Ballyjamesduff Co-operative Livestock Mart was the venue for the inaugural Exclusive Extravaganza sale last weekend.
The sale was booming with a large crowd and Harrison and Hetherington auctioneer James Little at the helm.
The sale was made up of entries from four breeds, Beltex, Dassenkops, Blue Texel and Dutch Spotted.
Beltex
The Beltex consignment was extremely strong and this showed when the breed achieved the highest clearance rate and topped the sale, as well as setting a new Irish record.
This record breaker was Aileach View Kiss or Tell, a stand-out shearling ewe from Donegal men Jack and Sean O’Brien. The Wannops Firecracker daughter also stood as the All-Ireland Beltex champion earlier in the summer and was highly admired by everyone who saw her. However, it was Scottish breeder Ian McKnight that placed the winning bid of €6,200 to add this All-Ireland champion to his flock.
Also on the day, three Beltex shearling rams sold for €3,000. The first was Shanderg Kingsman, from the pen of Cathal Tuohy. This powerful shearling ram was sired by Edendiack Hitman and his dam was Matt’s Embrace.
The next two Beltex rams to sell for €3,000 both came from the Donegal-based Sheephaven flock of Declan Robinson. Both rams where full embryo brothers, sired by Buckles Fizzy Pop. The first, Sheephaven Kennedy, was picked up by well-known Northern Ireland-based breeder Matthew Burleigh and the second ram, Sheephaven Knockout, was bought by Amy Connolly.
Blue Texel
The Blue Texel consignment was topped at €4,500 by Diamond Jewel from Nigel Hogan and Saoirse Oliver.
Top-priced Blue Texel Diamond Jewel from Nigel Hogan sold for €4,500. \ Alfie Shaw
Jewel also had an extremely strong show career having been crowned All-Ireland Blue Texel champion and Athlone Show interbreed champion on the same day.
Jewel was sired by import ram Werbrouck H885 and her dam was Knockmult Harmony the 2024 All-Ireland Blue Texel champion. It was Bridget Borlase that placed the winning bid on this show superstar. Jewel’s full embryo brother Diamond Jaffa Cake sold earlier in the day for €2,000 to Allen Shortt of the NI-based Derg flock.
The second-highest price in the Blue Texel section was €3,000 and it was obtained by a shearling ewe named Keeltown Imerl from Philip Crowe. This top-priced shearling ewe was double five-star and sired by Hurricane Harley Davidson.
Dassenkops
In the Dassenkop section it was again Nigel Hogan’s Diamond flock that produced the top-priced lot, Diamond Jumbo, a special ram lamb that sold for €4,000. This perfectly marked ram lamb was a son of the well-known import ram 310 and he was picked up with a last-minute bid from an undisclosed buyer.
The top-priced Dassenkop ram lamb Diamond Jumbo from Nigel Hogan sold for €4,000. \ Alfie Shaw
The next-highest-priced Dassenkop was a shearling ram again from the Diamond flock. Diamond Izod was a late April 2024-born ram that had great style and presence. It was Jack King of the Kirkinriola flock who place the winning bid of €3,800 on the Bodoney Equalizer son.
Dutch Spotted
The Dutch spotted section was topped by Ballintleva Istanbul, a powerful ram lamb that was the 2025 Dutch Spotted All-Ireland male champion. Istanbul was brought forward to sale by Caillin Joyce from Mayo and he was sired by Hotspur Hitman. The hammer fell at €3,500 to four breeders, Dwayne Shiels, Declan McGettigan, Noel Claffey and Martin Melly.
The top-priced Dutch Spotted ram lamb Ballintleva Istanbul from Caillin Joyce sold for €3,500. \ Sean McCarthy
The top-priced female in the Dutch Spotted section was Greenfield Irish Sweetheart from Justin Porter. She sold for €2,200 to Henry Jewitt. She was sired by Porter’s stock ram Diamond Felix and her dam was Merryboro Fairy.
