The annual premier sale of the Suffolk Sheep Society South of Ireland branch took place in Roscrea last weekend. The sale saw good demand across both the male and female sections, with a number of lots exported on the day.

Supreme champion from the Finnvale flock sold for €2,000. \ Alfie Shaw

Given the task of judging the premier sale was Sligo-based Jimmy Rooney, who runs the Benwiskin flock. He found his champion in the form of a ram lamb from AJ and JA Lucas’s Finnvale flock. Sired by Oakbride Maximus, the stylish January-born lamb is out of a Birness ewe purchased at the Dark Diamonds sale for 2,200gns. Following the show, the judge backed his decision by securing the champion at €2,000.

Reserve supreme champion from the Errigal flock sold for €2,800. \ Alfie Shaw

Close behind and claiming the reserve male and reserve overall championships was Seamus Browne with one of the picks from his Errigal flock.

Coming out in front of the recorded class, the Lakeview Heart of Gold-sired ram sold for one of the day’s top prices of €2,800. Mr Browne had a particularly impressive day, with his Lot 51 going on to top the premier sale at €4,200. This late-December-born ram lamb had been a catalogue pick for many potential purchasers, having secured the reserve male championship at the society’s national finals in Kilkenny earlier this summer.

Sired once again by the 13,000gns Lakeview Heart of Gold, the sale-topper goes back to one of the best lines in the Bailey flock. Seamus also exhibited the second-prizewinner in the open ram class, which went on to sell for €2,000. This ram was again sired by Lakeview Heart of Gold.

Taking the second-top price of the sale was Susan O’Keeffe of the Clyda flock with BYD:18:02404. This January-born ram comes from the flock’s most consistent breeding line, having produced numerous supreme champions at the national finals. Sired by Forkins Black and White, the stylish ram was knocked down at €3,200.

John A Doherty was next in line when he sold his January-born twin ram for €3,000. Homebred on both sides, this one is sired by Malinhead The Special One. Another from John’s Malinhead flock received a price tag of €2,600. Again homebred on both sides, this one was sired by Malinhead Viking.

Females

In the female section, Philip Lynch of the Glyde flock followed up his success in the 2018 national championships by winning the female championship for the second time in three years. His early-January-born lamb is sired by Rookery Rodeo and out of the same dam as the 2016 female champion. It later sold for the top female price of €1,200.

Reserve female champion of the show went to Donegal and the Killyclug flock of Jeffrey and Robert Thornton. Their shearling ewe sired by Birness Bravado secured the reserve champion rosette, as well as first place in the single shearling ewe class before selling for €1,000.

Overall, sellers were happy with the day’s trading, with shearling ewes witnessing a full clearance to an average of €700. Ewe lambs were also in demand averaging at €605, with a 93% clearance.

Male trade was back on that of the females, but still witnessed healthy clearances at 75% for ram lambs and 67% for shearling rams. Ram lambs average settled at €1,030, while shearling was slightly higher. Four ram lambs were purchased by French buyers, while a number of Northern buyers also made the journey to secure some top lots.