Lleyn sheep trade on fire at Ballymena

There had been a lot of interest shown before the sale with the Northern Ireland Club having a very successful open day.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Sep 2020, 08:54 BST
Aidan McConville's Shearling Ewes - £275Aidan McConville's Shearling Ewes - £275
Aidan McConville's Shearling Ewes - £275

This led to demand out stripping the supply on the day.

100% of the female sold with shearling ewe averages £62 up on the year and ewe lambs £33 up.

The shearling ewes saw 14 pens, many with more than five in the pen hit the £200 mark and above. The top priced shearling ewes came from A McConville, Newry with his best pen of five selling for £275/head to A Calwell, Ballymena.

The same buyer bought Mr McConville’s next pen at £260/head. J Coulter, Newtownard had a very good day selling his best pen of ten at £245/head to JJ McCambridge & Son, Ballycastle. The same buyer bought a further two pens from Mr Coulter at £235/head. Mr Coulter sold a third pen at £235/head to D Mason, Downpatrick. Mr Coulter sold a further three pens at £230 and £225 x 2. C & A Kennedy, Ballyclare sold at pen at £230/head to R Paynter, Hockley.

The ewe lamb section was topped by A Trainer, Newry selling five ewe lambs at £190/head to W Oliver, Dundalk. Mr Trainer sold a second pen at £170/head also to W Oliver. B & E Latimer, Trillick sold a pen of six for £185/head to P Browne, Lifford.

Mr Latimer sold a pen of eight to W Grey, Ballinamallard for £170/head. S Killen, Newry sold his pen at £182/head to S Ward, Magherafelt. Over 16 pens sold for £140 or more with the odd pen at £102 and most selling £120 and over.

With 23 rams forward, 19 found new homes. The highlight came from the pen of B & E Latimer, Trillick. They sold Girgadis Indiana Jones (01690/1903788) sired by Woodfoot Geezer, a Linda Jenkinson ram and out of a L Organ ewe. He was purchased for 1800gns by breeder J McKavanagh, Lurgan. Giggadis Ice Cool (01694/1903699), out of a homebred ewe he is sired by Netherton Eddy, a John Blakey ram. He was taken home by another breeder who had a successful shearling ewe trade earlier, J Coulter who gave 1300gns.

R Millen, Coleraine sold Knockmult Ignatius (02153/1902314) sired by a Lluest ram for 1100gns to D Neill, Downpatrick. D Mullen sold the first ram into the ring Mullamore Hinter (02153/1802090) sired by a Steen ram for 1000gns to J Bradley, Maghera.

Averages

Shearling Ewes to £275 av. £230 (+62)

Ewe Lambs to £190 av. £142 (+33)

Rams to 1800 gns av. £664 (+135)

Top Prices

Shearling Ewes: A McConville £275, A McConville £260, J Coulter £245J Coulter £235 (x3), C & A Kennedy £230, J Coulter £230, J Coulter £225 (x2), D Mullen £220, J & C Kennedy £220, D Mullen £215, J Coulter £205, D Mullen £180

Ewe Lambs: A Trainor £190, B & E Latimer £185, S Killen £182, B & E Latimer £170, A Trainer £170, J Coulter £168, B & E Latimer £165, CB Quigley £160, A Adair £155 (x2)

J Coulter £155, B & E Latimer £150 (x2), CB Quigley £140, C & A Kennedy £140

Rams: B & E Latimer (91) 1800gns, B & E Latimer (92) 1300gns, R Millen (84) 1100gns, D Mullen (77) 1000gns, B & E Latimer (93) 950gns, J Coulter (99) 850gns, J & C Kennedy (95) 650gns, CB Quigley (107) 550gns, W McKane (88) 450gns, J Coulter (100) 450gns

Auctioneers: Ballymena Livestock Market