Texel in-lamb females have been meeting a brisk trade at sales north and south recently. This trend continued at the first ever sale of in-lamb Texel females at the Station Road Mart, Cootehill, Co Cavan, last Friday. A packed sale ring saw record prices paid, with the 59 ewes catalogued averaging €712.

It was a night to remember for father and son team Pat and Barry Farrell, who sold seven ewes from their Oberstown flock to average €1,580. Topping their pen and the sale was a daughter of the 2016 all-Ireland senior ewe champion who went on to make €2,130 to an undisclosed breeder.

Next highest priced ewe of the sale at €1,785 was purchased by Sean McGee, Navac Texels, and Peter Gibbons, Macetown Texels. This was also from the Farrells’ pen of seven.

John and Michael Donohoe, Crosserlough Texels, purchased two of the Farrells’ ewes at €1,720 and €1,344, while another of the females went to Eddie Lynch, Cavan, for €1,595. Pascal Keogh, Slane, Co Meath, purchased the last ewe sold from the Farrell pen at €1,470.

Charles Clarke Jnr, Mullaghrafferty, had two ewes from his pen of eight sell for four figures. The first ewe of the sale sold to John Canty for €1,110 and Michael Bird purchased Lot 34 for €1,050 – the pen average tallied at €810.

All animals in the sale came from flocks participating in Sheep Ireland’s LambPlus Scheme and had €uro-Star values on display – a prominent detail for buyers with added demand for five-star animals. The average price for the 18 five-star ewes on sale was €972 compared with the overall sale average of €712.

John Canty’s Lot 30 was sold to William Byrne, Finglas, Co Dublin, for €880. John and his family are donating the proceeds of this sheep to the Irish Cancer Society in grateful appreciation of the society’s care for his father Joe (RIP), who passed away last year. John raised over €1,500 from the sale, along with donations, for this worthy cause.