South of Ireland Branch Premier Show and Sale – Blessington 2019

South of Ireland Branch Premier Show and Sale – Blessington 2019

Top Price 3,000gns for Limepark Ram

Date: 2nd – 3rd August 2019

Sponsor: Lamlac

Auctioneers: JP and M Doyle

Judge: Ron Grieg, Tillydesk Flock

Standing room only at Blessington Mart on Saturday as both commercial farmers and pedigree breeders flocked to the Lamlac sponsored South of Ireland Branch of the Suffolk Sheep Society’s Premier Sale. Over half the ram lambs sold on Saturday went to commercial farmers typically buying in the €400 to €900 price range. Ram lambs overall achieved an excellent 75% clearance with an average of €931.

“this has been an excellent sale showcasing the best of Irish bred suffolks. The Society has been keeping the pedigree Suffolk flock book in Ireland since 1893 with the first registered flocks in Counties Roscommon and Derry and our members are still to the fore. The success of today’s sale demonstrates that Suffolks are not only number one for finishing and taste, they are also a major player in the commercial sheep world. We have seen today that registered suffolk lambs are not only attractive to the pedigree breeder, but also to the commercial farmer and even into mainland Europe with lambs bought at Blessington going to Belgium and France”

Suffolk Sheep Society Chief Executive Robin McIlrath

Patrick O’Connor (Co Kerry) paid the top price of €3150 for Philip Byrne’s (Co Kilkenny) Burnview One for Arthur sired ram lamb (TJW:19:00013)out of a Shannagh Knockout sired Annakisha dam. Click here to view pedigree. The dam’s maternal sister bred the 2018 female Champion and Supreme Champion of the Year.

The hammer fell to B Fenton (Co Wicklow) €2940 for Ronan McLaughlin’s (Co Donegal) Novice Class winner (UPX:19:00024). Sired by Limestone Aston Martin (purchased for 40,000gns at Stirling in 2018), this lamb is out of the Ballynacannon gimmer purchased for 9500gns in 2018.

P J Howard paid €2730 for Young Donegal breeder Darragh McMenamin’s Rookery Rodeo sired lot 113 (UJU:19:01440) out of a Cairness Cyclone sired Lakeview dam. For the same money, Northern Ireland breeder Adam Porter (Maghera) purchased Gerry Killilea’s (Co Galway) Lakeview Harbinger sired lamb out of a Newwells dam.

Ballymena breeder R H Barclay bought Richard Wilson’s (Donegal) Supreme Champion (78A:19:06468) for €2310 and Belgium breeder F Collard paid €2625 for the Open Ram Lamb Class Reserve (78A:19:06468). Three ram lambs went for €2310, Andrew Smith from Co Cavan bought Andrew Lucas’s (Co Donegal) lot 49. O & G Deane (Co Kildare) also bought a Lucas ram lamb (lot 126) at the same money for their Mountford flock. The third at €2310 was Susan O’Keeffe’s Recorded Class 1st Place ram lamb (lot 124) which went North to W and S Tait (Co Tyrone).

The three top pen averages were R Wilson (Co Donegal) with €1300 with 5 sheep through the ring, E Duffy (Co Meath) with €1062 for 8 sheep and S O’Keeffe (Co Cork) with €1058 for 8 sheep.

Top female price was K Bailey’s (Co Roscommon) reserve female champion ewe lamb (HDC:19:00075) going to James Cuffe’s pedigree Inbhear flock in Co Mayo for €1470. Colin Watchorn paid €1207 for J and E Gahan’s ewe lamb (Co Wicklow) to add to his Irish Flock of the Year Beechbrook flock. Colin’s flock viewing day is Saturday (10th August) at 4:40pm at his farm in Newcastle, Co Wicklow.

