Sheep Ireland hosted its 15th annual multi-breed ram sale at Kilkenny Mart on Saturday, August 23.

Described by the organisers as "the largest catalogued ram sale in Ireland", the sale saw 629 rams catalogued - an increase of 21% on last year's sale.

A total of 570 rams went through the ring in the sale.

The sale has high entry criteria to "ensure that only the most engaged performance-recording flocks can enter and only the highest-ranking performance recorded rams" can enter.

The sale had an overall clearance of 80% with an average price of €913/ram achieved.

Prices in the sale ranged from €250 to €4,600 with rams available for both commercial and pedigree breeders.

The table below gives an overview of the ram sale:

According to Sheep Ireland the strict entry criteria to the sale also aims to "provide confidence for potential buyers that if they come to the sale, they will find a ram that meets expectations and will increase the profitability of the flock".

The Vendeens were first into Ring one on the day. There were 29 rams through the ring with a clearance of 52%.

The breed average was €597, an increase on last years' average price, with prices ranging from €500-800 on the day.

The top-priced lot of the day was a December born lamb, lot 26 from breeder Mark Keenaghan which sold for €800.

This ram was ranked in the top 3% on the Replacement index and top 2% on the Terminal index.

Following the Vendeens were the Charollais with 162 rams through the ring on the day and a clearance of 74%.

Charollais were the second-largest entries per breed in the sale.

The average sale price was €945 with prices ranging from €450-1,850 with the highest price on the day going to breeder Bernard Casey for his ram lamb ranked in the top 1% of the terminal index and the top 1% for Days to Slaughter for the Charollais breed.

The Texels were the largest entry per breed again this year with 195 rams through the ring on the day and a breed clearance of 84%.

The Texels ran through Ring 2 on the day, securing an average price of €1,026.

Prices ranged from €450-4,600 with the higher-end prices sold to pedigree breeders.

Top price of the day across all breeds was paid for a Texel lamb, lot 348 from breeders John and Michael Donohoe. The February-born lamb was ranked in the top 6% for daughters milk and fetched a price of €4,600 - purchased by a pedigree breeder.

The Belclare breed was the first through ring three on the day, with 43 rams on offer for the breed.

The Belclares saw a clearance of 93% with prices ranging from €250-€1,450 with a ram available for every budget.

The top price lamb for the Beclalres was from breeder Daniel Mckenna fetching €1,450.

The February triplet lamb was ranked in the top 1% of Belclares on the Terminal Index, and the top 2% on the Replacement Index. The average price of Belclares on the day was €735.

The Lleyns had five rams through the ring on the day with all five lots sold.

Prices ranged from €250-850 with the breed average equaling €474.

There were three hoggets and two lambs available with the top priced lot of the breed, a hogget bred by Jean Wade selling for €850.

The ram was ranked in the top 1% for days to slaughter and the top 1% on the terminal index of the Lleyn breed.

There were two Border Leicester ram lambs available on the day, lots 480 and 481 both from breeder Coote Geelan with a 100% clearance. Lot 481 was the higher-price of the two at €550. The February born lamb was ranked in the top 1% on the Terminal Index for the breed and top 2% Days to Slaughter. The Border Leicester breed average was €515/head.

The four Beltex ram lambs through the ring from breeders John and Dudley Maher had a 100% clearance with a range of €650 to €1,100.

The breed average was €850. The top-priced lamb was second into the ring for the breed, a double 5-star lamb ranked top 4% on the Replacement index for the Beltex breed.

There was one Blue Texel available on the day, lot 486 whihc sold for €800.

The ram was ranked in the top 11% for Number of Lambs Born of the Blue Texel breed and was presented by William Tait.

There were four Dutch Spotted rams available on the day through Ring three and the breed had a 100% clearance rate with a price range of €600-850/head.

The top-priced lot for the breed was the first into the ring for the breed from Noel and Tommy Claffey. The ram was ranked in the top 7% on the Replacement index and sold for €850. The Dutch Spotted breed average was €725.

There were three Easycare hogget’s available for sale, all from breeder William J Hutchinson.

The breed had a 100% clearance as all three rams were sold with a breed average of €850, and a price range of €750-950/head.

The top-priced Easycare ram was lot 492, a March-born hogget ranked five stars on the Terminal Index.

There were two Hampshire Down’s available on the day - both from breeder Adrian Curtin.

The breed had 100% clearance with both lots sold at an average of €575. Top price was lot 495, selling for €700. The ram lamb was ranked in the Top 3% of Hampshire Downs on the Terminal Index and the Top 5% Days to Slaughter.

There were five lambs through the ring on the day for the Rouge de l’Ouest breed.

The breed had an 80% clearance with only one lot going unsold with a breed average of €538.

The price range was from €450 with the top-price lamb again this year awarded to breeders Oliver and Claire Keaskin for lot 499 at €700.

The lamb was ranked in the top 1% on the Replacement index for the breed and top 11% on the Terminal Index, a ram with strong figures in both indexes.

There were three Galway rams available from breeders Karl and Tony Scanlon.

There was a 67% clearance with an average of  €300 for the breed.

The price range was from €250 with the top-priced Galway sold at €350 for lot 504, again this ram was a double 5-star ram ranked in the top 1% and the top 2% on the Replacement and Terminal indexes for the Galway breed.

There was one Zwartble through the ring on the day, a January lamb from breeder Deirdre Heavey.

The ram lamb was ranked in the top 6% for lamb survivability for the breed and was sold for €350.

The last breed into Ring three were the Suffolk’s.

There was 111 Suffolk’s available on the day, with a breed clearance of 77% and an average price of €890.

The Suffolk’s ranged from €350 to €2,100, ensuring a ram for every budget.

Top-priced lot on the day was awarded to Gregory Rossiter for his hogget ram, sold to a pedigree breeder for €2,100.

The top-priced ram was again a double 5-star ram ranked in the top 2% on the Replacement index and Top 7% on the Terminal Index.

Sheep Ireland thanked all that contributed to the running of the sale, including sponsors FBD, Cormac Tagging and Weatherbys Scientific as well as auctioneers, mart staff, ram inspectors, breeders and buyers.

Since the establishment of Sheep Ireland, the number of pedigree breeders’ performance recording has increased year-on-year and each year the number of commercial farmers searching for €uro-Stars before they purchase has also risen.

Performance-recorded rams are in extra demand again this year due to the Sheep Improvement Scheme Genotyped Ram Task.

Lowland Flocks that choose this task must select a ram that is 4 or 5 Star on the Replacement or Terminal Index based on a genomic evaluation and be a scrapie Type 1, 2 or 3.

Hill flocks can also choose the lowland option or purchase a hill ram that is DNA sire verified and Scrapie type 1,2 or 3.