Breeding Program
Our Future Plan
Breeding Program
The breeding programme has been ongoing since 2020 when the first round of genetic testing took place . The goals set out to:
- Cladóiri will be assessed for type.
- Wool will also be graded and assessed.
- Purchase some more Cladóir like sheep this year and those that test positive will be added to the flock.
- The National Park will retain ownership for a few years until numbers of sheep showing appropriate type stabilize.
- In a few years time, the sheep will be sold to the participating farmers and the breeding up will continue.
In 2024, The Heritage Council awarded the Cladoir Sheep Preservation Committee funding to commission Sheep Ireland to do a DNA analysis of the Cladoir/Claddagh Sheep breed. The grant is also supporting the collecting of phenotype characteristics data, which will then be added to the flockbook. All of this information will better inform the public and flockowners regarding the conservation of the breed. It will also assist in re-establishing the Cladoir/Claddagh sheep as a key component in the landscape in Connemara.
The reports will shortly be available on the website!