Clare Co-Operative Marts held its annual sheep breeding sale in Ennis Mart on Saturday (August 8), attracting over 600 sheep including lambs, hoggets, and rams.

The mart saw mostly hogget ewes available, which averaged between €220-€285/head while "better lots" made from €290-€330/head.

Breeding ewes fetched from €150-€285/head for first crops. Ewe lambs saw a strong trade, fetching from €170-€242/head.

The mart also saw 50 rams on sale with the majority being Suffolk.

These rams averaged between €300-€400 per ram, while prices went as high as €550 for the best quality ones.

Thomas Hynes of Kilfenora, Co. Clare continued where he left off last year by taking the top prize for Suffolk ewe hoggets for two years in a row.

The prize for ewe hoggets 'other breeds' went to Laurence Nolan of Gort, Co. Galway, where his five hoggets fetched €330/head.

Thomas B. Keane, also from Gort, took the prize for best ewe lambs.

Aidan Collins of Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare took the prize for best breeding ewes for his pen of five ewes that fetched €285/head.

Weekly sale

Ennis Mart also hosted its weekly sheep sale on Monday, August 10, where 545 sheep went through the ring.

In a mart report, the trade was described as smaller than previous weeks.

There was "minimal change" to prices for store and finished lambs.

Lambs averaged €3.66/kg, but this varied as some store lambs were "lacking flesh".

Some sample prices for lambs are listed below:

13 lambs weighing on average 51.5kg sold for €196/head at €3.80/kg;
15 lambs weighing on average 41kg sold for €135/head at €3.29/kg;
Eight lambs weighing on average 50kg sold for €198/head at €3.96/kg;
17 lambs weighing on average 47.5kg sold for €176/head at €3.70/kg;
Three lambs weighing on average 48kg sold for €198/head at €4.12/kg.

Cull ewes averaged €2.32/kg, with the trade remaining similar to last week's.

A pen of six ewes weighing on average 78kg sold for €190/head at €2.44/kg, while seven ewes weighing on average 84kg made €234/head at 2.79/kg.

Another seven ewes weighing on average 94kg made €240/head at €2.55/kg; while a pen of eight ewes weighing on average 96kg made €240/head at €2.50/kg.