Premier Sale Report 2026

Records Broken and Offaly Breeders Take Top Honours

The 2026 Belclare Sheep Society Premier Sale took place on Friday evening, 7th August, at GVM Tullamore Mart for the second consecutive year. The stage was set for a record-breaking price for a Belclare ram, and it proved to be a day to remember for Sonny Jennings of the highly regarded Cahergal flock.

His January-born twin ram lamb, Cahergal Mishka, set the ring alight with his style, correctness and genetics. Auctioneer Gordon Cobbe dropped the hammer at a phenomenal €4,000, with the ram selling to the Violethill flock of John Renehan. The purchaser will no doubt have been impressed by the ram’s outstanding €urostar indexes, placing him in the top 1% for Terminal (€17.59) and top 1% for Replacement (€5.27).

There was a large selection of quality Belclare rams available on the day, with almost 70% of entries sold and an average sale price of €832. The central sale once again attracted purchasers from all over Ireland, with buyers present from 20 counties, demonstrating the increasing demand for Belclare genetics among commercial flocks.

Show

The day began at 3pm in the show ring, where the Belclare Sheep Society was privileged to welcome Melvin Matthews as guest judge. The prestigious J.P. Hanrahan Cup, named in honour of the breed’s founder, was awarded to Liam and Eoin Dunne, Co. Offaly, Tubber Belclare flock, with their impressive ram lamb Tubber Maximus.

Reserve Champion was awarded to Ciarán Coughlan, also from Co. Offaly and representing the Glen View flock, with his ram lamb Glen View Messi.

The first class judged was the shearling ram class. As usual, there was a strong line-up of entries, and following a thorough examination, judge Melvin Matthews tapped forward Oltore Lion for the red rosette. The impressive shearling was later purchased by the Ballydavis flock of David Cooke.

The highly regarded Oltore flock of Tim Keady performed exceptionally well in this class, taking 1st, 3rd and 4th prizes. Tim later went on to have a fantastic day in the sales ring, as he has done on many occasions, topping the shearling trade at €1,250. Second prize was awarded to John Kennedy of the Dranagh flock, Co. Carlow, with his shearling ram Dranagh Lucian. This powerful ram made the judge’s decision particularly difficult.

It was then time for the largest class of the day, the ram lamb class. An exceptional line-up of lambs, with high-quality entries from flocks across Ireland, proved a tough challenge for the judge as he worked to whittle the class down to the final six.

First prize was awarded to Liam and Eoin Dunne of the Tubber Belclare flock, Co. Offaly, with their ram lamb Tubber Maximus. This lamb displayed exceptional length and a tight woolled skin to match. He was sired by the top-priced ram at the 2025 Premier Sale, Coolgarragh Laois, which sold for €2,700. Tubber Maximus went on to claim Overall Champion and later sold for €1,200 to fellow pedigree breeder Frank Campion of the Luskenagh flock.

Second prize and Reserve Champion went to Ciarán Coughlan of the Glen View flock, Ferbane, Co. Offaly, for Glen View Messi, a ram of exceptional power and style. Third prize was awarded to Galway native Barry Cunningham of the Togherbeg flock, with his powerhouse of a ram, Togherbeg Magnificent. Fourth prize went to Tullamore local Paul Smyth of the Silverbrook flock. Fifth prize was awarded to Sonny Jennings, who later went on to steal the show in the sales ring, while sixth prize was awarded to John Kennedy of the Dranagh flock.

Sale

Despite the quality and excitement in the show ring, the evening’s real drama unfolded in the sales ring, where records were broken and applause and cheers filled Tullamore Mart as the auctioneer’s hammer dropped on Sonny Jennings’ Lot 46, Cahergal Mishka, for a new breed record of €4,000.

This stylish, tight-woolled ram, sired by Cillmheain Lindell, boasted some of the Society’s top €urostar indexes and had the physical characteristics to match, making him hot property for the evening sale.

The ram was purchased by the highly regarded Violethill flock of pedigree breeder John Renehan. The Society would like to congratulate both Sonny Jennings and John Renehan on this fantastic achievement, which once again demonstrates the value and demand for quality Belclare genetics.

Impressive prices continued throughout the sale, with the next highest price achieved by Cork breeder Michael Hanley for Lot 44, Kielnascarta Manuel. This correct and stylish lamb caught the eye of many pedigree breeders on the day, and the bids swiftly followed.

The final bid of €2,500 came from pedigree breeder Paul Smyth of the Silverbrook flock. This impressive lamb was also highly ranked on the €urostar indexes, placing in the top 1% for Replacement (€17.81) and the top 2% for Days to Slaughter (-22.1 days). Michael continued his excellent form with his next ram into the ring, selling Kielnascarta Mack for €1,100.

The celebrations continued in Mayo as breeder Charles Hughes’ Lot 18, Lankill Mauricio, a triplet-born lamb, was purchased for €1,400 by fellow pedigree breeder Arthur O’Riordan of the Rath more flock. Sired by Kilmeany Govannon, who previously bred the 2024 Premier Sale Champion Lankill Koi, Lankill Mauricio continues to demonstrate the strength of this breeding line. Mauricio was ranked in the top 1% on the €urostar indexes for Replacement, Terminal, Days to Slaughter and Number of Lambs Born.

The ever-present Tubber Belclare flock of Offaly natives Liam and Eoin Dunne shone in both the show and sale rings. Their 2026 Premier Sale Champion, Tubber Maximus, sold for €1,200 to fellow pedigree breeder Frank Campion of the Luskenagh flock. They continued their excellent run of form when Lot 26, Tubber Mojo, sold for €1,300 to the Millbank flock of Leitrim native Neil O’Donnell.

The shearling trade was strong throughout the 2026 Premier Sale, with Tim Keady’s Oltore flock showcasing strong prices on numerous occasions. Lot 11, Oltore Larry, who was born and reared as a triplet, was purchased for €1,250. Tim again crossed the four-figure mark with Lot 2, Oltore Looker, selling for €1,100.

The Belclare Sheep Society extends its sincere thanks to judge Melvin Matthews, GVM Tullamore Mart, auctioneer Gordon Cobbe, all Society members, sponsors J. Grennan & Sons and Mayo Healthcare and, most importantly, the purchasers who made the 2026 Premier Sale such a tremendous success.

Future Sales

• Sheep Ireland Kilkenny – Saturday, 22nd August

• Tullow – Tuesday, 8th September

• Athenry – Monday, 14th September

• Roscommon Multibreed – Saturday, 26th September

• In-Lamb Hogget Ewe Sale – Saturday, 14th November