Sheephaven top in-lamb Beltex sale

The 2021 Belgian Beltex Sheep Society in-lamb show and sale continued the great demand for Beltex sheep and capped off what has been a great year for the society, as the breed continues to grow from strength to strength.

Held in Tullamore Mart, the sale included consignments of stock from the top breeders across the country.

Paul M Slevin of the Riverbank flock in Monkstown, Monilea, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was judge on the day.

He awarded the overall champion to Brian Mathews’ first-prized shearling ewe Quarrymount Fabulous.

The sheep, sired by Stonedge Captain Fantastic and scanned carrying a single to Carrigans Lower Denzel, later sold for €1,550 to Russell Tinney, Co Donegal.

Reserve champion was the second-placed shearling ewe Cloneycavan Fanny Brown by Hugh and Stephanie O’Connor. This one is another great sheep sired by Tercrosset Blaze.

Hugh and Stephanie O’Connor’s Cloneycavan flock also had success in the aged ewe category with Cloneycavan Esther taking first prize.

Sired by Cloneycavan Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the sheep later sold for €1,360 to new breeder Amy Ryan, Co Mayo.

Lot 58 Brian Mathews’ Quarrymount Galway Girl was crowned champion ewe lamb. The Ballinakill Full House-sired lamb sold to TJ Gormley, Co Galway, for €700.

The sale that followed saw a phenomenal clearance of the females forward selling to a top price of €2,000 and a staggering average of €689, which is an increase on last year’s sale average and also believed to be a record average at an official Irish Belgian Beltex Breeders Society sale in Ireland.

Sheephaven Dorothy claimed the title of sale topper for breeder Declan Robinson, with the successful bidder being Liam Havlin Co Donegal.

The top-priced ewe was sired by Kinglesdores Apollo, Carlisle champion in 2015.

Robinson’s Sheephaven flock also sold ewes at €1,750 and €1,000 respectively, helping the average for his eight sheep hit a whopping €1,042.

Other notable sale prices included Michael Lynch’s Castlemeadow Fannie, which fetched €800 and was purchased by Tom Feehan, Co Mayo.

Lots 13 and 14 from John and Dudley Maher’s Ballinakill flock sold to €840 and €880, and were purchased by Jonathan Jones, Co Cavan, and TJ Gormley, Co Galway.

Crystal Maze Texel female sale

The forthcoming Crystal Maze export sale of pedigree Texel females has caused quite a stir as details have unfolded of the flocks included, namely Lakeview, Braehead, Hilltop, Tullagh, Knap, Cowal, Ettrick, Mullan, Maineview, Milnbank, Procters and Strathbogie.

Set to take place at Balmoral Park on Friday evening 17 December at 6.30pm, the Crystal Maze sale will comprise 84 lots of in-lamb gimmers, ewe lambs and an embryo pregnancy.

Lisduff Angus sale returns

Lisduff Angus will again host an on-farm sale outside Virginia in Co Cavan this December. This year’s sale will consist of 21 females and 10 bulls with a mix of both red and black Angus on offer.

Progeny will be available from a number of the herd’s stock bulls and also a number by popular AI bull Rawburn Boss Hogg. The sale will take place on Saturday 18 December at 2pm on farm (Eircode A82 PF25). Online bidding is available through MartEye Ballyjamesduff.

Texel Twilight sale moves venue

The Northeastern Texel club is returning with its annual sale on 29 December. However, this year’s sale will take place in the Virginia show centre and not Cootehill like previous years.

Taking place at 6pm, the sale has attracted an entry of 72 in-lamb shearling ewes.

In association with Carnaross mart, online bidding is available through LSL. The sale will also feature a special charity sale of a pedigree Texel ewe lamb.

Foundation Females sale

Omagh Auction mart will host a foundation female sale of Blue, Charolais, Limousin and Simmental stock on Friday 17 December at 7pm. Ages range from a two-month-old top-notch embryo heifer calf with her recipient dam to a four-year-old quality young cow carrying her second calf. Also on offer is a range of semen from top sires and some top-quality frozen egg embryo matings. Lots come from the Droit, Corrick, Derryharney and Mullyknock herds. Online bidding through LSL.

Christmas Belles returns to Carrick

Ronan Gallagher, owner of the Enniscrone pedigree Texel flock, and Jimmy Garrivan, owner of the Clew Bay pedigree Texel flock, return to Carrick-on-Shannon on Tuesday 28 December for the annual Christmas Belles sale. This year will again contain a guest consignment from Neville Myles’s Silverhill flock in Donegal. Taking place at 2.30pm, the sale consists of 55 in-lamb ewes, 15 ewe lambs, two in-lamb recipients and 20 with pedigree Suffolk lambs at foot.