IRELAND REGION REPORT
Regional Contact member – Matthew Kehoe
Balmoral Show kicked off our 2025 show season in Northern Ireland expertly judged by Margie Rushbrooke who tapped forward an impressive shearling ewe, Tullymore Glenda, from J & J Maybin as champion Jacob, with a powerful shearling ram, Termeil Broxi, from David Poston in reserve. These two animals continued their winning streak at both the Ballymena and Lurgan shows in the following weeks under the watchful eye of Derek Brown and Pat Gogan respectively. At Armagh show Matthew Kehoe saw Tullymore Glenda retain the champion title and went on to place an elegant two year old ewe, Kingarrow Layla, from the Colhoun family in reserve. Saintfield show judged by Tom Green saw Tullymore Glenda take home the champion rosette for the Maybin family again. A very smart shearling ram, Hillhead Buster, bred by the Patterson family, took the reserve placing for the Colhoun family’s Kingarrow flock.
The Colhoun family’s shearling ram, male champion at the Northern Ireland National Show at Omagh
The Northern Ireland National held at Omagh was a brilliant gathering of pedigree animals with over a hundred entries from all over Northern Ireland. Jacob Sheep Society Field Officer, Scott Dalrymple, kindly travelled from Scotland to judge the show and awarded the female champion and overall champion Jacob to the Jamieson family’s homebred shearling ewe, Whitecleugh Bonnie. The reserve female and second reserve champion was the second-place shearling ewe, Tullymore Glenda, from J & J Maybin. Male champion and reserve champion Jacob was awarded to Hillhead Buster exhibited by the Colhoun family with the first-place ram lamb, an Eglish bred four horn animal from the Harkin family, taking reserve champion male.
Athlone show was the first outing for many breeders in the south of Ireland where Ady Hamilton tapped forward Matthew Kehoe’s Macamore shearling ewe as champion with the Gogan family’s powerful aged ewe in reserve. The following week at Gorey show judged by Joseph Hughes we saw the Macamore shearling retain the champion title with a smart Gorabeth ram lamb
in reserve. At the Southern Ireland National at Clonmel show we saw a great turnout of over 50 sheep for Paul Colhoun to judge. Female champion and overall champion Jacob was awarded to Macamore Black Beauty, an aged ewe from Matthew Kehoe. Reserve female and the reserve champion was a smart Ballygullen ewe lamb from Kerrie O’Sullivan. Male champion and 2nd reserve champion was a stylish Gorabeth ram lamb from the Fanning family. Reserve champion male was awarded to Harkness Charmander exhibited by Joseph Hughes.
Matthew Kehoe’s ewe was champion at Clonmel under judge, Paul Colhoun. The reserve was ewe lamb from Kerrie O’Sullivan
At the NSA Sheep NI event held in Dungiven we had a fantastic day on the new stand esigned and built by David Poston. Our thanks to Emma Poston for the fantastic flowers and to the Maybin family for sponsoring the bales, fake grass, banners and all the little essentials needed to furnish the stand. Sheep were provided by David Poston, Dabhan Harkin and the Patterson family. The competitions run on the day by the team manning the stand attracted a lot of interest from young and old sheep breeders alike. My thanks to everyone involved on the day and in the lead up to the event – you did a superb job and did our breed society justice. Well done all.
The Jacob Sheep Society stand at the Northern Ireland NSA event
I’ve heard nothing but good reports about the Maybin family’s open day held at the Tullymore flock near Ballymena. A brilliant spread of food, sheep and prizes left everyone in good spirits thanks to the generosity of the Maybin family. James and John raffled one of their homebred ewe lambs to cover their costs with the surplus being used to buy the region some much needed equipment and breed promotion material over the coming weeks. Huge congratulations to Isaac Cooke who won the much sought after ewe lamb which will make a good addition to his growing flock of pedigree Jacobs.
Writing from my desk here in the farm office I sit thinking of some of the fantastic stock that I’ve had the opportunity to view and handle over the last few weeks all over Ireland and the United Kingdom from the Royal Highland at Edinburgh, to the Northern Irish National at Omagh, the Southern Irish National at Clonmel and most recently my trip to the Great Yorkshire. I’ve had a fantastic few weeks meeting with friends, having a laugh and engaging in plenty of stock talk with breeders on both sides of the water. On all of my travels as either a spectator or as an exhibitor I’m greatly encouraged by two things that seem constant across the regions I’ve visited, the young people coming through that are breeding and showing Jacob sheep, helping at shows and volunteering at events as well as the brilliant camaraderie amongst Jacob sheep breeders that is second to none. I think our breed is in safe hands for many years to come if we continue to preserve these attributes at our core as a breed society – it’s certainly something that is in abundance in the Ireland region.
The Harkin family’s reserve male champion at Omagh, a four horned ram lamb