Ennis Mart’s annual breeding sheep show and sale generated positive trading for an entry of over 600 breeding sheep. Over 400 hoggets were on offer, with prices similar to in 2025.
Almost 60% of hoggets ranged in price from €220 to €285 per head, with just shy of 20% of the entry selling from €295 to €345 and one batch reaching a high of €370 per head, while the balance of lighter hoggets sold in the main from €175 to €215.
Mart manager Martin McNamara reported keen demand and commented that the strong cull ewe trade over the last year is helping to insert a firm floor under the trade for breeding ewes. This was evident in the trade for breeding ewes.
About half of the 90 breeding ewes on offer sold north of €200 per head, with prices ranging from €200 to a top of €285. Smaller ewes and those with a lower cover of flesh sold from €160 to €195 with a dozen below this level.
Ewe lambs were a solid trade, with the best demand for heavier lambs capable of going to the ram if desired in 2026. A third of the entry sold from €220 to €270, and these were quality lots weighing from 50kg to 65kg.
Lighter and plainer-quality types sold on average from €165 to €215.
There was about 50 rams on offer and most of these were Suffolk. Top price in this section was €550, with an average price of between €300 and €400 per head buying a good share of rams on offer.
