More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the all-Ireland sheep-shearing championships in Milford, Co Donegal, on the weekend of June 11th-13th. Seán MacConnell, Agriculture Correspondent, reports.
Some 2,000 young ewes will have to be collected for the contestants who will compete not only for the all-Ireland title but also for the all-Ireland open championship and for the Clik Speed Shear Challenge.
Other competitions include the junior, intermediate and senior championships, the Queen of the Shears and the Donegal county championships.
The event, to be staged at the Milford mart by the local GAA club, will attract leading shearers from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Australia and New Zealand.
Speaking about the event yesterday in Dublin, two of the country's best-known shearers, Mr Tom Kennedy and Mr David Kingston, were on hand to show the media how it was done.
Mr Kennedy, from Athenry, Co Galway, the current all-Ireland champion, said he was looking forward to defending his title.
The Minister of State for Transport, Dr James McDaid, said he was proud the event was coming back to Donegal after more than 20 years.
The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Mr Tom Parlon, said sheep-shearing was an art which was very important to sheep farmers, and he hoped it would be fostered.