Male and Supreme Champion

Lot 65 R Wilson

78A:19:06468 by Strathbogie A Kind Of Magic

Reserve Male and Overall Reserve Champion

Lot 61 A O’Keeffe

R15:19:05248 by Strathbogie A Kind Of Magic

Female Champion

Lot 4 J Durcan

PXA:18:00188 by Malinhead Gold

Reserve Female Champion

Lot 28 K Bailey

HDC:19:00075 by Cairness Foremost

Class 1 Single Shearling Ewe

1 Lot 4 J Durcan

PXA:18:00188 by Malinhead Gold

2 Lot 11 J&E Gahan

SKW:18:00494 by Malinhead Gold

3 Lot 1 M O’Connell

DBJ:18:02051 by Ballygarvanstud Bullseye

Class 2 Single Ewe Lamb

1 Lot 28 K Bailey

HDC:19:00075 by Cairness Foremost

2 Lot 20 M O’Connell

DBJ:19:02102 by Shannagh Synergy

3 Lot 24 J and E Gahan

SKW:19:00515 by Limestone Aston Martin

Class 3 Shearling Ram

1 Lot 32 D Quinlan

UHZ:18:01485 by Monefelim Major

Class 4 Ram Lamb Sired by a SOI Bred Ram

1 Lot 123 S O’Keeffe

BYD:19:02113 by Castleisle Golden Miller

2 Lot 43 S O’Keeffe

BYD:19:02115 by Castleisle Golden Miller

3 Lot 115 A Wilson

DDX:19:01150 by Limepark Las Vegas

Class 5 Recorded Ram Lamb Class

1 Lot 124 S O’Keeffe

BYD:19:02125 by Strathbogie A Kind Of Magic

2 Lot 81 J Doherty

CFN:19:02857 by Rookery Ace Of Hearts

3 Lot 122 S O’Keeffe

BYD:19:02099 by Burnview One For Arthur

Class 6 Novice Ram Lamb

1 Lot 98 R McLaughlin

UPX:19:00024 by Limestone Aston Martin

2 Lot 113 D McMenamin

UJU:19:01450 by Mullanboy Thunder Bolt

3 Lot 76 R Thompson

TDL:19:02640 by Limepark Las Vegas

Class 7 Open Ram Lamb

1 Lot 61 A O’Keeffe

R15:19:05248 by Strathbogie A Kind Of Magic

2 Lot 66 R Wilson

78A:19:06470 by Limestone Aston Martin

3 Lot 58 P O’Keeffe

NBK:19:05940 by Burnview One For Arthur

Class 8 Giggot Class

1 Lot 65 R Wilson

78A:19:06468 by Strathbogie A Kind Of Magic

2 Lot 41 S’OKeeffe

BYD:19:02137 by Strathbogie A Kind Of Magic

3 Lot 38 E Duffy

C46:19:02846 by Limestone Aston Martin

Class 9 Pen Of Three

1 Lots 124, 43, 41 S O’keeffe

BYD:19:02125, BYD:19:02115, BYD:19:02137

2 Lots 65, 66, 67 R Wilson

78A:19:06468, 78A:19:06470, 78A:19:06471

3 Lots 49, 130, 47 AandJ Lucas

DWT:19:01147, DWT:19:01121, DWT:19:01146

All Star Sale – Blessington 2019

Date: 30th November 2019

Auctioneer: JP & M Doyle

THE 3rd Annual All Star Sale held at Blessington Mart on Saturday 30th November was a tremendous success with almost 100% clearance. A number of sheep were exported to the UK and Northern Ireland with the remainder sold to breeders all over Ireland.

The gimmers, ewes and ewe lambs on offer where of a very high standard and excellent value for money.

NameHighest PriceNo. of sheep soldAverage
Gerry Killilea – Carragh1,400 gns6937 gns
Seamus Browne – Errigal1,400 gns13887 gns
Alan Kilpatrick – Convoy1,200 gns12818 gns
Trevor Burke – DeBurca1,400 gns6783 gns
Oliver Deane – Mountford950gns22477 gns
Garth Graham – Kirriemuir720 gns5464 gns


We would like to thank anyone who helped in any way. We would also like to thank John Doyle and his staff for
a job well done. Ian Donald for his professional grooming service to many of the flocks and to Alfie Shaw for the first class photos. Next All Star Sale, Saturday 28th November 2020.


Finally the best of luck to all the purchasers from Seamus Browne, Trevor Burke, Gerry Killilea and guest consigners Oliver Deane, Garth Graham and Alan Kilpatrick.

The Annual Production Sale – Blessington 2019

Date: 9th November 2019

Auctioneer: JP & M Doyle

The 10th Annual Production Sale of Suffolk Sheep for Annakisha/Blackwater/Clyda, Barrowlands and Castleisle/Shannagh with guest consignments from Glyde,  Malinhead and Finnvale flocks met with a very lively trade at Blessington Mart when they went under the hammer of John Doyle on Saturday, 9th of November 2019.

The quality of females on offer was testament to the high standard of sheep expected from these top flocks where the best of bloodlines in the breed were on offer and proved that, despite the uncertainity in farming due to Brexit, there is strong demand amongst Suffolk breeders for quality Suffolks.

The sale topper was a strong gimmer, the property of Andrew Wilson, of the Castleisle  flock and out of a top  female line. The dam is sister to the 16,000 gns. ram lamb sold earlier this year to Birness and Strathbogie flocks in Scotland. By Lakeview Armani and scanned in lamb to the 20,000gns. Castleisle Kilteskin Prince she was knocked down to Darragh McMenamin of the Mullinvale flock for 4,200gns. Andrew also received 3,200gns. for another ET sister in lamb to Castleisle Kilteskin Prince. This one was knocked down to Philip Lynch of the Glyde flock in Co. Louth, who earlier in the sale sold a strong pen of gimmers.

Richard Wilson received 2,200 gns. for his top shearling ewe in lamb to the 40,000gns. Limestone Aston Martin. Richard also received 2,000gns. for another Armani  daughter in lamb to Ballynacannon Royal Flush. The Wilsons had an average of 1,400 euro for their 21 gimmers forward.

The O’Keeffe’s also made a worthwhile journey  to Blessington selling their top two gimmers for 2,000gns each. Arthur’s  Annakisha flock received 2,000gns. for a Birness Coulter daughter,in lamb to Castleisle Kilteskin Prince which was purchased for 20,000gns. at Stirling earlier in the year. The Clyda flock of Susan O’Keeffe received 2,000 gns. for a Clyda Impeccable daughter also in lamb to Castleisle Kilteskin Prince. This one caught the eye of Richard Wilson of the Shannagh flock.

While European and Northern Ireland  buyers were amongst the purchasers it was breeders from Southern Ireland who dominated resulting in a buoyant trade with nearly 100% clearance with a sale average of 990 euro. Over 20 lots sold for 1,000gns.or over which was testament to the quality of sheep on offer.

The 11th Annual Sale will be held at Blessington Mart on Saturday 14th of November,2020 where all sheep are eligible for export.