Finalists in the Texel youth competition all receive vouchers to spend at this weekend’s Irish Texel premier sale in Blessington on Saturday 10 August. As part of the competition, both section winner articles are to be featured in the Irish Farmers Journal.

This week, we feature the junior winner Sean O’Boyle, from Ballina, Co Mayo.

“My name is Sean O’Boyle. I am 16. I come from a small village called Shragraddy located in Bangor Erris, in north Mayo. I farm around 100 ewes including Mayo Mountains, Lanarks and commercial ewes. I live on the family farm where we have a combination of lowland and commonage. I am going into fifth year in Saint Brendan’s College in Belmullet. I have had a keen interest in farming from since I can remember. My grandad would give me a pet lamb to rear each year when I was younger and the buying and selling started from there really.

“Firstly and most importantly, youth should be investing in the sheep industry because it is a grand pastime and it is a good way to keep the mind occupied. It is very important for everyone, especially young people, nowadays to look after their mental health. What better way to do so than being out and about in the fresh air farming a flock of sheep? I find that there is always something to be done with the sheep on the farm, from dipping, dosing, lambing ewes, moving the flock, feeding sheep and paperwork (just to name a few).

“I think young people should be investing in the sheep industry because it’s great education. Farming is a great way for young people to learn the value of money from buying sheep, selling them on and selling offspring from the flock each year. It’s a great way to earn your own money and to reinvest it into expanding a flock. I would advise any young person to start small and expand slowly. Sheep farming is a great way for youth to learn [that] things won’t always go right in life and things do go wrong sometimes. Through the years, I’ve learned a lot by owning different breeds of sheep. I’ve experimented by crossing breeds. I’ve learned [that] crossing Texels and Mayo Mountains to get Hiltex offspring has many benefits – maintaining the wide carcase from the Texel breed while having the tough characteristic from the Mayo Mountain breed. I was previously a member of the Irish Suffolk Society. This competition could give me an opportunity to invest in pedigree Texels. I would invest in a Texel ram at the sale if I was to win. I would then invest in some Texel ewes later in the year when I sell some of my own lambs from this year. It would be a great opportunity for me to expand my flock by introducing pedigree Texels and breeding Hiltex to suit the commonage ground. I could possibly run the Texel ram with some of my commercial sheep. The offspring would be great to rear for the meat industry.

“The sheep industry brings great days out to young people. Sheep shows are an enjoyable day out for any young person with an interest in sheep. They are particularly interesting if you are competing in the shows. It’s not always about winning, it’s about supporting the local shows, enjoying the day out and having the craic. I’m a member of the Bangor sheep show committee. This is our fourth year organising the show and they have been a great success. As a young person with an interest in sheep, it’s good to get involved and help out with events like this. Attending the mart regularly is a good opportunity to see how prices fluctuate at different times of the year. It’s a great way to meet people who you share the same interests with. I attend Ballina Mart regularly when I am off school.”