The south of Ireland Branch of the Suffolk Sheep Society held an Elite Sale at Blessington Mart on Saturday 2 July. To a packed ringside the hammer fell on the Champion Ram Lamb at €2,000. Owned by Susan O’Keeffe, sired by Rookery Classic he was purchased by a west of Ireland breeder Terence Colleran from Co. Galway.

John Doherty from Donegal radiated joy and jubilation when the hammer fell on his January born ram lamb at €2,600. This ram lamb travelled west of the Shannon also, to Breeder Stephen Govin from Claremorris.

Andrew Wilson from Donegal sold his ram lamb to breeder Martin Butler from Ballymena for €1.500., Andrew’s brother, Richard also sold for €1,500 to Jim Jeffery from Cork and another ram lamb to a Monaghan breeder for €1,250.

Seamus Brown of the Errigal flock and Eamonn Duffy of the Kells flock pocketed €1,000 for their ram lambs respectively.

The average price for rams sold was €1,350.

National Championships

In conjunction with the Sale, the 2016 National Suffolk Championships were held and our esteemed judge, Ronne Black of the Collessie flock in Fife, had a strenuous few hours when over 100 outstanding sheep from 11 different classes were paraded out in front of him.

Susan O’Keeffe’s aged ewe was deemed supreme champion and female champion of the show after capturing first place in the aged ewe class; while Arthur O’Keeffe’s untrimmed ewe lamb was placed reserve champion and female champion of the show as well as first prize winner in the untrimmed ewe lamb class.

Wm J & R Wilson from the Shannagh flock in Co. Donegal captured the male champion rosette as well as the first place in the shearling ram class for a shearling sired by Ballymacannon Commander.

Arthur O’Keeffe’s ram lamb sired again by Rookery Classic was elected as the reserve male champion of the show as well as first prize in the open ram lamb class.

Full results of show.

Class 1 Shearling Ram Bred I South of Ireland.

1st Pat Rossiter

2nd Thomas Kenny

3rd Willie Gleeson

Class 2 Shearling Ram and upwards

1st Wm J & R Wilson

2nd S & P O’Connor

3rd Sean & Valerie Tiffin

Class 3 Aged Ewe

1st Susan O’Keeffe

2nd Susan O’Keeffe

3rd Gerry Killilea

Class 4 Shearling Ewe & Upwards

1st Arthur O’Keeffe

2nd Susan O’Keeffe

3rd Philip Lynch

Class 5 Novice Ram Lamb

1st Doherty Bros

2nd Willie gill

3rd Brendan Fitzpatrick

Class 6 Ram Lamb sired by and Irish Bred Ram

1st Andrew Wilson

2nd Wm J & R Wilson

3rd Shaun & Seamus Gahan

Class 7 Open Ram Lamb

1st Arthur O’Keeffe

2nd Susan O’Keeffe

3rd Wm J & R. Wilson

Class 8 Novice Ewe Lamb

1st Alan Kilpatrick

2nd Alan Kilpatrick

3rd Thomas Kenny

Class 9 Untrimmed Ewe Lamb

1st Arthur O’Keeffe

2nd Colin Watchorn

3rd Wm J & R. Wilson

Class 10 Trimmed Ewe Lamb

1st Patrick O’Keeffe

2nd Wm J & R. Wilson

3rd Gerry Killilea

Class 11 Group of Three

1st Arthur O’Keeffe

2nd Wm J & R Wilson

3rd Philip Lynch