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
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