Blessington Mart in Co. Wicklow held its weekly sheep sale on Tuesday (August 18), with an impressive 4,120 sheep on offer as prices jumped by up to €5/head on last week.

The sale was held in conjunction with Blessington Mart's Suffolk Cheviot-cross show and sale, as well as the sale of breeding ewes and lambs.

The latest sale follows the blistering pace set by the Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15, Texel show and sale where headlines were grabbed by the sale of a ram for €33,000.

According to a report issued by the mart after the sale, it was reported that lambs were up by €2-€5/head.

Lambs weighing in excess of 50kg sold for between €175-€181/head.

Lambs ranging from 47kg-50kg sold for between €160-€175/head, while lambs ranging from 42kg-45kg fetched from €140-€160/head.

The price increases will be welcome news for farmers as another week of factory cuts saw lamb quotes average €8.00/kg, down from €9.00/kg in the month of July.

Lambs weighing from 40kg-42kg sold for between €132-€140/head.

Lighter store lambs sold for €110-€132/head.

Speaking to Agriland after the sale, Blessington Mart's Tom Doyle noted how the stores are beginning to recover after taking a hit.

He added that with rain on the horizon, confidence was recovering.

Heavy ewes fetched from €200-€250/head, while lighter ewes fetched from €90-€186/head.

Doyle noted how farmers were very happy with the sale, and that grass was the main concern of farmers ringside.

Suffolk-cross hogget ewes sold for between €260-€365/head, while Suffolk-cross ewe lambs fetched from €180-€280/head.

The majority of hoggets fetched an average of between €290-€330/head, while ewe lambs averaged between €220-€275/head.

Speaking on the strength of the trade, Doyle said: "We didn't have any buyers last year we didn't have this year."

He added that farmers made the most of their fodder reserves.

Blessington Mart holds a cattle sale every Thursday morning as well as a sheep sale every Tuesday.