Ballybofey and Stranorlar Livestock Mart

What to Expect

Ballybofey and Stranorlar Co-operative Livestock Mart runs its cattle sale every Monday at 6pm and its sheep sale every Wednesday, also at 6pm. Two evening sale times set this mart apart from most others in Donegal, which trade in the morning or at midday. The evening slot suits farmers who want to finish a day’s work before loading a trailer, and it means the ring is busy well after most other marts have cleared their yards.

The mart sits on Railway Road in Stranorlar, the smaller of the twin towns facing each other across the River Finn. It is one of the county’s longer-running co-operative marts and draws sellers and buyers from the Finn Valley and much of central Donegal. Anyone can walk in and watch a sale, and the trade itself is the whole point of the visit: pens of store cattle and weanlings, an auctioneer working the rostrum, and a ring of farmers reading each other as much as the stock. Alongside the two weekly fixtures the mart schedules occasional special sales, including weanling and store cattle evenings, so it is worth ringing before travelling if you are looking for a particular class of animal.

Good to Know

• Next cattle sale: Monday 17 August 2026 at 6pm. Sheep sell every Wednesday at 6pm.
• Venue: Ballybofey and Stranorlar Co-operative Livestock Mart, Railway Road, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal.
• Price: free to attend as a spectator. Buying and selling is between registered farmers and traders through the ring.
• Recurrence: cattle every Monday, sheep every Wednesday, year-round. Special sales are added through the autumn weanling season.
• Contact: 074 913 1101.

Getting There

Stranorlar sits just off the N15, directly across the River Finn from Ballybofey, and the two towns run together as one built-up area either side of the bridge. The mart has its own yard and parking on Railway Road, close to the town centre, and is a straightforward stop for anyone travelling the N15 between Letterkenny and Donegal Town. Bus Eireann regional services call at both Ballybofey and Stranorlar, though farmers bringing stock arrive by jeep and trailer, and the yard is busiest in the hour before the sale starts.