The West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Breeders Club is proudly celebrating 50 years since its foundation in 1971.

As the 1970s rolled in and heralded a new era of opportunity for farming in Ireland, the foresight of a number of pedigree Suffolk breeders in the west of Ireland led to the establishment of the club and to a legacy which has stood the test of time through good times and bad to become the strong buoyant club it is today.

The arrival of Suffolk Sheep in Ireland is credited to Roscommon man Henry Strevins in 1891, so it is particularly fitting that four of the five founding members of the club hailed from Co Roscommon.

Prior to the establishment of the club, the only venue for pedigree sales in Ireland was Ganly’s sales yard in Dublin.

The first club sale was held in Roscommon Mart in August 1971 and the Champion’s Cup was purchased with money received from entry fees.

This sale in 1971 proved to be a huge success, with over 30 rams presented for sale. Judge on the day was the late Denis Lynch from Longford, who tapped out a lamb presented by Paddy Broderick which went on to sell for 75gns, approximately €1,150 today.

As demand for the Suffolk grew, so too did the number of sales and today the club hosts sales in five venues in Connacht.

Proud association

The club holds a proud association with the Suffolk Sheep Society, which celebrates 135 years in existence this year.

However, given the formation of the new Irish Suffolk Sheep Society in 2019, some confusion has arisen.

Speaking ahead of the sale, club spokesperson Garth Graham said: “The unfortunate aspect to recent sales has been the confusion caused by the members who broke away from the original club and society, as they have used our club name in mart advertising and social media sites.

“This is a serious situation and our club is currently endeavouring to make sure this imposition is stopped.”

Garth went on to say that less than 25% of the club members decided to leave the club and affiliate themselves with Irish Suffolks at the time.

“While this loss was disappointing, the large majority of club members had no intentions of moving to this organisation, meaning numbers are actually higher than they were two years ago.”

Over the last two years, the emphasis in the club has been on developing and encouraging young breeders.

The club runs young handler competitions at some club events due to the value of young breeders coming through in order to preserve the farming way of life. The result of this is that there are currently seven new young adult flocks in the club that are actively breeding Suffolks in the west.

The club’s 50th anniversary sale will be held in Roscommon Mart on 4 September when there will be almost 60 sheep forward for sale from club members, making it the second-largest Suffolk ram sale in the south of Ireland this year.

Eight of the club’s longest-standing members will be among the vendors who, when combined, have 250 years of Suffolk breeding experience between them.