North East Texel twilight sale sparkles at €4,500

The North East Texel Club held its annual sale of in-lamb hoggets in Carnaross on Friday 29 December.

A lower conception rate to AI and a lower scan than normal in some of the early lambing pedigree flocks meant there were just 46 sheep forward for the club sale.

While numbers were low, quality was high and there were plenty of customers both ringside and online for the sheep on offer. Taking home the day’s top price was father-and-son duo Pat and Barry Farrell. Their February 2022-born Rhaeadr Edge daughter going back to a Proctors-bred Sportsmans Batman ewe was scanned in lamb with a single to Lylehill Got Ewe.

Her full sister had sold earlier in the sale at €1,850 and she was eventually knocked down by auctioneer Rodney Windrum to Cavan breeder James Dunne at €4,500 to join his Kilduff flock.

The Farrell family had a great night’s selling with their lead hogget being knocked down to Galway breeder Brian Divilly at €3,200 to join his Annaghdown flock.

The February 2022-born hogget was by Rhaeadr Edge going back to a homebred Plasucha Commander ewe. Her full brother was sold in the premier Texel sale in Blessington in 2022 for €5,000. She was scanned in lamb with twins to Lylehill Got Ewe. Their next highest price went to another Rhaeadr Edge daughter, this time out of an Auldhouseburn-bred Rhaeadr Best of the Best daughter.

She was scanned in lamb with twins to Lylehill Got Ewe and sold for €2,700.

The Farrells took home the highest average for their pen of hoggets on the night with their 10 sheep averaging €1,985/head. Following close behind was Cavan breeder James Dunne’s pen of 11 hoggets. He took home the second highest average on the night with his 11 ewes averaging €1,779/head.

His top-priced hogget was sold at €4,400 to Monaghan breeders John, Colm and Michael McHugh at €4,400. The Loosebeare Chief daughter went back to a Strathbogie Boss-sired ewe and was a full sister to the €5,500 Kilduff Fit as a Fiddle. She was scanned in lamb with twins to Drumderg Five Star.

Dunne’s next highest call was another Loosebeare Chief daughter, this time going back to a Deveronvale Warrior-bred ewe. She was scanned in lamb with a single to Drumderg Five Star and sold for €2,450 to Meath breeders Kenneth and Michael Bird.

A full sister carrying a single lamb made the next highest price in the Kilduff pen selling for €2,400 to Hugh Murray.

The club has built up a tradition over the years where a club member donates a lamb to charity with the proceeds going to a chosen charity each year.

This year’s charity was Sosad Ireland and a ewe lamb sired by Teiglum Errol from the Glassdrummond flock of Patrick Leonard in Co Monaghan sold for €550 with all the proceeds going to Sosad Ireland.