This year’s Belclare premier sale took place in GVM Tullamore Mart on Friday 8 August.
There was an impressive 94% clearance rate across the entire sale, a 100% clearance rate in the female section and an average selling price of €885 for the 60 males sold - with 35% of rams making €1,000 or more per head.
The day began at 3pm in the show ring, with the Belclare Sheep Society - Liam Coen took on the job of judging in the pre-sale show.
The overall champion in the pre-sale show went to John McTigue pictured here with judge Liam Coen. \ A Moore
The prestigious JP Hanrahan Cup, named in honour of the breed’s founder, was awarded to John McTigue of the Ballynulty Flock, Tuam, Co Galway, for his ram lamb Ballynulty Leo.
Reserve Champion went to Liam and Eoin Dunne, Co Offaly of the Tubber Belclare Flock with their ram lamb Tubber Lance.
The first class judged was the shearling ram class.
With a strong line-up of entries, judge Liam Coen tapped forward Tim Keady’s Oltore King for the red rosette, which later sold for €1,050.
The Oltore Flock of Co Galway also claimed second prize in the hogget ram class with Oltore Kalin, which went on to sell for €1,200.
Hogget section
In a highly competitive hogget section, the top-priced hogget of the day came from John Renehan’s Violet Hill Flock. Lot 8, Violet Hill Kasim, came with very high €uro-Star ratings in the top 1% (€9.27) on replacement and top 2% (€3.05) on terminal selling for €1,300. Third prize went to Patrick Doyle of the Ballytarsna flock; fourth to John Renehan; and fifth to Pat Lynch of the Rossdelia Flock with Lot 1, which sold for €1,050, setting the tone for a strong trade throughout the sale.
Reserve Champion ram lamb from Liam and Eoin Dunne. \ A Moore
An exceptional line-up of ram lambs followed in the 2025 Premier Sale Ram Lamb Show.
Judging proved a challenge, with high-quality entries from flocks across Ireland. First prize was awarded to John McTigue of the Ballynulty Flock for Ballynulty Leo. This powerful ram went on to claim Overall Champion and later sold for €1,250.
Second prize and Reserve Champion went to the Tubber Flock of Liam and Eoin Dunne for Tubber Lance, which later sold for €1,100.
Third prize was awarded to Ciarán Coughlan, Ferbane, Co Offaly, for Glen View Legend, which made €950. Fourth prize went to David Craig, Clonard, Co Meath, with Abbeyview Luggy, later sold for €850 to the Lankill pedigree flock, who themselves took fifth prize with Lankill Ludwig, bred by Charles J Hughes, Westport, Co Mayo, selling for €950. Sixth prize was awarded to John Kennedy of the Dranagh Flock, Dranagh, Co. Carlow, for Dranagh Lucian.
Female section
The female section concluded the 2025 Belclare premier show, showcasing some of the finest females in the society. The Violet Hill Flock of John Renehan dominated, claiming first, second, and third prize.
Despite the quality and excitement in the show ring, the evening’s real drama unfolded in the sales ring. The top price of the day went to Liam Delaney of the Coolgarragh Flock with Lot 45, Coolgarragh, Laois. Starting at €1,000, bidding quickly climbed, with the hammer eventually falling at €2,700 to the Tubber Flock.
Champion and Reserve Champion in the pre-sale show.\ A Moore
This ram combined exceptional length and style with elite €uro-Star values - top 1% (€9.32) on replacement and top 2% (€3.01) on terminal. Liam’s success continued with Lot 45’s full brother, selling to the Togherbeg Flock of Barry Cunningham for €2,200. The Coolgarragh Flock averaged €1,600 for their entries.
Paul Smyth of the Silverbrook Flock matched his 2024 success, with Lot 9, Silverbrook Lyric, selling for €1,900 to the Beltra pedigree flock of Christopher McLaughlin, Co. Donegal. This ram, in the top 1% (€9.47) on replacement and top 1% (€3.05) on terminal, combined power with genetic merit. The Ballynulty Flock of John McTigue also shone in the sales ring. Lot 49, Ballynulty Looker - the 2025 All-Ireland Champion ram lamb - sold for €1,750 to the Oltore Flock. John’s pen of ram lambs averaged €1,120. Strong prices continued across the catalogue, with the Tubber Flock also backing up their show ring success with sales up to €1,500 and an average of €980.
