Beating the bank holiday blues, over 300 punters from across the country travelled to Blessington Mart in Co Wicklow on Tuesday for the second ever sale of working dogs held by JP and M Doyle.

The sale saw 14 working dogs entered and six entries in the puppy section entered, making a total of 20 lots. Vendors travelled from as far away as Donegal in the hope that their dogs would top the sale.

However, it was local man Winston Pierce from Donard in Co Wicklow who took the top price with his seven-year-old dog Scott. Sired by Bill (D.Birchall) and out of the dam Nell, he was knocked down for €1,350.

Sheep farmer Tom Laurence from nearby Tinahely, Co Wicklow, was the winning bidder and he told the Irish Farmers Journal that he was drawn to Scott as “he worked well gathering the sheep”.

John O’Brien from Cahir, Co Tipperary, took home the second highest price of the day, when his bitch Jess sold for €800.

Jess was sold for €800, one of two dogs sold by John O’Brien from Co Tipperary.

Two-year-old Jess was sired by Shep, who represented Ireland twice in International Series, and out of Kate, a three-time provincial nursery champion. Jess was described as being “fully trained, with plenty of power”.

O’Brien also sold her full sister Nan, an eight-month-old tri coloured bitch, for €700 on the day.

John O’Brien from Co Tipperary sold his sheepdog bitch Nan for €700.

With six entries in the puppy section, Winston Pierce from Donard, Co Wicklow, sold his nine-month-old bitch Jess, a nine-month-old female, sired by Scott (W.Pierce) out of the dam Twink, for the top price of €240.

There was a clearance rate of 43% clearance rate among the older working dogs and a 33% clearance rate in the puppy section.

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