 68kg.
At the other end of the quality spectrum, a selection of lesser-quality lambs weighing 52kg to 55kg sold from €176 to €179 per head, while fleshed lambs weighing from 48kg to 50kg sold from €173 to €176 per head.
Increase
Factory agents were slightly more interested in sheep, with an increase in paid carcase weights on their side, but were priced out of the market for a high percentage of quality lambs.
Fleshed lots weighing from 44kg to 47kg sold from €162 to €170, with some lots with a lower cover of flesh and weighing from 43kg to 44kg selling from €150 to €157.
The general run of prices for lambs weighing from 40kg to 42kg was €145 to €150, with prices paid for lighter stores very dependent on quality.
Good-quality types weighing from 33kg to 39kg sold from €3.50/kg to €3.80/kg with lesser-quality lots back to €3/kg and under in cases.
Mart manager Eric Driver reported much more life in the cull ewe trade, where ewes were comfortably up in price by upwards of €10 per head compared with the final sale in 2025.
Heavier ewes weighing from 80kg to 94kg sold from €204 to €222 or €2.30/kg to €2.60/kg.
Fleshed ewes
There was also keen demand for fleshed ewes weighing from 70kg to 80kg, with prices ranging from €170 to €190 or €2.30/kg to €2.50/kg, with lesser-quality types back to €2/kg.
In-lamb ewes sold from €250 to €310 for good ewes carrying 1.5 to two lambs, with some plainer-quality ewes carrying back to a lamb apiece selling back to €160 to €200.
A dispersal sale of 120 top-quality Suffolk-cross ewes and Belclare-cross-Suffolk hoggets lambing in March takes place next Tuesday.
These Charollais-cross ram lambs weighing 53kg sold for €177 each (€3.34/kg).
Weighing 51kg on average, these Charollais-cross lambs sold for €179 (€3.51/kg).
Averaging 49kg, these fleshed Charollais-cross lambs sold for €181 each (€3.69/kg).
This mixed batch of ewe and wether lambs weighing 48kg sold for €173 (€3.60/kg).
These 46kg Suffolk x Cheviot-cross and Cheviot wether lambs sold for €168 (€3.65/kg).
These mixed breed wether lambs weighing 44kg sold for €165 (€3.75/kg).
These Charollais-cross ewe and weather lambs weighing 43kg sold for €155 each (€3.60/kg).
This pair of ewe lambs weighing 40kg sold for €146 (€3.65/kg).
This mixed batch of 39kg ewe and wether lambs, with one ram possibly, sold for €144 (€3.69/kg).
These three Cheviot store lambs weighing 37kg sold for €135 (€3.65/kg).
This batch of ewe and wether lambs averaging 30kg sold for €120 each (€4/kg).
These good-quality store ewe and wether lambs weighing 38kg sold for €141 (each (€3.72/kg).
Weighing an average of 47kg these mixed breed wether lambs weighing 47kg sold for €173 each (€3.68/kg).
Weighing 41kg on average these ewe and wether lambs sold for €147 each (€3.59/kg).
These 54kg Charollais-cross lambs sold for €183 per head (€3.39/kg).
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