The 101st annual Galway Sheep Breeders Association show and sale held on Friday evening in Athenry Mart repeated the excellent performance of 2022.
The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme continues to generate interest from new breeders for females, while existing breeders were also keen for top-quality stock.
A handful of batches of mature ewes sold briskly, with prices for two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half-year-old ewes ranging from €265 to €360 and averaging at €293 per head.
This was marginally ahead of the average of €286 for hogget ewes.
Prices ranged in the main from €280 to €330, with a couple of individual lots selling for €390 and €430.
Largest entry
The largest entry was in ewe lambs, with approximately 60 head averaging around the €245/head mark.
Prices ranged in the main from €225 to €300, with the first-prizewinning pen of ewe lambs grabbing the headlines at €410 each.
Hogget rams averaged €462 each, with a wide range from €290 to a top of €910 for the first-prizewinning ram.
It was a similar story for ram lambs, with a wide differential from €150 to a top of €670, with rams averaging over €320/head.
A second sale of Galway sheep takes place at 7pm on 19 October in Ballinasloe Mart.
The first-prizewinning pen of ewe lambs sold for €410 each.
This pair of Galway ewe hoggets sold for €220 each.
This batch of four Galway hogget ewes sold for €290 each.
This batch of five first-prizewinning hoggets sold for €310 each.
These five large-framed ewe lambs sold for €300 each.
These two-and-a-half-year-old ewes sold for €280 each.
This individual hogget ewe sold for €280.
This single third-prizewinning quality ewe hogget sold for €330.
The 101st annual Galway Sheep Breeders Association show and sale held on Friday evening in Athenry Mart repeated the excellent performance of 2022.
The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme continues to generate interest from new breeders for females, while existing breeders were also keen for top-quality stock.
A handful of batches of mature ewes sold briskly, with prices for two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half-year-old ewes ranging from €265 to €360 and averaging at €293 per head.
This was marginally ahead of the average of €286 for hogget ewes.
Prices ranged in the main from €280 to €330, with a couple of individual lots selling for €390 and €430.
Largest entry
The largest entry was in ewe lambs, with approximately 60 head averaging around the €245/head mark.
Prices ranged in the main from €225 to €300, with the first-prizewinning pen of ewe lambs grabbing the headlines at €410 each.
Hogget rams averaged €462 each, with a wide range from €290 to a top of €910 for the first-prizewinning ram.
It was a similar story for ram lambs, with a wide differential from €150 to a top of €670, with rams averaging over €320/head.
A second sale of Galway sheep takes place at 7pm on 19 October in Ballinasloe Mart.
The first-prizewinning pen of ewe lambs sold for €410 each.
This pair of Galway ewe hoggets sold for €220 each.
This batch of four Galway hogget ewes sold for €290 each.
This batch of five first-prizewinning hoggets sold for €310 each.
These five large-framed ewe lambs sold for €300 each.
These two-and-a-half-year-old ewes sold for €280 each.
This individual hogget ewe sold for €280.
This single third-prizewinning quality ewe hogget sold for €330.
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