It was clear to see with that it was going to be a record sale when the crowd started building on the Friday afternoon.
The weekend kicked off with the show under the watchful eye of Dye Clark of Clarks flock in Scotland.
The first class of the day was the shearling ewe with the first prize in this class going to John Neville Co Wexford with a Glenside Forever daughter, she later went on to sell for €2,000 to new breeder Thomas Whitehead.
It quickly then went on to the ewe lambs with the judges fancy going to Pat and Barry Farrell with a Hilltop Golden Eye daughter. Farrell’s remarkably have clamed this title for the last 3 years. This ewe lamb later took the female championship and reserve overall champion. It’s worth noting that last year it was her maternal sister that was female champion. She was the pick for Thomas Whitehead who purchased her €4,500.
It was the second prize lamb in came from Patrick and James Murphy who also later claimed the reserve female title, sired by Hexel Fan Club, she sold for €1,800 to Jimmy Garrivan from Co. Mayo.
Other leading prices came from the Farrells, with the highest price shearling ewe selling at €3,500 sired by Rhaeadr Entrepreneur. She was a full sister to last years champion and sold to Neville Myles.
Next up in the shearling ewes was another Entrepreneur daughter from Ryan Doherty this one sold to Thomas Kenny for €3,000.
Paul Mallon then sold a daughter of Mullan Eagle Eye for €2,000 to Niall Moyne.
Trading at the same money was another Glenside Forever daughter selling to David Craig.
At the same Money was a full sister to the national champion from the Murphy brothers.
Over all there was a strong female trade with quality lots in demand. The shearling ewes had a strong clearance of 81% at €1021 for 50 sold. Ewe lambs were in high demand for the quality lots offered for sale with the average hitting €1115 showing a 66% percent clearance.
The Saturday it was the turn of the males to hit the ring and from the start the atmosphere was electric around the yard.
With the top spot on the Friday in the show going to the winner of the Open class from John Redmond of the Knockhill flock in Carlow with a son of Forkins Fancy, the judge followed this lamb the whole way through making him Male Champion and Overall champion. He subsequently purchased him for €3,100 the following day for his Clarks flock.
The Reserve Male Champion also came from the open class where he was placed 2nd from Neville Myles with a Hexel Fan Club son. This double five star lamb gathered much attention over the two days and with his package of both figures and looks it made him the sale topper at €20,000. He was ultimately the choice of Jimmy Garrvin and Ronan Gallagher.
The winner of the Shearling ram class was a Hexel Fever Tree son from Liam Dillon selling for €1,100.
The winner of the Lamb Plus class Neville Myles with another Hexel Fan Club he later sold for €1,700 to James Kelly.
The Winner of the Novice class was Iris and Irene Brazil with a son of Oberstown Fergo, he sold for €1,200.
A son of Knockhill Great Expectations that won the Irish sired class from Jarlath Joyce later in the sale went on to sell for €5,500 to Flor Ryan and Johnny Donohoe.
Other leading prices from the sale.
The second highest price on the day was again the Farrell duo of Pat and Barry with a full brother to the Reserve Overall Champion a Hilltop Golden Eye son and from their top breeding Teiglum ewe. He sold for €18,000 to the Corbo, Manview and Ballygroogan flocks.
Coming in close behind at €15,000 was a son of Claybury Dunkirk and out of the Overall Champion from last who is from the same Oberstown/Teiglum line. This boy was the choice of the Greene & McLoughlin flocks from Co. Donegal
Next was a full brother to the sale topper from Neville Myles with a Fan Club son this time selling to Greenhill flock of John and Colm McHugh.
Jarlath Joyce was back in the money with a full brother to Irene Donnnellys lamb selling for €5,000 to Dwayne Sheils.
The next three rams traded at €4,500 with the first being a full brother to last years sale topper Brian Dvilly selling to John and Colm Mc Hugh.
It was then another full brother to the sale topper from Neville Myles sold to Declan Mangan.
We then had another at the same money from the same pen, he sold to Anthony Rowland.
The last to trade above the 4k mark was Emma Wharton selling her son of Seaford Groovy Baby.
The trade was strong throughout in the males with he breeders seeking top genetics to add to their flocks with 34 rams making €2,000 or more. It still left a huge amount of shearling rams selling and ram lambs for the commercial farmer in the 600 to 1,200 bracket.
The Charity sale was held after the female sale on Friday night with all proceeds €2400 raised being donated to ‘Daras legacy’.
Shearling rams averaged €1125 with a 97% clearance and Ram Lambs 89% clearance with a €1708 average. This figure was being driven by the pedigree higher prices. When removing anything over 3k the average was €1098.
