Sheep farming in Ireland is experiencing the same struggles as in England and (probably everywhere else sheep are raised for wool).  The wool market has dropped significantly due to the increase in synthetics used in clothing.  In Ireland, they are now using wool for insulation, but the market isn’t as big for that purpose.  Currently, wool is being looked at as a substitute for bubble wrap in packaging.

Still, sheep farmers are having a difficult time making a living, so they must diversify.  Tom has done so by bringing in tour groups for sheep herding demonstrations, featuring his dog, Rocket, who lives up to his name!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Tom also talked about life as a sheep farmer.  He has 1200 sheep.  Breeding season lasts for one month, and then the females are kept separate from the males.  He explained that family farms all around him are folding and there are now mostly super farms for food production.  He sells his lamb for meat and keeps his herd numbers at 1200.

Kylemore Abbey & Castle was our next destination for an afternoon visit.  The abbey, a Benedictine Monastery, was founded in 1920 on the grounds of the castle, which was built during the Great Famine, in 1867, by Mitchell Henry.  He employed 100 men and paid them three times what other jobs paid to do the construction that took four years to complete.  In 1893, electricity was added before other homes had it.  The 40,000 square foot castle has 33 bedrooms (but only 4 bathrooms) and was used in summer, for fishing, and at Christmas. Henry employed 200 people to maintain the estate, the walled garden, glass houses, and care for the animals he raised on the property. Ultimately, the castle and 1,000-acre estate was gifted to the monastery in 1920.

We toured the castle and gardens during what turned out to be a beautiful afternoon after a cloudy start:

To conclude our Kylemore Abbey visit, our guide, John, ducked into the gift shop to pick up some treats made by the Benedictine monks– chocolate and “Country Cream,” a cream-based liqueur. After our group enjoyed samples of both, Bruce and I were given the remaining couple of ounces to polish off.

Next up: IRISH ADVENTURE #15: GOING TO GALWAY