Last Monday saw the usual sheep sale take place on the bank holiday at Raphoe Mart.

Mart manager Anne Harkin said that there was another good entry of sheep on offer and the prices were steady on recent weeks.

These three ewes each with twin lambs at foot sold for €218 each.

Anne said that the highlight of the sale were the number of good-quality young ewes with lambs at foot which were on offer.

She said that those with twins sold to a top price of €265, while other good-quality lots sold quite easily for over €220. Older and plainer quality types sold from €180 and upwards.

This ewe with a pair of lambs at foot sold for €210.

Those with single lambs at foot sold to a top price of €210 for a young ewe and good-quality lamb at foot, while plainer types sold from €140 upwards.

Horned ewes sold to a top price of €218 for a ewe with twin lambs at foot, with the lowest price paid for a horned ewe with twin lambs being €180 per unit.

This ewe with a pair of lambs at foot sold for €250.

Lambs from 48kg to 52kg sold from €125 to €135/head, with strong butcher demand. Those from 42kg to 47kg were a strong trade also and sold mainly from €120 to €125/head.

This pen of 15 lambs weighing 47kg on average sold for €118 each (2.51/kg).

Light lambs from 40kg to 42kg sold from €115 to €120/head, with those from 37kg to 40kg making from €100 to €115/head. Fat ewes sold from €70 for old thin types to €140/head for a top quality fat ewe. Commission rates are 2% to the buyer and 2.2% to the seller.

This pen of eight lambs, weighing 34kg on average sold for €91 each (€2.68/kg).

These three lambs weighing 42kg on average sold for €125 each (€2.98/kg).