Anetera Bryant is a rising junior from Miami, Florida, attending Howard University’s School of Business as a Marketing Major. She worked with CIE Tours for the summer of 2024 as a Marketing Intern and as part of her internship had the opportunity to visit Ireland on the Taste of Ireland tour. Here she shares some of her experiences...


Baa, baa, black sheep, 
Have you any wool? 
Yes sir, yes sir, 
Three bags full. 
One for the master, 
One for the dame, 
One for the little boy 
Who lives down the lane. 

In Ireland, wool is plentiful, but it isn’t used in the way you might expect. The Sheepdog Demonstration is one of the most exciting attractions in Scotland or Ireland with CIE Tours. It was definitely one of my favorite activities during the Taste of Ireland tour I was recently on. This particular sheepdog experience happened in Ireland's Ring of Kerry, which is a 111-mile circular route in County Kerry, known for its spectacular mountain views and biting coastal waters.  

The sheepdogs here are a specialized breed that are specifically trained to herd sheep.  These dogs usually train for a couple of years with one specific farmer and during training are taught different calls by mouth or by whistle.  I was surprised that the herding of the sheep was a prey-versus-predator dynamic, with sheep fearing the dog as if it might harm or eat them. I couldn’t help but wonder how the domestication of dogs might influence local wildlife. If sheep are afraid of domesticated trained dogs do all animals still view dogs as ravenous wolves? Would a moose yield to a tiny Shih Tzu, thinking it’s a menacing wolf? For the Shih’s Tzu sake let’s hope so!  However, for the sake of the sheep, it might be best for them to maintain a healthy fear of dogs. 

A single farmer may have hundreds of sheep, so they live on their own and fend for themselves on the farmland. Sheep are one of the few animals that could survive on such high altitudes in the mountains, making them resilient in Ireland’s moody climate. They’re able to withstand such temperatures because sheep produce a waxy substance called lanolin on their skin and wool coats. This helps them remain waterproof and regulate their internal temperatures. Without lanolin, sheep would be at risk of hypothermia, regardless of their wool coat.   

However, in the spring and summer the weight and heat of their wool coats can cause them to develop health concerns, like heat stress and parasitic infections. Therefore, farmers must call them twice a year for a shear and the delivery of mandatory vaccines.  

We had the opportunity to the watch shearing process after the herding demonstration.  It was quick and painless process with the sheep in a daze. Probably because the handler was moving him around with no preservation. Once he was in a compromising position, it was lights off upstairs. After he was shorn and positioned upright, it was like nothing happened, and he was off frolicking with the other sheep. 

Surprisingly the wool that is shorn from most sheep in Ireland aren’t used for clothing production. Australia leads as the highest global raw producer of wool with New Zealand leading close behind. This is because the sheep’s wool in Ireland are coarser and used for rugs and Aran knitwear, while Australian merino sheep are breed specifically for optimizing wool production. Sheep native to Ireland, like Suffolk, Texel and Cheviot are primarily raised for meat, allowing wool production to be a secondary product.   

Before coming to Ireland, I thought it would be a hot spot for wool product and yarn, because I’m a knitter.  However, after learning that most of wool produced in Ireland doesn’t mainly go to clothing production, I contemplated if I should bring a rug back home, just for the heck of it. Though we didn’t stop by any rug shops during our tour, we did stop at Moriarty’s an Irish Aran Knitwear stop that had beautifully handcrafted pieces and skeins of 100% wool yarn. Though wool production may no longer be a specialty in Ireland the wool scarf that I made, is still incredibly soft and has kept me exceptionally warm.  

Quick Fact: Because farmers have hundreds of sheep, they differentiate their sheep with different colors on their fur. This allows the sheep are allowed to freely roam. The colors are to differentiate groups of sheep from a neighboring farmer. 

If you love sheep as much as I do check out CIE Tours' Scotland and Ireland tours, like the Taste of Ireland, Taste of Scotland and the Irish Supreme, which all have sheepdog demonstrations. And remember it's your journey, so let us be your guide.   

 
See Anetera's article "Tips and Tricks for the Taste of Ireland"