The Irish Texel Sheep Society National Championships were held on Saturday 5 July at the Adamstown Show. There were over 120 top-class Texels on show from all corners of the country.

Judge for the event was Stewart Ferris from the Bellefield flock in Northern Ireland.

Two of the day’s largest classes were the shearling ewe and shearling ram classes. It was Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe from Co Cork that took the top honours in both classes. Both of these top-class homebred shearlings were sired by Garngour Flyhalf. The mighty shearling ewe also went on to claim the reserve female champion title on the day.

This top shearling ewe also stood female champion and overall reserve champion at the Texel all-Ireland championships held the previous week at Finn Valley Show.

In the novice ram lamb class, it was up-and-coming breeder Luke Walsh who took the red rosette with Barossa Ireland’s Call, a son of Rathveigh Henry that he purchased at the Texel premier sale in 2024. His full sister claimed second in a very strong novice ewe lamb class.

In the open ram lamb class, it was a son of the 2025 All Ireland champion Drumcon His Royal Highness from John Neville that took the top spot.

The 2025 Texel national reserve champion and male champion from John Neville with judge Stewart Ferris. \ John Neville

The mighty lamb then went on to follow in his father’s footsteps to claim the male champion title and overall reserve champion. In the junior ram lamb class it was Patrick Joyce’s Coniston Equinox-sired ram lamb that took the top spot. This is the second year in a row that Joyce has won the red rosette in this class.

Following on from the male classes was the novice ewe lamb class. Here it was Emma Wharton’s Seaforde Groovy Baby daughter that won. This classy ewe lamb was a full sister to the ram lamb that Emma sold for €4,200 in 2024, in Blessington.

The win in the open ewe lamb class claimed by the 2025 All-Ireland reserve female champion came from the O’Keeffe family. The exceptional Knockhill Hercules daughter continued her winning streak claiming female champion and overall champion. The O’Keeffes also took the win in the junior ewe lamb class with a daughter of Midlock Dapper.

Ferris praised the exceptional display of stock on show and highlighted the high quality of the entries throughout each class.

Winners

Aged ram

  • 1st John and Liam Martin.
  • 2nd Aoife Wheelock and Marty Ryan.
  • 3rd Trevor Donnelly.
  • 4th Tom Whelan.

    • Aged ewe

  • 1st Ronan Gallagher.
  • 2nd Malachy Hand.
  • 3rd Kieran Finnerty.
  • 4th John Tuke.
  • 5th John Tuke.
  • 6th Tom Whelan.

    • Shearling ram

  • 1st Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.
  • 2nd Michael Sinnott.
  • 3rd Malachy Hand.
  • 4th Brian Divilly.
  • 5th John Neville.
  • 6th Shane O’Leary.

    • Shearling ewe

  • 1st Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.
  • 2nd Jarlath Joyce.
  • 3rd Percy O’Callaghan.
  • 4th John Tuke.
  • 5th Ronan Gallagher.
  • 6th Pat Lyons.

    • Novice ram lamb

  • 1st Luke Walsh.
  • 2nd Dermot Behan.
  • 3rd Dermot Behan.
  • 4th Thomas Whitehead.
  • 5th Paddy and Sean Morrisey.
  • 6th Gillian Earle.

    • Open ram lamb

  • 1st John Neville.
  • 2nd Ronan Gallagher.
  • 3rd Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.
  • 4th Jarlath Joyce.
  • 5th Fergal O’Shea.
  • 6th John Neville.

    • Jr ram lamb

  • 1st Jarlath Joyce.
  • 2nd Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.
  • 3rd Ronan Gallagher.
  • 4th John Redmond.
  • 5th Ronan Gallagher.
  • 6th Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.

    • Open ewe lamb

  • 1st Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.
  • 2nd John Neville.
  • 3rd John Kidd.
  • 4th Brian Divilly.
  • 5th Patrick Joyce.
  • 6th John Redmond.

    • Jr ewe lamb

  • 1st Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe.
  • 2nd John Redmond.
  • 3rd Patrick Joyce.
  • 4th TWJ2517847.
  • 5th Dermot Behan.
  • 6th Ronan Gallagher.

    • Novice ewe lamb

  • 1st Emma Wharton.
  • 2nd LWH2500108.
  • 3rd Emma Wharton.
  • 4th KFJ253031.
  • 5th Dermot Behan.
  • 6th MPF2501388.

    • Male championship

  • Male champion: John Neville (open ram lamb).
  • Reserve male champion: Jarlath Joyce (junior ram lamb).

    • Female championship

  • Female champion: Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe (open ewe lamb).
  • Reserve female champion: Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe (shearling ewe).

    • Overall championship

  • Overall champion: Arthur and Patrick O’Keeffe (open ewe lamb).
  • Reserve overall: John Neville (open ram lamb).