This year it was Finn Valley Show in Co Donegal that hosted the coveted 2025 Growvite Texel all-Ireland championships.

Both the quality and entry numbers were high, with over 200 of Irelands top pedigree Texel sheep on show.

It was Charlie Boden of the renowned Sportsmans flock that was tasked with the tough job of judging the mighty show of sheep.

Kicking off the day showing was the aged ewe class, where a super-bodied Knock Crackerjack daughter took the top honours from Neville and Aaron Myles of the Silverhill flock.

Up next was an extremely strong class of quality shearling rams. On this occasion, it was the standout ram Drumcon His Royal Highness owned by John Greene and a consortium of breeders that won the red ribbon. His Royal Highness is a son the much-admired Strathbogie Gypsy King.

It was a family affair in the shearling ram class with Ryan Greene placing second with Lynbrook Hercules.

History repeats

History repeated itself in the shearling ewe class when the O’Keeffe family secured first place with their impressive Garngour Fly Half-sired shearling ewe.

The ewe was also a daughter of the 2022 all-Ireland reserve champion and first-prizewinning shearling ewe. This flashy ewe was also the winner of a strong ewe lamb class at the 2024 all-Ireland championships.

The first of the lamb classes to take place was the novice ram lamb class. It was won by Patrick Kenny with a son of the much-admired Hexel Fan Club.

This lamb also had an exceptional EBV, ranking in the top 1% for terminal and the top 3% for maternal.

All-Ireland Texel reserve champion and female champion from Patrick and Arthur O'Keeffe. / MacGregor Photography

In the highly contested open ram lamb class, it was Aaron and Neville Myles that took a clean sweep, claiming both first and second places with two powerful sons of Glenside Guardsman.

Both of these impressive lambs had the stars to match, being double five-star animals.

It was a son of the day’s overall champion Drumcon His Royal Highness that rose to the top of the line in the junior ram lamb class for John Greene.

Novice ewe

It was up and coming new breeder Daniel Heraghty that won both first and second in the novice ewe lamb class. Both ewe lambs where sired by Connemara Hennessy.

In the strong open ewe lamb class, it was the O’Keeffes’ special ewe lamb that took the top spot. She was sired by the ever-consistent Knockhill Hercules.

It was another young up and coming breeder Michael Grant who took the top honours in the tough junior ewe lamb class. This bright young lamb was sired by Brague Gypsy King.

In the championship, it was Donegal’s John Greene that reigned supreme with the 2025 all-Ireland title going to Drumcon His Royal Highness, the day’s first-prizewinning shearling ram and male champion.

Reserve male champion was awarded to Aaron and Neville Myles’ impressive open ram lamb class winner.

The overall reserve championship title heads to the opposite end on the country to Co Cork with the O’Keeffe family for their mighty shearling ewe.

The O’Keeffes also claimed reserve female champion with their flashy ewe lamb that won the open class earlier in the day.

Full results

Aged ewe

  • 1st – Aaron and Neville Myles.

  • 2nd – Dwayne Sheils.

  • 3rd – William Doherty.

  • 4th – Andrew Friel.

  • 5th - Aaron and Neville Myles.

  • 6th – Aaron Cox.

    • Shearling ram

  • 1st – John Greene.

  • 2nd – Ryan Greene.

  • 3rd – Dolores McSherry.

  • 4th – Martin Walsh.

  • 5th – Andrew Friel.

  • 6th – Kieran Finnerty.

    • Shearling ewe

  • 1st – Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.

  • 2nd – Jimmy Garrivan.

  • 3rd - Aaron and Neville Myles.

  • 4th – Lorraine and Chaylee Greene.

  • 5th – Darragh McMenamin.

  • 6th – Ryan Greene.

    • Novice ram lamb

  • 1st – Patrick Kenny.

  • 2nd – Adam Heffernan.

  • 3rd – Patrick Kenny.

  • 4th – Paul Rooney.

  • 5th – Damien Doherty.

  • 6th – Evan Regan.

    • Open ram lamb

  • 1st - Aaron and Neville Myles.

  • 2nd - Aaron and Neville Myles.

  • 3rd – Patrick Kenny.

  • 4th – Jimmy Garvan.

  • 5th – Adam Heffernan.

  • 6th – William Doherty.

    • Junior ram lamb

  • 1st – John Greene.

  • 2nd – Michael Grant.

  • 3rd - Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.

  • 4th - Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.

  • 5th – Stephen Kilpatrick.

  • 6th – Dan Bonner.

    • Novice ewe lamb

  • 1st – Daniel Heraghty.

  • 2nd - Daniel Heraghty.

  • 3rd – Michael Gilmore.

  • 4th – Matthew Kenny.

  • 5th – Ivor and Jonathan Kee.

  • 6th – Micheal Grant.

    • Open ewe lamb

  • 1st - Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.

  • 2nd – Jimmy Garrivan.

  • 3rd - Aaron and Neville Myles.

  • 4th - Aaron and Neville Myles.

  • 5th – William Doherty.

  • 6th – P and J Murphy.

    • Junior Ewe Lamb

  • 1st – Michael Grant.

  • 2nd – Fintan Hacket.

  • 3rd - Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.

  • 4th – John Greene.

  • 5th – Dan Bonner.

  • 6th – P and J Murphy.

    • Male championship

  • Champion – John Greene (shearling ram).
  • Reserve - Aaron and Neville Myles (open ram lamb).

    • Female championship

  • Champion - Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe (shearling ewe).
  • Reserve - Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe (open ewe lamb).

    • Overall championship

  • Champion - John Greene (shearling ram).
  • Reserve - Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe (shearling ewe).