Donegal breeder claims All-Ireland Dutch Spotted title at Dundalk Show

The Irish Dutch Spotted Sheep Association held their third annual All-Ireland championships on Sunday 8 June at Dundalk show. Breeders travelled the length and breadth of Ireland to compete for an All-Ireland title.

The entry was slightly smaller than the previous year but numbers still remained strong with over 100 sheep entered.

Quality was also high, making it a big task for the day’s judge Patrick Grant from Kilcoo, Co Down.

Patrick runs the Craigdoo flock alongside his wife Orla and they have produced many influential sheep since the flock’s establishment.

Male section

The largest entry in the male section was for the senior ram lamb class for ram lambs born between 1 January 2025 and 28 February 2025. There were a total of 18 entries and the quality was extremely high.

However, it was a powerful ram lamb from Caillin Joyce of the Ballintleva flock that took first place in the large class. This massive ram lamb was sired by the 4,500gns Hotspur Hitman and his dam is one of the flock’s top ewes Diamond Forest. This lamb stood out throughout the entire section and he went on to claim the male champion title and later in the day go on to claim the overall reserve champion spot.

The junior ram lamb class for lambs born in 2025 from the first of March onwards was won by Kevin McDermott with a classy lamb sired by Glack Valley Hudson. This ram lamb had exceptional colours, and after winning the class he went on to win reserve male champion.

The shearling ram class was won by Justin Porter of the Greenfield flock with an extremely powerful ram sired by the 2024 All-Ireland male champion Diamond Felix. Justin also claimed second place in the class with his stock ram Rathnashannagh Hulk.

Female section

The quality in the female section this year was standout and it drew in a huge crowd of spectators. The first female class to kick off was the aged ewe class and it was won by a super two-shear ewe from Dwayne Shiels. This girl was also the first-prize-winning shearling ewe at the 2024 All-Ireland championships.

The next class was the shearling ewe class and it had a super entry of 25 quality females. Standing out from the very start was Doonans Hotstuff, an extremely impressive shearling ewe from Kevin McDermott. She oozed style and character and was tapped out as the class winner. Her winning ways didn’t stop here and she went on to win female champion and then also overall champion.

As well as good looks she had a great pedigree being a daughter of Carlaustan Extrovert and out of a Diamond ewe. She went on to represent the breed well in the show interbreed taking overall reserve champion.

The largest class of the day with 27 entries was the senior ewe lamb class. In this class it was Justin Porter’s leading ewe lamb that took the red rosette. She was sired by the day’s second-prize-winning shearling ram Rathnashannagh Hulk and her dam is Porter’s top ewe, Emerald.

In the junior ewe lamb class, the quality was high but rising to the top was an upstanding ewe lamb from the Croaghross flock of Rachel Gallagher.

This eye-catching ewe lamb was a daughter of the 2024 All-Ireland overall champion Doaghbeg Hips Don’t Lie and she was sired by Westbroad Diego, a ram that needs no introduction having bred many show winners throughout Ireland and the UK. This classy young lamb went on to claim the reserve female champion title directly after.

Her full-embryo sister was also third in the same class.

Aged ram – three entries

Shearling ram – nine entries

Senior ram lamb – 18 entries

Junior ram lamb – 14 entries

SIS ram lamb – four entries

Aged ewe – three entries

Shearling ewe – 25 entries

Senior ewe lamb – 27 entries

Junior ewe lamb – 12 entries