All Ireland sheep records were smashed at the South of Ireland Suffolk Club sale at Blessington Auction Market, on Monday, when a Suffolk ram lamb sold for €44,000.

Add to that another at €34,000, with 41 exported, a cracking commercial trade and Suffolk breeders had plenty to celebrate to follow on from the breed’s sales at Ballymena, Lanark and Shrewsbury, which all had increased averages and two new records.

“It was a fantastic sale throughout with an increased number of purchasers and particularly online buyers,” Dan O’Mahony, chairman of the South of Ireland Suffolk Club, told The Scottish Farmer.

“There was a lot of work involved ensuring transport routes to Europe and online bidding facilities which proved hugely beneficial when we had sheep sell to Belgium, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Germany and France,” he said adding that up to 40% of the sheep were exported.

“If anything good has come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s online bidding which has allowed the markets to continue and opened up the bidding process to a much wider audience.”

Local producers were also prepared to dig deep for rams after such a buoyant trade for spring lambs this year and throughout most of 2020.

“Our commercial trade would have been up about €100 on the year at €697, but then the early lamb market has worked away really well this year and most of these would have been Suffolk crosses,” said Mr O’Mahony.

Surpassing the previous Irish high of €40,000 paid for a Suffolk ram in the 1990s was a tup lamb from Richard Thompson’s Ballinatone flock from Donegal, which stood second in the novice class.

He made €44,000 selling to a team of breeders to include Dennis Taylor, Ballynacannon; Alastair Gault, Forkins; Ronan Mclaughlin, Ballyboe; and Joao Guilherme, Portugal, with Mr Thompson retaining a share.

The lamb, a son of the 5000gns Solwaybank Sapphire II bought at Stirling in 2018, is out of a Ballynacannon ewe by Mountford Mustang.

The judge, William Tait, of the Co Tyrone-based Burnview flock backed his decision and bought his choice of champion at €34,000. This was the novice and open ram lamb winner from Darragh McMenamin’s Mullinvale flock from Donegal.

A son of the 30,000gns Salopian Scuderia, he is out of a Balquhain-bred ewe bought privately from Graeme Christie, Inverurie, by Lakeview Under The Radar.

Also heading to Northern Ireland, Stephen Sufferin, Maghera, bought two lambs at €7500 and €6500 for his Crewelands flock.

The former, from Philip Byrne’s Limepark flock, Kilkenny, is by the Scottish-bred Muirton One Direction and out of a home-bred ewe by Strathisla Speed.

The latter, from Richard Wilson’s Shannagh flock from Donegal, is a February-born lamb by last year’s champion, Kells T-Rex and out of a Birness Murray-sired home-bred ewe.

Two lambs came under the hammer for €5000. First was the best from Brian and Gus Doyle’s Kilmacoo flock, purchased by French breeder, Sebastian Delval. He is by Errigal Grim Reaper and bred from a Birness ewe.

Later, J and M Doherty's Malinhead flock received the same money for Limestone Red Rum son out of a home-bred ewe from PJ Howard, Co Clare.

Females sold to €1600 for the section champion, a gimmer from James O’Connell’s Knockogan flock, purchased by F and S Brigdale, buying for their Atomic flock from Co Clare.

Averages: 16 gimmers, €909; 20 ewe lambs, €732; 124 ram lambs, €1851

Auctioneers: JP and M Doyle.