A selection of the country’s most elite Blue Texel and Suffolk genetics went for auction in the Breeders’ Choice Summer sale over the weekend.

Taking the form of an online timed auction through MartEye and Harrison and Hetherington, 26 exceptionally well-bred sheep were up for grabs.

Catalogued for the sale was a selection of ram lambs, ewe lambs and shearling ewes from the Cracking, Ernevalley, Kilduff and Powerful flocks. Many of the sheep consigned in the sale were brothers and sisters of national and regional champions, attracting buyers from all over Ireland, Northern Ireland and Britain.

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Welsh buyer

Purchasing the highest-priced lot was Paul Delves of the Bridgeview flock in Powys, Wales. Kilduff Electra topped the trade at £4,000 (€4,683), much to the delight of her breeder, James Dunne from Co Cavan.

This tremendous Suffolk ewe lamb is sired by the 12,000gns Cherrylea Dark Destroyer and out of a homebred dam by Bessiebell Moto Moto. Coming from a dam line which has produced several high-priced sheep, including the €3,700 Kilduff Bruno, she also packed a fantastic set of Euro-star indexes.

Kilduff Elegance

Up next was another ewe lamb from James Dunne’s Cavan-based flock and a full sister to the sale leader. Like her sister, she offered buyers five-star terminal and replacement indexes, as well as top-of-the-range genetics. Kilduff Elegance was knocked down at £2,900 (€3,395), selling to Messrs Campbell in Wigtownshire.

Fellow Cavan breeders Eddie and Ben Lynch received £1,850 (€2,165) for the shearling gimmer, Ernevalley Daffodil. A daughter of the 10,000gns Limestone Rizzler, her dam is a Craigdoo ewe, out of Crewelands Quickfire. Adding her to their Galway based flock was Messrs Coen.

Philip Crowe’s Blue Texel ewe lamb, Powerful Karoline, then hit £1,650 (€1,931), joining a new flock in Co Roscommon. A daughter of Hurricane Harley Davidson and Gerrard Masson, she also boasted an impressive set of Euro-star indexes.