The Mayo Blackface Group is getting ready to host its 15th annual show and sale on Saturday, September 28.

The sale is taking place at Ballinrobe Mart, Co. Mayo, and is due to commence at 11:00am. There will be over 2,000 sheep on offer, consisting of Mayo and Lanark type Blackface sheep.

A spokesperson for the group said: “The sheep on offer at this sale can be crossbred with any ram. These animals are hill reared and extremely hardy.

“The Mayo and Lanark Blackface sheep are: easy to manage; require less feeding than your average lowland breed; and are good mothers that produce quality lambs,” the spokesperson added.

“The sale has grown in popularity over the last 10 years. Members are very proud of the stock they present and the sale is now recognised as a significant hill breeding sale nationally,” the spokesperson concluded.

At last year’s sale, the average price achieved across the three sheep classes amounted to €102/head.

Established

The Mayo Mountain Blackface Sheep Group was established in 2004 by enthusiastic hill sheep farmers.

The farmers set up the group in response to a situation where it became very difficult to source quality breeding sheep in substantial numbers to cater for local breeders.