The Roscommon sheep breed, one of Ireland’s native breeds, is holding an inaugural sale of sheep hosted by Roscommon Mart on the Marteye online sales platform.
The sale consists of 26 lots and includes rams, ewe lambs and ewe hoggets.
The sale commenced on 27 August and will close at 7pm on Friday 29 August.
Roscommon sheep were the most prominent breed of sheep to be found in the midlands of Ireland during the 1800s.
The Roscommon Sheep Breeders Association explains that the breed was shown in the Royal Dublin Society up until the early 1900s, but following a decline in the trade of mutton and the introduction and proliferation of overseas breeds, the breed went through a period of rapid reduction and the Roscommon Sheep Breeders Association was disbanded in 1923.
Descendants
While numbers dwindled, a number of dedicated breeders continued to breed phenotypically correct descendants and retain them in their flock.
The breed’s chances of survival experienced a breakthrough in 2021 when the Irish Rare Breeds Society received funding to carry out DNA sampling on 96 animals, with the results paving the way to pursue a reconstruction of the breed.
In 2022, the Roscommon Sheep Breeders Association was reformed and dedicated breeders have been working since to preserve and grow a breed that many had thought was extinct.
The sale is a chance for those interested in becoming part of the breed’s history to get their hands on sheep or for farmers to expand their flocks.
SHARING OPTIONS