The promotion of Irish sheep hunting tours in Las Vegas has been observed online by the Irish Farmers Journal.

A US-based, Kildare-linked hunting tourism company has advertised the opportunity to stalk and shoot sheep in Ireland, with stands at US hunting trade fairs at several US cities and among those offering guided hunting tours for African game.

The stands display promotional material including photographs of tourists holding dead Jacob, Blackface and other horned hill breed sheep shot and killed in Ireland under what is described as a “world class” experience.

Following reporting last week on a similar business in Co Wicklow, the Irish Farmers Journal discovered this second business offering guided sheep shooting tours online.

Tight wooled and horned jacob sheep shot and killed.

Photos of more than 50 sheep, which appear to have been stalked and shot by predominantly American tourists, were viewable on Facebook and tagged in locations around Ireland.

Several photos showed tourists holding up the decapitated heads of these sheep, others showed the sheep lying dead on grass fields and one photo showed several other live sheep in the background of the kill, not weary of nor running from gunfire.

Images of shot sheep on the US based, Kildare linked hunting tourism company's social media page.

Many of the sheep seen in photographs had tight wool and were young animals. All are of breeds regularly found domestically on Irish farms.

A number of young children were present in these photographs, many with high calibre guns.

A source has indicated that these sheep are used in shooting practice for young and novice hunters as they are slower and less evasive than wild deer.

Investigation

The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that an investigation is ongoing into the sheep shooting activity in Co Wicklow.

Hunting tourists were seen posing with dead sheep in remote areas.

The individual in question confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that he is a farmer, the “aged rams” used are bought in local marts, “have all paperwork” and are released on his hill ground to “clean up” with breeding ewes before being stalked and shot for money.

Both businesses have since removed most photographic evidence of this activity from their online pages.

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Guided sheep shooting tours being offered