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markets · Saturday 29 August 2026 · 11:00 AM 
Drumshanbo Mart Monthly Horse and Donkey Sale
At Drumshanbo Livestock Mart · Dowra Road, Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
At Drumshanbo Livestock Mart · Dowra Road, Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
Drumshanbo Mart runs a horse and donkey sale on the last Saturday of each month, separate from its weekly cattle and sheep trade. It is one of a small number of regular equine sales left in the northwest and it draws a mixed entry: cobs, ponies, working horses, foals and donkeys, along with the tack and gear that changes hands around the edges of a sale like this.
The sale starts at 11am, but the yard fills long before that as sellers unload and let stock settle. Buyers walk the pens, handle animals and talk to sellers before the auctioneer opens bidding, and lots move quickly once the sale is under way. This is a genuine trading floor rather than a show, so the standard of stock varies widely from lot to lot and the onus is on the buyer to assess an animal properly. Anyone new to buying at a horse sale should bring someone experienced along. Entries need to be booked in with the mart office beforehand, and passport and identification paperwork must be in order for every animal presented.
Drumshanbo is at the southern end of Lough Allen in north Leitrim, on the R280 between Leitrim village and Dowra. The mart is on the Dowra Road heading north out of the town. Coming from Dublin or Sligo, leave the N4 at Carrick-on-Shannon or Drumsna and follow the R280 north for about 15km. There is yard space for horseboxes and trailers, though it gets tight close to the 11am start, so arrive early. The nearest railway station is Carrick-on-Shannon on the Dublin to Sligo line.
Heading to Drumshanbo Livestock Mart in Drumshanbo? Leitrim has plenty more to see. Read the Drumshanbo area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.