Monday’s sale at Kilkenny Mart saw a reasonably small yard of sheep, with about 350 on offer.

This pen of six lambs weighing 48kg on average sold for €108 each (€2.25/kg).

The trade was a little sharper, with lambs selling to a top price of €116/head.

Butchers’ lambs saw a little more demand, with the smaller numbers on offer. Top-quality heavy lambs sold for €116/head for 55kg or €2.11/kg.

This pen of fourteen lambs weighing 43kg on average sold for €93.50 each (€2.17/kg).

Other butchers’ lambs sold from €110 to €111 per head or from €1.12/kg to €2.20/kg.

There was a little more bite for factory lambs also, driven on by small numbers. At the top of the market, lambs sold for up to €106/head or €2.26/kg.

The main run of prices ranged from €2.15/kg to €2.26/kg or from €98 to €106/head.

This pen of seven lambs weighing 51kg on average sold for €107 each (€2.10/kg).

Lighter lambs less than 45kg sold mainly at the lower prices of €95 to €98/head.

Good supplies of grass on some farms meant that farmer buyers were active for good-quality store lambs.

Store lambs were quite a strong trade also, with prices ranging mainly from €2.10/kg to €2.25/kg. Heavier store lambs from 40kg to 41kg sold mainly from €84 to €91/head or for €2.10/kg to €2.20/kg.

This pen of eighteen lambs, weighing 45kg on average sold for €102 each (€2.27/kg).

Lighter store lambs from 37kg to 39kg sold mainly from €78 to €82/head.

Commission rates are 1% to the buyer and 1% to the seller plus an entry fee of 60c/head.

This pen of five lambs weighing 39kg on average sold for €82 each (€2.10/kg).