| Grainne and Sunny |
By Grainne Eustace, Hospitality Manager at Kippure Estate
As I grew up on a farm in the Wicklow Mountains I have been asked to tell you a little about the animals here on Kippure Estate and my own that I had living with me on my humble abode.
We have cheviot sheep here on the estate. They are an extremely hardy breed and have adjusted to the gorse and heather-clad slopes of the Wicklow mountains over the years.
The female sheep are called ewes. They are particularly good nurses and can have more than one lamb at a time. They have their lambs at spring time, and here on the estate we have a few cute lambs happily jumping around. This really is a sight to see! I could watch them all day.
If you intend to visit us at Kippure Estate don’t forget to bring your camera and take some pictures. Once the weather gets a bit warmer the sheep get shorn. This is where the farmer shears the sheep with a razor. The wool is called a fleece, and unlike us humans, they only get a hair cut once a year!
The farmer then sells the fleeces, which then is cleaned and bought by factories to be made into knitting wool and woollen fabrics.
I have a sheep of my own and her name is Sunny. She lost her mum when she was born, so I had to feed her with a baby bottle. She is now fully grown, just over a year old, and full of mischief. My flower garden has suffered greatly as she seems to like eating my plants when I am not watching. I also have chickens and I sometimes feel that Sunny thinks she is a chicken too as she grew up with them and has developed a liking for chicken feed. She even chases the dog around the garden and nibbles on my clothes on the washing line. Sunny has become part of the family and is quite a character!
| Sunny, Jess the dog, and the chickens… |