Flock Features from Southern Ireland

Lleyn and Alpacas

Kenny O'Donnell, Carromore Hill, Ballina, Co. Mayo Flock 2506

Kenny O'Donnell.jpg "Eventually, I came across these Lleyn ewes and I started off commercially with them. Over time, I found them to be well suited to the land and I began to breed them as pedigrees." Kenny is the only registered pedigree breeder of Lleyn ewes in this region and this led him to believe there would be a market for them. Over the past seven years, he has built up the flock gradually to where it is today. He currently has 80 ewes on the farm. Kenny believes the Lleyn breed has a number of excellent characteristics. Read more [HERE]

Lleyn - Self Sufficient in Southern Ireland

Dominic Black, Roscommon

When a man who scans 50k clips 20k along with his twin brother John and dips 20k sheep per year throughout the country decides to convert his own 320 ewe flock to Lleyns people should sit up and take notice.

Dominic Black who hails from sheep country in the Glens of Antrim and now farms 110 acres in kilmurry Castlerea County Roscommon should know a thing or two about sheep.

If he's not scanning he's dipping and if he's not dipping he's clipping which leads me to the question, who looks after his own 320 ewe flock?. Anyone who's as busy as Dominic needs his breeding ewes to be as self sufficient as possible and to this end Dominic has been converting his ewe flock to the Lleyn breed over the past couple of years. Read more [HERE]

Lleyn - Making Financial Sense

Jo Nolan, Kilconnor, Fenagh, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow

Farmers of the 21st century are entrepreneurs required to put a flexible and workable setup in place on their farms. The success of their farms rests squarely on their shoulders and more and more success is measured in terms of profit and loss.

Keen on keeping a closed flock Joe paid €1120 for a Ballyogan ram sired by Incheoch Moral at the society sale in Roscommon in 2016 to breed his own pure bred replacements. The lleyns are lambed outside in late March-early April with minimal intervention.

"I would definitely recommend it"

Robert Clarke, Sandymount, Co Wicklow Flock 2103

Sandymount Farm is situated in North Tipperary on 500 acres. The mixed farm enterprise is now run by Robert Clarke, having taken over from his parents Ann and George a number of years ago. While Ann and George still keep a close eye on the operations, the day-to-day running of the farm is solely Robert’s responsibility. As a result the farm has undergone a number of changes in the last eight years. Read more [Here]

Lleyn in the Wicklow Mountains

On a cold bright day in early January I visited a hill farm the property of Edward and Seamus Miley to see for myself their pure bred Lleyn grazing at an elevation of 1,300 feet. The Miley's bought their first Lleyn ewes at the first Society sale held in the Tullow Mart. They join the ewes with the ram at the end of October for late March/April lambing. They bring the ewes back from the mountain for this. [More]

The Future is Bright, the Future is White in Ireland

I first encountered Lleyn sheep when back in 1997. I used a couple of Lleyn rams on our 400 Suffolk cross ewes. We had been having trouble with our ewes getting 'too soft' and lambs being very slow to get up and go after lambing. I was very impressed with the Lleyn cross and kept most of the ewe lambs as replacements. [More]