A Co. Wexford sheep farmer believes he may have struck a historic first after the sale of two cull ewes covered the all in price of a trip to Spain for him and his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

"In the history of sheep farming, I don't think it was ever done," Co. Wexford sheep farmer Gus Connick told Agriland.

Connick sold the two cull ewes at Tullow Mart, Co. Carlow for €620 and the result got him thinking about planning a special trip for his anniversary.

Agriland caught up with the Camross, Co. Wexford-based sheep farmer who has just returned from a holiday to Salou, Spain with his wife Orna to celebrate their seven-year wedding anniversary.

The farmer took to TikTok recently to ask sheep farmers 'Has anyone ever done it before?'

"I don't think my father, my grandfather or any other man I ever knew could book a flight to Spain for the weekend, stay at the finest hotel that a man or woman could get, and the whole lot - all in - cost us €620 and I got €620 for the two fat, cast ewes," he revealed.

Connick, who also trains and sells sheepdogs to farmers across Ireland and further afield believes he is the first sheep farmer ever to achieve this feat.

He said: "We were going through sheep here and picking out cull ewes and anything that wasn't up to scratch in the place.

"I brought the cull ewes to Tullow Mart and there was two good, heavy cull ewes in particular, they were tipping the 100kg mark and they made €310 each.

According to Connick the sale price of the two cull ewes covered the entire cost of return flights, accommodation and airport transfers to Salou, Spain.

Connick said: "We flew out early on Friday, May 9, and we got home today (Monday, May 12) at 10:00a.m".

He said often in the past, the sale price of cull ewes "would do well to cover the price of a bag of ration," let alone a three night stay in Spain.

"I would have been sheep farming since I was a chap - the same as my own young lad here - Tommy - with me like, it's sort of part and parcel," he added.

Connick said today that he has never seen the cull ewe trade as strong as it currently is.

"My father used to buy and sell a lot of old cull ewes over the years, I remember him buying ones for 1 pound and 7 pound and prices like that."

"I know land and everything is dear all round and lads will complain we're only getting what's fair and all but look, it's a great price to be getting," he added.

Connick believes that the good prices this year "have come, but not before time".

"There's loads of years where you'd be just breaking even sheep farming but this year worked out lovely - you can't but make money at sheep at the moment," he said.

He also added that prices are currently holding up well and believes that "in another three to four weeks, you're into that Eid festival, that will drive them up again".

"I can't see them falling any time soon," Connick added.