New record price of €6,400 paid at Texel Twilight Sale in Carnaross
A new record sale price at the 10th anniversary North East Texel Twilight Sale made this year one to remember.
The sale attracted a large crowd of pedigree Texel sheep enthusiasts from across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The annual sale - which took place at at Carnaross Mart in Co. Meath on Saturday, December 27 - featured a selection of in-lamb pedigree Texel hoggets produced by breeders in the North East Texel Club.
The auctioneer on the night was Rodney Windrum taking the bids in guineas.
Also included in this year's sale was a Texel ewe lamb, which was a charity lot, donated by John and Michael Donohoe's 'Crosserlough Texels' with all proceeds raised going to Virginia Cancer Care.
With 64 ewes catalogued, 57 were present on the evening with 54 of these selling to reach an impressive average sale price of just under €1,820/head.
Taking the top price on the night and setting a new record sale price for the Texel Twilight sale was lot 29, from the pen of Robert J. Dunne's Kilduff Texels.
Selling at €6,400, the March 2024 born embryo transfer Texel hogget was from the same female line as the 2024 €5,100 sale topper.
Sired by Hilltop Golden Eye, she sold as scanned with two lambs and was artificially inseminated (AI'd) on September 6 to Largy.
Her full sister lot 30 secured €5,200 and sold served to Largy on September 6 and scanned carrying a single lamb.
Securing €4,600 was Lot 32 also from the Kilduff pen. This double five-star hogget was served on September 6 to Largy and scanned carrying two.
The flock was established by the Dunne family from Co. Cavan in 2014 and has since risen to become one of the best-known pedigree Texel flocks in Ireland.
The Dunnes' pen of 12 hoggets sold to an impressive average sale price of just under €3,110/head on the night.
Selling at €6,250 was Lot 36 from Pat and Barry Farrell's Oberstown flock based in Tara, Co. Meath.
This ewe was a full sister to Lot 1 that sold for €5,600 and Lot 6 that sold for €3,500 and was first of the Farrells' second ballot in the sale.
She was scanned carrying two lambs and was served on October 14 to Largy 1 Show Speed. Her sire was Hilltop Golden Eye and her dam was Garngour.
It was a successful event for the Oberstown Flock with a pen average of approximately €2,770/head for their 12 hoggets sold on the night.
The Oberstown Flock is in its 36th year of breeding pedigree Texels and is also known widely in pedigree sheep circles across Ireland and further afield.
Lot 13 Crosserlough Indira was the charity lot and sold for €1,600 with all proceeds of the sale going to Virginia Cancer Care.
The March 2025 born ewe lamb was sired by Drumderg Fancy Pants and off a Kilduff dam.
She rated five stars on the Replacement index and four stars on the Terminal Index.
Selling at €2,700 was Lot 7 from the pen of Gowlaun Texels owned by Cathal MaCauley.
Gowlaun Havanna is a January 2024 born embryo transfer hogget off a Kilduff ewe and her sire is Drumderg Five Star.
She was served on September 6 to Largy 1 Show Speed and scanned carrying twins.
The Texel Twilight Sale organisers thanked all those who supported the sale and charity fundraiser.