Ballyjamesduff Co-operative Livestock Mart was the venue for the inaugural Exclusive Extravaganza sale last weekend.
The sale was booming with a large crowd and Harrison and Hetherington auctioneer James Little at the helm.
The sale was made up of entries from four breeds, Beltex, Dassenkops, Blue Texel and Dutch Spotted.
Beltex
The Beltex consignment was extremely strong and this showed when the breed achieved the highest clearance rate and topped the sale, as well as setting a new Irish record.
This record breaker was Aileach View Kiss or Tell, a stand-out shearling ewe from Donegal men Jack and Sean O’Brien. The Wannops Firecracker daughter also stood as the All-Ireland Beltex champion earlier in the summer and was highly admired by everyone who saw her. However, it was Scottish breeder Ian McKnight that placed the winning bid of €6,200 to add this All-Ireland champion to his flock.
Also on the day, three Beltex shearling rams sold for €3,000. The first was Shanderg Kingsman, from the pen of Cathal Tuohy. This powerful shearling ram was sired by Edendiack Hitman and his dam was Matt’s Embrace.
The next two Beltex rams to sell for €3,000 both came from the Donegal-based Sheephaven flock of Declan Robinson. Both rams where full embryo brothers, sired by Buckles Fizzy Pop. The first, Sheephaven Kennedy, was picked up by well-known Northern Ireland-based breeder Matthew Burleigh and the second ram, Sheephaven Knockout, was bought by Amy Connolly.
Blue Texel
The Blue Texel consignment was topped at €4,500 by Diamond Jewel from Nigel Hogan and Saoirse Oliver.
Top-priced Blue Texel Diamond Jewel from Nigel Hogan sold for €4,500. \ Alfie Shaw
Jewel also had an extremely strong show career having been crowned All-Ireland Blue Texel champion and Athlone Show interbreed champion on the same day.
Jewel was sired by import ram Werbrouck H885 and her dam was Knockmult Harmony the 2024 All-Ireland Blue Texel champion. It was Bridget Borlase that placed the winning bid on this show superstar. Jewel’s full embryo brother Diamond Jaffa Cake sold earlier in the day for €2,000 to Allen Shortt of the NI-based Derg flock.
The second-highest price in the Blue Texel section was €3,000 and it was obtained by a shearling ewe named Keeltown Imerl from Philip Crowe. This top-priced shearling ewe was double five-star and sired by Hurricane Harley Davidson.
Dassenkops
In the Dassenkop section it was again Nigel Hogan’s Diamond flock that produced the top-priced lot, Diamond Jumbo, a special ram lamb that sold for €4,000. This perfectly marked ram lamb was a son of the well-known import ram 310 and he was picked up with a last-minute bid from an undisclosed buyer.
The top-priced Dassenkop ram lamb Diamond Jumbo from Nigel Hogan sold for €4,000. \ Alfie Shaw
The next-highest-priced Dassenkop was a shearling ram again from the Diamond flock. Diamond Izod was a late April 2024-born ram that had great style and presence. It was Jack King of the Kirkinriola flock who place the winning bid of €3,800 on the Bodoney Equalizer son.
Dutch Spotted
The Dutch spotted section was topped by Ballintleva Istanbul, a powerful ram lamb that was the 2025 Dutch Spotted All-Ireland male champion. Istanbul was brought forward to sale by Caillin Joyce from Mayo and he was sired by Hotspur Hitman. The hammer fell at €3,500 to four breeders, Dwayne Shiels, Declan McGettigan, Noel Claffey and Martin Melly.
The top-priced Dutch Spotted ram lamb Ballintleva Istanbul from Caillin Joyce sold for €3,500. \ Sean McCarthy
The top-priced female in the Dutch Spotted section was Greenfield Irish Sweetheart from Justin Porter. She sold for €2,200 to Henry Jewitt. She was sired by Porter’s stock ram Diamond Felix and her dam was Merryboro Fairy.
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