Annual Show and Sale of Suffolk Sheep at Roscommon Mart
THE West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Breeders Club will celebrate its 55th annual Show and Sale at Roscommon Mart on Saturday, August 8, at 11.30am.
In the spring of 1971, a group of like-minded Suffolk Sheep breeders decided that they would hold a show of pedigree Suffolk ram lambs at Roscommon Mart. The Show and Sale was held in August of that year.
Denis Lynch, a well-known Suffolk pedigree breeder from Longford, was invited to be the judge. He chose a ram lamb shown by the late Paddy Broderick of the Ballyglunin flock as champion. This lamb was later sold for £60 guineas.
As this sale was a huge success, these breeders decided to form a Suffolk breeders club and purchase trophies. The club was named the West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Breeders Club.
The club would cover the five Connacht counties as well as Longford. In later years breeders from Westmeath and two breeders from Clare were welcomed into the club.
A committee was elected and the prize winners on the day, led by Paddy Broderick, donated their prize money to purchase trophies. These trophies are still as significant to their winners in 2026 as they were 55 years ago.
Mico Lavin from Boyle was the first Chair of the club and he remained on as Chair until 1989.
The club organised its first Show and Sale in Athenry Mart in 1978 and the club has held an annual Show and Sale in Athenry since. This year’s Show and Sale will be held on Friday, August 21, in Athenry Mart.
As the years moved on it became clear that there was a big demand for Suffolks and the club introduced sales at marts in Ballina, Ballinrobe, Ballinasloe, Headford, Mountbellew and Tuam.
Breeders from several counties played a part in the formation and the progress of the club, including breeders from Galway such as Padraic Niland from Ardrahan, John Joe Mitchell of Menlough, Ballyglunin’s Paddy Broderick, Anne and John O’Flaherty from Ardrahan, Martin Clarke from Turloughmore, Headford’s Michael Finnerty and Padraic Raftery of Athenry.
Other Galway members have included Mary Duffy Grealy from Oranmore, TJ Broderick from Menlough, Mark Grealy from Oranmore, Mary Jo O’Dea from Athenry, Caherlistrane’s Louis Hoade, John Fahy from Cummer, Kevin Griffin from Ballymoe, Paddy Healy from Athenry, Peter Glennon of Kilrickle and Cummer’s Michael Murphy.
Paddy Broderick continued to breed the highest quality Suffolks until he retired from breeding in 2009. He was a judge at events across Connacht and nationwide.
Mary Duffy Grealy was elected Chair of the club in 1979. In 1998, she was named President of the club, an honour she proudly held until her passing in January this year. Over the years Mary’s flock, The Oranmore Flock, was exhibited at every show and sale held by the club and won a number of championships.
The late John Joe Mitchell from Menlough was PRO for the club from 1975 to 1988, and secretary from 1989 until the time of his passing in 2011. It is fitting that the club holds a cup in his memory for the supreme champion at the West of Ireland National Championships.
The late Padraic Raftery from Coshla in Athenry bred registered purebred Suffolks from 1959 until his passing in 2009.
The late Martin Clarke from Turloughmore continued to judge at shows and sales in the west of Ireland even after his retirement from breeding Suffolks. The late Paddy Healy from Greethill in Athenry joined the club as a breeder in 1978 and handed down the baton of breeding Suffolks to his son Joe, former President of the IFA.
Mary Jo O’Dea, also from Athenry, graced the club for many years before her passing. The late Louis Hoade of Caherlistrane was a consistent Suffolk breeder from 1982. Every year, Louis presented and sold up to four ram lambs at all sales in the west of Ireland.
A healthy supply of quality Suffolks will be on display for the 55th annual Show and Sale of the West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Breeders Club in Roscommon Mart on Saturday. Michael Murphy from Cummer is one local breeder who will have a number of purebred registered Suffloks at the Show and Sale.
The current officers of the West of Ireland Registered Pedigree Suffolk Sheep Breeders Club are Menlough’s Anne Mitchell (Chair), Michael Murphy (Vice Chair), Mairead Quinn (Secretary), Matt Pearse (Treasurer) and Ursula Rooney (Registrar).
- By Anne Mitchell