There was barely standing room at the fourth annual Sliabh Liag Longwool Perth Sheep Breeders Association sale held at Ballybofey and Stranorlar Livestock Mart, Co Donegal on Saturday 11 October. The sale has quickly established itself as a source of top-quality Perth-type Scottish Blackface sheep.
Saturday’s sale did not disappoint and presented judge, Connor Dickson, a Blackface sheep breeder from Co Down with the difficult task of picking the prize winners.
The first class was the ram lamb class and the red rosette was awarded to a ram lamb, Largnalore Perth – lot 132, shown by Hannah Tourish, Ballybofey, Co Donegal. The April-2025 stylish lamb was later selected supreme champion of the show and after a flurry of bidding activity sold for €2,100.
A ram lamb, S Thomas IE041762217388B – lot 149, exhibited by Philip Thomas, Lebarrow, Co Donegal, was placed second in the ram lamb class and went on to claim the top price of €3,450.
The flock had a successful day with lot 150, S Thomas IE041762217391G, selling for €2,350. Two more rams, S Thomas IE041762217389D – lot 151 and S Thomas IE041762216981H – lot 155, sold for €2,100 while another ram from the pen offering, lot 152 S Thomas IE041762216962H, sold for €1,000.
Ram lamb pairs
The second class was the ram lamb pairs. A real standout pair was the duo bred by Donegal breeder Paul O’Donnell taking first place.
Paul’s Lot 120 generated a lot of bidding in the ring selling for €1,220. A special mention to the pairs from the Tourish family and the Ward brothers, Orbeg, Donegal Town coming in second and third place, respectively.
The first prized ram and show champion pictured on left with Danielle and David Tourish, judge Connor Dickson, and Rosie, Katie and Hannah Tourish. The first prizewinning hogget ram on right pictured with Conor Friel and Thomas McConigley. /Swarber Photography - Denise Barber
Shearling winners
The third class for shearling rams was another hotly contested class. A shearling ram, T McConigley IE041908410820D – lot 18 from the flock of Thomas McConigley, Fanad, Co Donegal, claimed the top honours and sold for €700.
The Thomas family from Lebarrow set the headlines again in the shearling classes and claimed the next four rosettes.
Lot 27 – S Thomas IE041762216351B set the highest price of €1,750 in the shearling class while the three other prizewinners wold for €1,350, €1,100 and €800.
This was a fitting end to a successful day for Seamus and his family with all members involved in the running of the flock.
General prices
The sale offered rams to cater for pedigree and commercial farmer interest. A small entry of aged rams sold in the main from €150 to €610 and averaged €322 per head. Over 50% of shearling rams sold from €450 to €920 with about 40% selling from €250 to €420.
As touched on already, over eight ram lambs topped the €1,000 mark with 15 more selling from €500 to €980 while over 70 ram lambs sold from €180 to €460 with ram lambs recording an impressive average of over €523 per head. Some 19 shearlings averaged €658 each. The clearance rate was recorded at
75% with 20% purchased online.
There was barely standing room at the fourth annual Sliabh Liag Longwool Perth Sheep Breeders Association sale held at Ballybofey and Stranorlar Livestock Mart, Co Donegal on Saturday 11 October. The sale has quickly established itself as a source of top-quality Perth-type Scottish Blackface sheep.
Saturday’s sale did not disappoint and presented judge, Connor Dickson, a Blackface sheep breeder from Co Down with the difficult task of picking the prize winners.
The first class was the ram lamb class and the red rosette was awarded to a ram lamb, Largnalore Perth – lot 132, shown by Hannah Tourish, Ballybofey, Co Donegal. The April-2025 stylish lamb was later selected supreme champion of the show and after a flurry of bidding activity sold for €2,100.
A ram lamb, S Thomas IE041762217388B – lot 149, exhibited by Philip Thomas, Lebarrow, Co Donegal, was placed second in the ram lamb class and went on to claim the top price of €3,450.
The flock had a successful day with lot 150, S Thomas IE041762217391G, selling for €2,350. Two more rams, S Thomas IE041762217389D – lot 151 and S Thomas IE041762216981H – lot 155, sold for €2,100 while another ram from the pen offering, lot 152 S Thomas IE041762216962H, sold for €1,000.
Ram lamb pairs
The second class was the ram lamb pairs. A real standout pair was the duo bred by Donegal breeder Paul O’Donnell taking first place.
Paul’s Lot 120 generated a lot of bidding in the ring selling for €1,220. A special mention to the pairs from the Tourish family and the Ward brothers, Orbeg, Donegal Town coming in second and third place, respectively.
The first prized ram and show champion pictured on left with Danielle and David Tourish, judge Connor Dickson, and Rosie, Katie and Hannah Tourish. The first prizewinning hogget ram on right pictured with Conor Friel and Thomas McConigley. /Swarber Photography - Denise Barber
Shearling winners
The third class for shearling rams was another hotly contested class. A shearling ram, T McConigley IE041908410820D – lot 18 from the flock of Thomas McConigley, Fanad, Co Donegal, claimed the top honours and sold for €700.
The Thomas family from Lebarrow set the headlines again in the shearling classes and claimed the next four rosettes.
Lot 27 – S Thomas IE041762216351B set the highest price of €1,750 in the shearling class while the three other prizewinners wold for €1,350, €1,100 and €800.
This was a fitting end to a successful day for Seamus and his family with all members involved in the running of the flock.
General prices
The sale offered rams to cater for pedigree and commercial farmer interest. A small entry of aged rams sold in the main from €150 to €610 and averaged €322 per head. Over 50% of shearling rams sold from €450 to €920 with about 40% selling from €250 to €420.
As touched on already, over eight ram lambs topped the €1,000 mark with 15 more selling from €500 to €980 while over 70 ram lambs sold from €180 to €460 with ram lambs recording an impressive average of over €523 per head. Some 19 shearlings averaged €658 each. The clearance rate was recorded at
75% with 20% purchased online.
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