There was an overall clearance of just over 70% at the Irish Suffolk Sheep Society’s fourth premier show and sale at Roscrea Mart on Saturday 6 August, with 95% of the sheep sold going to commercial buyers.

Brisk bidding activity both ringside and online was evident throughout. This year buyers from 20 of the 26 counties went home with a purchase from the sale.

The supreme champion and female champion was a hogget from the Oranmore Flock of Mark Grealy, Galway, selling for €1,000 in the ring.

Reserve champion, male champion and first prize winner in the open ram lamb class went to Patrick Lynch of the Monadarragh Flock in Longford.

Patrick sold this January-born lamb to an Offaly buyer for €900. Patrick enjoyed more success by breeding the reserve male champion and first prize winner in the pairs with his January-born ram lambs.

Reserve champion, male champion and first prize winner in the open ram lamb class sold for €900 to Patrick Lynch, pictured with judge Cairns Witherow.

There was a strong start, with the first ewe lamb into the ring selling for €500 from the Columbkille Flock of Richard Moore from Kilkenny. After this, Michael Clarke’s Ballyhine Flock saw the female reserve champion sell at €1,100, with his other two ewes dropping at €650 and €500.

Greg Rossiter from the Bannow Flock in Co Wexford sold his ewe lamb for €1,100.

Matt Pearse of the Priorview Flock from Co Clare sold his five ewe lambs for an average of €660/head.

TJ Broderick of the Hymanny Flock from Galway sold one ewe lamb at €650.

James Rooney of the Benwiskin Flock from Co Sligo also sold a ewe lamb for €650.

Twenty-eight ewe lambs were offered for sale, with 26 sold to achieve a clearance rate of 92%.

Michael Clarke from the Ballyline flock in Wexford took first prize in the ewe lamb class and later sold her at €1,200.

The reserve female champion of the show and first prize winner in the ewe lamb class was a five-star lamb from the Ballyhine Flock owned by Michael Clarke from Wexford which sold for €1,100.

Highest price

The highest price of the day went to Wexford breeder John Martin of the Duncormick Flock for his early January-born five-star ram lamb. He secured first place in the recorded class and sold for €1,600.

Richard Moore of the Columbkille Flock from Co Kilkenny sold his first prize winning hogget ram for €800.

The highest price of the day went to Wexford breeder John Martin of the Duncormick Flock for his early January-born five-star ram lamb which sold for €1,600.

Cairns Witherow, judge in the pre-sale show, had a tough job on hand and he was presented with some very big classes with over 20 ewe lambs lining out in the ewe lamb class and 18 in the ram lamb class.

It was a good sale for members of the West of Ireland Purebred Registered Suffolk Breeders Club, with their breeders bringing home 26 rosettes across the Shannon on Saturday evening.