← All events
markets · Saturday 18 July 2026 · TBC 
Irish Vendeen Sheep Society Premier Sale
At GVM Group Tullamore Mart · Tullamore, Co. Offaly
At GVM Group Tullamore Mart · Tullamore, Co. Offaly
Each July, the Irish Vendéen Sheep Society brings its Premier Sale to GVM Mart in Tullamore - one of the few dedicated pedigree sheep sales on the Irish livestock calendar. Now in its 31st year, this is the society’s flagship event: a show-and-sale of Vendéen breeding sheep and rams drawn from pedigree flocks across the country. If you breed sheep and are looking to improve your flock, or if you simply want to see some of Ireland’s best pedigree lowland breed sheep going through the ring, this is worth the trip. Admission is free.
The sale typically runs to around 70 lots, covering ram lambs, shearling rams, shearling ewes, and ewe lambs. A pre-sale show is judged before bidding opens, giving buyers a chance to assess the animals and see how they place before prices are set in the ring. At the 2025 sale - the society’s 30th anniversary - shearling rams achieved 100% clearance at an average of €840, with the top price of the day reaching €1,800. Females also traded strongly, with new records set for the sale.
Entry forms and catalogues come from the Irish Vendéen Sheep Society directly. The entry closing date for 2026 is Friday 26 June - sellers need to have registrations in before that date. For buyers and visitors, there is no entry process; you simply turn up on the day. GVM Tullamore Mart runs pedigree and special sales on Saturdays as part of its regular programme, so the facilities and staff are well set up for this type of event.
Tullamore sits at the geographical centre of Ireland, roughly an hour from Dublin, Limerick, and Galway by road. The N80 and N52 are the main approach roads from east and north; from Dublin, the M6/M4 routes feed in via Kinnegad. GVM Mart is on Arden Road on the edge of the town, with ample on-site parking as you would expect of a working livestock facility. Irish Rail serves Tullamore on the Dublin Heuston to Galway/Westport line, with the station about a 15-minute walk from the mart.
Tullamore is a tidy midlands town with the Grand Canal running through it and the Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre worth a look if whiskey history is your thing. There is more to see in Tullamore and across Co. Offaly.
Heading to GVM Group Tullamore Mart in Tullamore? Offaly has plenty more to see. Read the Tullamore area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.