Traditional Sheep Farming and Sheepdog Training
The practice of grazing sheep on hillsides goes back generations, as does the farming practice of using dogs to herd and work with sheep.
| Location | Throughout Ireland |
|---|---|
| Categories | Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe |
| Keywords | Farming, animals, dogs, sheep |
| Contact organisation | Mr Donal ‘Donie’ Anderson |
Background information
The practice of grazing sheep on hillsides goes back generations, as does the farming practice of using dogs to herd and work with sheep.
Grazing sheep maintains the landscape in an environmentally sustainable manner, allowing appropriate management of the vegetation, so that the land can be utilised and inherited for the next generation, as we inherited it.
Border collies are an especially popular breed of sheepdog, who learn to work with the farmer and herd the sheep.
Practice and practitioners
Mr Donal Anderson is a notable practitioner of traditional sheep farming and working with sheepdogs.
He is involved in sheepdog events as both a judge and a competitor, and frequently gives demonstrations of these traditional skills to schools.
Development, transmission and safeguarding
Sheepdog demonstrations and trials occur frequently throughout the country at heritage events and festivals such as the National Ploughing Championships.
The skill of working with sheepdogs is traditionally passed on orally within farming families, as is the skill of training dogs to work as sheepdogs.
Video courtesy of South Dublin County Council