The Cooley Sheep Breeders Association’s annual breeding sale was reported as being the best since their inaugural sale 13 years ago.

Group chair Conor McCann said the quality of sheep on offer has improved significantly over the last decade and commented that the presentation of sheep has also been greatly enhanced.

Hoggets recorded an average price of €190 across 1,158 traded. The prices are averaged across all breeds from Suffolk Cheviot and Cheviot to Scottish Blackface, Mule and lowland crosses.

Over 55% of lots sold from €180 to €250, with several lots rising above this mark and selling to a top of €300.

The higher prices typically included Suffolk Cheviot, Suffolk, Texel, Mules and also included a significant number of Scottish Blackface sheep, with a particularly strong demand for Lanark-type hoggets.

Lighter, crossbred and plainer-quality hoggets sold from €150 to €175, with just over 20 lots of very light hoggets coming from harder hills selling from €120 to €145.

It was a similar trend for over 1,600 ewe lambs traded. The average price was recorded at €124/head, while the range in prices spanned from €80 to €285 paid for prizewinning Scottish Blackface lambs.

The differential was tighter than the price range suggests, with a solid trade evident. A handful of lots sold from €195 to €285.

Stronger ewe lambs, many of which are fit to breed this year, sold from €130 to €175, with lighter but nice-quality lambs back to €100 and some plainer-quality and very light lambs back to €80.

Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart manager Brian Crawford, who operated the auction, said: “It is testament to the group that over 2,800 sheep were sold in an outdoor mart with great efficiency. The trade was very consistent and there was good prices for the seller, but equally important some value for buyers.”