Sheep Breeds Ireland

Suffolk Sheep Breed

The Suffolk is Ireland’s most common sheep breed. These sheep have black faces, black legs, and white bodies. Farmers favour them for their excellent mothering ability and good temperament. In Ireland, farmers typically breed ewes so that lambs are born from February through April, the main lambing season. At Caherconnell, we time lambing for late spring, between late April and early May. Farmers stock pastures with 3 to 6 ewes per acre, depending on the quality and fertility of the grassland.

Texel Sheep Breed

Farmers often cross Texel and Suffolk sheep to produce Suftex lambs, which combine the best traits of both breeds. Texel sheep are predominantly white and grow quickly, producing high-quality, lean meat that suits commercial farmers supplying the meat market.

As of June 2024, Ireland had about 5.18 million sheep (CSO).

Valais Sheep Breed

People often keep Valais sheep as pets because of their cute appearance. These sheep have fluffy white fleece and black markings on their faces, knees, and feet.

Farmers usually shear sheep between late April and early May. During shearing, they remove the lanolin — a waxy coating that acts as a waterproof barrier to keep sheep dry.

Ivan Scott from Donegal holds the current record for shearing a sheep in just 37.9 seconds, a feat he achieved in 2016.

In Ireland, farmers paint sheep mainly to identify them or to mark ewes that have been serviced by a ram for breeding.

Sheep Horns

The Jacob is a rare and striking breed of sheep, known for its black or grey face, spotted fleece, and multiple horns. Both ewes and rams can grow two or four horns — and occasionally even six — with rams’ horns sometimes reaching lengths of over 30 inches.