The Bimeda-sponsored Irish Charollais Sheep Society’s 27th premier show and sale was held on Saturday 30 July at Tullow mart. In the sunshine Robert Hopper, Devon, England, had the unenviable job of judging the excellent show of sheep which were present.

A total of 156 sheep were catalogued for the sale and, of these, 146 were offered for sale. The trade on the day recouped the ground it lost last year and gained some more. The sale averaged €738, which was up €50 a head on last year. Clearance also saw an increase by nearly 5%. The biggest jump came in the ram lambs, which saw an average price of €784, an increase of €134 on 2015.

Females were the first to go through the ring and it was the second prizewinning hogget ewe who topped the prices. Jim and Frampton Jeffery, Midleton, Co Cork, took the blue rosette with a daughter of Carriganeela Cracker who later sold for €1,050. The next best was the first prizewinner in the same class from Eddie and Paul O’Gorman, Ballyporeen, Co Tipperary. A daughter of Lisfuncheon Rambo, this stylish hogget was sold for €700 to Donegal breeders Jim and Gillian Devenney. Overall, six of the 11 hogget ewes on offer found new homes to average €568.

Liam Conway, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, exhibited the winning ewe lamb, who also took the honour of female champion and overall reserve champion. This lady was sired by June Johnnie and was unsold. The Jeffery brothers were again in the blue rosette position with a daughter of Carriganeela Cracker selling for €520 to Co Mayo breeder Aidan Loftus.

A Bunderg Nailer daughter bred by Andrew Gilmore, Kingscourt, Co Cavan, took third prize and was unsold. Ewe lambs had a top of €680 with an average of €441. The top-priced ewe lamb was sold to Stewart Thompson, Ballybofey, Co Donegal, a daughter of the 2015 Dungannon champion. She was bred by Edward Buckley of the Kilbarry flock.

It was now the turn of the males to take the yard and biggest class of the day was the ram lamb class, which was won by Edward Buckley, Kilbarry, Macroom, Co Cork. This son of Kilbarry Obaama who displayed fine breed characteristics, went on to claim the title of supreme champion. He was later sold to the judge, Robert Hopper, for €1,650.

William Gleeson’s lamb by Lisfuncheon Mississippi from Fethard-On-Sea, Co. Wexford, took second position, selling later in the day for €1,400 to Owen Griffin, Co Meath. The yellow rosette of third place went to Eddie and Paul O’Gorman with a son of Lisfuncheon Rambo who was sold for €1,600 to Cork breeder Maria Philpott.

The top price of the day, €2,900, paid by Finbar Godfery, Co Kerry, went to Joe and Michael Byrne, Glenealy, Co Wicklow, for their lamb Foynes Rolls Royce sired by Logie Durno Laird.

Also hitting the high mark was another lamb from the pen of Edward Buckley. This lamb by Kilbarry Peacemaker was sold to Co Mayo breeder Aidan Loftus for €2,100.

In the hogget ram class, Killian Traynor, Shercock, Co Cavan, took first place with a son of Cloghala Comanche. This first prizewinner sold for €1,120 to Kevin Heatherton, Co Meath, while the second prizewinner owned by James Murphy Inistioge, Co Kilkenny, sold for €620 to John Graham, Co Tyrone. This ram was sired by Lisfuncheon Bruce. Eddie and Paul O’Gorman picked up the yellow rosette with a son of Knockcroghery Constable that sold for €700 to James O’Neill, Co Carlow. Overall, hogget rams sold to an average of €710.