After a year’s absence, the All-Ireland and All-Nations Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Championships returns with a new format and strong lineup which includes a major focus on animal health. The event takes place on Saturday 25 May and Sunday 26 May on the grounds of Cashel Rugby Club, Old Road, Spafield, Cashel, Co Tipperary.

Saturday’s shearing proceedings have been condensed into a shorter day, with competition heats and semi-final in the junior and intermediate shearing along with semi-finals in wool handling taking place from 2pm to 5pm. This will be followed by a barbecue at 6pm while a big attraction on Saturday night is the Bulmers Speed-Shear commencing at 8.30pm.

Main attraction

Sunday is the main shearing attraction, with a packed timetable. The finals of the junior, intermediate and wool handling competitions will take place on Sunday along with heats, semi-finals and finals for the big shearing competitions – the senior and open All-Ireland and All-Nations competitions, along with the Six Nations Blade Shearing competition.

The All-Ireland competition was traditionally run on the Saturday but this year it is being amalgamated with the All-Nations competition. The manner in which this will work is that the highest-placed Irish contestant will secure the All-Ireland title. For example, if this is first position they will secure both the All-Ireland and All-Nations titles while, for example, if the highest-placed Irish shearer finishes third in the competition they will secure the Irish title and third position in the All-Nations competition.

The new format will reduce the number of hoggets required for the weekend from over 2,000 head to in the region of 1,100 head

The All-Nations competition promises to be a hotly contested affair, with Europe’s top shearers in attendance to compete in the Six Nations competition while there are also shearers from New Zealand and Australia present, with some spending the next couple of months working with Irish shearing contractors.

The new format will reduce the number of hoggets required for the weekend from over 2,000 head to in the region of 1,100 head. Local men John Crosse and John O’Connor have the task of organising the sheep and both men comment that hoggets are in prime condition this year after a favourable winter and spring. All hoggets will be checked in advance of the competition for suitability and will be crutched and receive preventative treatment for blowfly strike.

Major health focus

The event is well supported by numerous animal health and insurance companies both in a financial and technical manner. An animal health village will provide patrons with a platform to speak with specialists while a number of short presentations will be delivered on sheep, beef and dairy health.

Chair of the event Michael O’Connor from O’Connor-Julian vets says this element will provide a unique opportunity for farmers to address health concerns or talk to company specialists from a significant exhibitor listing about their products. “We are very lucky with the level of support we have received. Boehringer Ingelheim, Chanelle Pharma and MSD Animal Health have come on board as the main sponsors, with generous support also provided by AXA, Bulmers, Elanco, FBD, Tipperary County Council and Zoetis. We are also indebted to the strong support we are receiving locally.”

Other attractions

The organisers add that the financial side of farming and business will also be serviced, and there will be machinery and equipment stands also. For sheepdog enthusiasts, trials will begin at 11am. Exhibits and stands extend outside a farming audience, with lots on offer for all members of the family including a food village, fun village targeted at children, music and refreshments.

Irish team

The championships will also be good preparation for the team selected to represent Ireland in the World Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Championships which takes place from 4 to 7 July in Le Dorat, north of Limoges in France. Decorated shearer Ivan Scott will captain the Irish team, with Kerryman Denis O’Sullivan Ivan’s teammate for the open shearing competition. Peter Heraty and Martin Hopkins will represent Ireland in the blade shearing event, while George Graham and Joanne Devaney will compete in the wool handling championships.

Tom Dunne, chair of the Irish Sheep Shearers Association (ISSA) will serve as a machine shearing judge while Colin Crowe will judge in the wool handling championships. The team manager is ISSA secretary Eileen Coffey.