This year’s Belclare premier sale took place in GVM Tullamore Mart on Friday 8 August.
There was an impressive 94% clearance rate across the entire sale, a 100% clearance rate in the female section and an average selling price of €885 for the 60 males sold - with 35% of rams making €1,000 or more per head.
The day began at 3pm in the show ring, with the Belclare Sheep Society - Liam Coen took on the job of judging in the pre-sale show.
The overall champion in the pre-sale show went to John McTigue pictured here with judge Liam Coen. \ A Moore
The prestigious JP Hanrahan Cup, named in honour of the breed’s founder, was awarded to John McTigue of the Ballynulty Flock, Tuam, Co Galway, for his ram lamb Ballynulty Leo.
Reserve Champion went to Liam and Eoin Dunne, Co Offaly of the Tubber Belclare Flock with their ram lamb Tubber Lance.
The first class judged was the shearling ram class.
With a strong line-up of entries, judge Liam Coen tapped forward Tim Keady’s Oltore King for the red rosette, which later sold for €1,050.
The Oltore Flock of Co Galway also claimed second prize in the hogget ram class with Oltore Kalin, which went on to sell for €1,200.
Hogget section
In a highly competitive hogget section, the top-priced hogget of the day came from John Renehan’s Violet Hill Flock. Lot 8, Violet Hill Kasim, came with very high €uro-Star ratings in the top 1% (€9.27) on replacement and top 2% (€3.05) on terminal selling for €1,300. Third prize went to Patrick Doyle of the Ballytarsna flock; fourth to John Renehan; and fifth to Pat Lynch of the Rossdelia Flock with Lot 1, which sold for €1,050, setting the tone for a strong trade throughout the sale.
Reserve Champion ram lamb from Liam and Eoin Dunne. \ A Moore
An exceptional line-up of ram lambs followed in the 2025 Premier Sale Ram Lamb Show.
Judging proved a challenge, with high-quality entries from flocks across Ireland. First prize was awarded to John McTigue of the Ballynulty Flock for Ballynulty Leo. This powerful ram went on to claim Overall Champion and later sold for €1,250.
Second prize and Reserve Champion went to the Tubber Flock of Liam and Eoin Dunne for Tubber Lance, which later sold for €1,100.
Third prize was awarded to Ciarán Coughlan, Ferbane, Co Offaly, for Glen View Legend, which made €950. Fourth prize went to David Craig, Clonard, Co Meath, with Abbeyview Luggy, later sold for €850 to the Lankill pedigree flock, who themselves took fifth prize with Lankill Ludwig, bred by Charles J Hughes, Westport, Co Mayo, selling for €950. Sixth prize was awarded to John Kennedy of the Dranagh Flock, Dranagh, Co. Carlow, for Dranagh Lucian.
Female section
The female section concluded the 2025 Belclare premier show, showcasing some of the finest females in the society. The Violet Hill Flock of John Renehan dominated, claiming first, second, and third prize.
Despite the quality and excitement in the show ring, the evening’s real drama unfolded in the sales ring. The top price of the day went to Liam Delaney of the Coolgarragh Flock with Lot 45, Coolgarragh, Laois. Starting at €1,000, bidding quickly climbed, with the hammer eventually falling at €2,700 to the Tubber Flock.
Champion and Reserve Champion in the pre-sale show.\ A Moore
This ram combined exceptional length and style with elite €uro-Star values - top 1% (€9.32) on replacement and top 2% (€3.01) on terminal. Liam’s success continued with Lot 45’s full brother, selling to the Togherbeg Flock of Barry Cunningham for €2,200. The Coolgarragh Flock averaged €1,600 for their entries.
Paul Smyth of the Silverbrook Flock matched his 2024 success, with Lot 9, Silverbrook Lyric, selling for €1,900 to the Beltra pedigree flock of Christopher McLaughlin, Co. Donegal. This ram, in the top 1% (€9.47) on replacement and top 1% (€3.05) on terminal, combined power with genetic merit. The Ballynulty Flock of John McTigue also shone in the sales ring. Lot 49, Ballynulty Looker - the 2025 All-Ireland Champion ram lamb - sold for €1,750 to the Oltore Flock. John’s pen of ram lambs averaged €1,120. Strong prices continued across the catalogue, with the Tubber Flock also backing up their show ring success with sales up to €1,500 and an average of €980.
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