Resources
Sheep Ireland
“Sheep Ireland” is the trading name of Sheep Database CLG and was formed in 2009 after a period of extensive consultation with the sheep industry. We were designated with the responsibility of increasing the rate of genetic gain in the Irish sheep sector by identifying and promoting the use of rams with more profitable and sustainable genetics. This is achieved by gathering performance data from the top rams in the country and accessing their strengths and weaknesses using a genetic evaluation which is updated weekly to include any new data. The results of these genetic evaluations are then displayed in sales catalogues and online in a simple one to five star rating system, allowing sheep farmers to make a more informed breeding decision when selecting their next stock ram.
Connemara National Park
Situated in the West of Ireland in County Galway, