The ninth annual production sale of Suffolk sheep for Annakisha/Clyda and Castleisle/Shannagh with guest consignments from Glyde and Malinhead flocks met with a very lively trade at Blessington Mart when they went under the hammer of John Doyle last Saturday.

The quality of females on offer was testament to the high standard of sheep expected from these top flocks where the best of bloodlines in the breed were on offer and proved that, despite a difficult year in farming, there is still demand for quality Suffolks. The sale topper was a tremendous shearling ewe, the property of Arthur O’Keeffe of the Annakisha flock and out of his best female line. The top ewe has numerous national champions in her back pedigree. By Shannagh Knockout and scanned in lamb to Burnview One for Arthur, she was knocked down to Philip Byrne of the Limepark flock for 3,500gns.

The second highest price of the day, 2,100gns, was reached twice. The Annakisha flock received 2,100gns for Lot 18, a powerful daughter of Birness Coulter and again in lamb to Burnview One for Arthur. She is a maternal sister to the 6,000gns Annakisha Apache.

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Signing the cheque was Flan Casey of the Gortnahaha flock. Also selling at 2,100gns. was Lot 44, a powerful shearling from Andrew Wilson’s Castleisle flock. This Shannagh Resolve daughter again had a power-packed pedigree and was scanned in lamb to the 40,000gns Limestone Aston Martin, overall champion at Stirling earlier this year. She was knocked down to Seán O’Connor of the Islandmore flock.

John Doherty, Malinhead flock, received 2,000gns for a stylish daughter of Malinhead The Special One, Irish Homebred Sire of the Year 2017 and in lamb to Malinhead Viking. She travelled across the border to Seán and Jane McCloskey of the Glenroe flock. In all, a total of 18 lots made 1,000gns or over, with the top-priced ewe lamb, the property of Philip Lynch and Sons, selling for 1,100gns. She was a daughter of the 36,000gns, Solwaybank Major.

It was a very successful day’s trading for Andrew and Richard Wilson from Donegal with an average of €1,160 for their 19 forward while Arthur O’Keeffe averaged 1,080 euro for his consignment.

There was a lot of interest from UK and European buyers resulting in a buoyant trade with nearly 100% clearance.