The Bluefaced Leicester breed will be a focus at this year’s Tullamore Show at the Butterfield Estate, Blueball, on Sunday, 14 August, 2022. LSL Auctions will broadcast live to audiences across the globe at the event – don’t miss the updates on the LSL Auctions Facebook page.
The South of Ireland Bluefaced Leicester Club welcomes everyone to their stand at Tullamore.
Formed in 2012, the club has established four pedigree sales within the Southern Ireland region – these are located at Aurivo Mart, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo; Ballybofey & Stranorlar Mart, Co. Donegal; Cahir Mart, (Cork Marts) Co. Tipperary; and Midlands & Western Livestock Improvement Society Limited, The Showgrounds, Carrick-On-Shannon, Co. Roscommon.
The club also celebrates its 60th association celebration of the breed at the show, which involves Progeny Classes of Bluefaced Leicester’s with their purebred and crossbred offspring.
Selective breeding
The journey of the breed has its origin in a breeding programme by English agriculturalist Robert Bakewell, in the development of longwool sheep in the 1700’s. From these early roots and over many intervening years, the Bluefaced Leicester evolved through selective breeding of those involved in the breed to its current breed standards which sees two individual types within the breed – one the Traditional Bluefaced Leicester, the other now dubbed the Crossing Leicester.
Bluefaced Leicester’s are crossed with many breeds to produce the mule.
Genetically the Bluefaced Leicester is different to all other breeds, this genetic pool was established at the genesis of the breed by Bakewell. It is this vast genetic difference that produces unrivalled hybrid vigour in the cross bred progeny of the Bluefaced Leicester and sets their mule offspring apart from other crossbred breed types.
Bluefaced Leicester sheep made their way to Southern Ireland in or about 1980, with sheep being sourced from the UK by the pioneers of the breed here. In early years the breed gained popularity amongst the mule producers, particularly hill farmers, although they also found favour amongst lowland flocks.
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