The North Eastern Texel Club has built up a big reputation for quality in-lamb Texel hoggets and Thursday’s sale didn’t disappoint.

It was one of three Texel sales to take place this week. The Carrick Christmas Belles took place on Wednesday, with the South East stars taking place in Tullow Mart, Co Carlow, on Friday.

Cavan father and son duo John and James Dunne topped Thursday night’s sale in Carnaross. Their 2021-born hogget by stock ram Loosebeare Chief secured the highest price of €4,600.

She has stacks of breeding, with her mother being sired by the famous Strathbogie Boss.

Her full-sister sold for €5,500 and her full-brothers have also sold for €2,200 and €1,800.

She was scanned in-lamb with twins to Drumderg Five Star and has five stars on both the replacement and terminal indices.

She was snapped up by the McHugh family who run the Greenhill flock in Monaghan for the record price at the club sale.

The Dunnes also took home the second highest price on the night with another Loosebeare Chief daughter, this time out of a Deveronvale Warrior ewe.

This Loosebeare Chief daughter sold carrying twins to Loosebeare Everest selling for €3,050 for James and John Dunne.

This hogget was scanned with twins and served on 12 September 2022 to Loosebeare Everest.

She was knocked down to Meath breeders Michael and Kenneth Bird for €3,050 to join their Dunlever flock.

Her full-sister was scanned in lamb with triplets to Loosebeare Everest and sold for €1,600.

It was a super evening’s trading for the Cavan men, with their pen of eight hoggets taking home the highest average of the night at €1,890.

Next in the high price list were Monaghan men John, Colm and Michael McHugh.

They sold their first hogget of the night at €3,000. A Procters Class Act bred ewe, she is a full-sister to the €4,500 Greenhill Ectasy and the €1,400 Greenhill Errigal.

Her mother has also been breeding very well for the McHugh outfit, selling rams lambs to €3,500.

She was scanned with twins to Garngour Future Star and carried a double five-star index.

This Greenstar Dynamite ewe sold for the McHugh family for €1,500.

The McHughs took home the second highest average of the night at €1,510/head for their 10 ewes.

Their next highest price was a Greenstar Dynamite-bred ewe going back to a Maineview Will I Am ewe, the same ewe that bred the previous hogget at €3,000.

This Procters Class Act ewe sold for €1,650 for the McHugh family.

This Procters Class Act ewe sold for €2,150 for the McHugh family.

She was scanned in lamb with twins to Garngour Future Star and knocked down to Roscomman man Malachy Hand to join his Brideswell flock.

This Procters Class Act ewe sold for €3,000 for the McHugh family.

This Greenstar Dynamite ewe sold for €2,550 for the McHugh family.

Following close behind was another Procters Class Act ewe for the McHughs.

This ewe goes back to a Thornville Alberto dam who was crowned all-Ireland champion in 2018.

She was scanned in lamb with twins to Garngour Future Star and sold for €2,150.

She makes her way back to Monaghan to join Matthew Harrison’s Tullyraghan Texel flock.

Meath men Pat and Barry Farrell had the largest consignment of ewes entered on the night with a massive 12 ewes from their flock being sold for a 100% clearance.

They averaged €1,077/head for their 12 ewes sold.

This Tamnamoney Denzil sired hogget sold for €1,100 for Pat and Barry Farrell.

This Tamnamoney Denzil-sired daughter sold for €1,550 for Pat and Barry Farrell.

Topping their pen was a Tamnamoney Denzil-bred ewe which went back to an Audhouseburn Bullitt ewe.

She was scanned in lamb with a single to Rhaeadr Entrepreneur and sold for €1,600.

Following close behind at €1,550 was her full sister. She was scanned in lamb with quads to Rhaeadr Edge.

The sale saw 65 of the 77 sheep on offer sold (a clearance rate of 90%) with the overall average coming in at €972/head, which was back just €3/head on last year’s average for 66 sheep sold.