The Cooley Sheep Breeders Association achieved a massive feat on Saturday, offering its largest entry of 4,111 ewe hoggets and ewe lambs.
The sale entry was up 987 head compared with last year’s sale with an excellent clearance rate achieved of 97%. This ranged from 99% in the hogget entry to 95.5% in the ewe lamb section.
Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart conducted the unique sale which takes place in a one-day mart set up in the greenfield site on the banks of Carlingford Lough on the scenic Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth.
Manager Brian Crawford said that the average sale figures of €268 for hoggets and €177 for ewe lambs was highly positive given the numbers on offer and more challenging tone to sales in 2026.
The average price for hoggets was €26/head back compared with 2025 returns. This is a better performance than the national trend.
Increased appetite
While the average price for ewe lambs was just €18/head lower, average figures hide a picture of an increased appetite and higher prices paid for Cheviot and Scottish Blackface sheep.
The entry of Cheviot hoggets was almost halved to 56 head, which boosted competition and drove a remarkable average of €516/head (range of €380 to €670).
In contrast, the ewe lamb entry of 242 head was up 90, with the average price of €281/head (€185 to €640) up by €55/head.
The Scottish Blackface hogget entry of 197 head was down from 263 in 2025, with the average price of €267 (€185 to €455) up about €28/head. The 75 ewe lambs on offer averaged €185 (€105 to €455), down about €27/head.
Main entry
The main entry comprised Suffolk-cross, Suffolk-cross-Cheviot and Texel-crosses, etc.
All 853 hoggets sold to average €270 (€185 to €365), easier by about €30/head, but for over 300 more hoggets.
The ewe lamb entry of such breeds saw 1,536 of the 1,642 lambs sold at an average of €163 (€100 to €290), with prices €27/head back.
All 317 mule hoggets sold to average €257 (205 to €430) compared with €310 in 2025, while 419 mule ewe lambs met keen demand, selling for €167 (€100 to €230).
Some 292 Hiltex, Lleyn and Cheviot-crosses sold for an average of €225 (€175 to €310) compared to €270 in 2025.
Group member John Wehrly said: “The whole peninsula – from farmers to business people – got behind the sale and made it a huge success. We invested in a new mobile sales ring and great credit has to go to Irish Country Meats, local businesses and farmers for supporting this investment.”
