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Galway Sheep grazing at the Dalton Farm, Coolroe, Graignamanagh, with Brandon Hill in the background Many years have passed since sheep going to the market or to shearing has been a common sight in Graignamanagh, but earlier this summer an event at Cushendale Woolen Mill revived that tradition.It’s a business and tradition that the Cushen family are rightly proud of, reviving age-old customs and creating a modern product that will last for years. Many of the children who went along to this year’s shearing, and even many of the grown ups, had never witnessed the shearing process, or even been up close to a sheep. Some of the older attendees did remember sheep being brought to take a dip in the River Barrow before heading to the market. For Philip Cushen it was a special day as he recalled shearing days with his own father in the past, and now took part with his own daughter Miriam and grandson Edward.
2.
John Morgan (Dalton Farm sheep farmer), Luke Barrett (shearer), Richard Doyle (shearer), Philip Cushen, Edward Ging, Miriam Cushen (Cushendale Woollen Mills), Paddy Morgan (Dalton Farm sheep farmer) Philip and Miriam were kept busy on the day as they hand inspected the new fleeces, choosing the whitest for making white yarn and assigning any that was darker or discoloured and marked to dying into vibrant colours. All of which will be done in Graignamanagh over the winter months as the wool is spun, dyed and transformed into beautiful textiles. It was an exciting day not only for the humans, but must have been a relief for the sheep whose coats were up to six inches thick - and the fleeces per sheep weighed, on average, 4.5kg! Cushendale Woolen Mills has been a Cushen family business for six generations and is the only mill in Ireland working with exclusively Irish wool and overseeing the whole process ‘from fleece to fabric’. A recent Cushendale customer, visiting Ireland from the United States, was delighted to learn they could visit the sheep - and you can too. They’re located on the Thomastown Road from Graignamanagh. Directions are on the A recent Cushendale customer, visiting Ireland from the United States, was delighted to learn they could visit the sheep - and you can too. They’re located on the Thomastown Road from Graignamanagh. Directions are on the Cushendale Woolen Mills website. . “In a world that is getting more fast paced, an event like this is important to make people pause and reflect, and it’s important to support and celebrate our traditions,” said Miriam. The shearing marks the start of the ‘season’ for Cushendale, as they hire a van and travel around the country to collect wool from farms as they shear their sheep. With the success of this year’s in-house shearing event, and Paddy’s plans to grow his herd, Cushendale hope to make it an annual day out in Graignamanagh.
3.
Luke Barrett shearing a Galway Sheep
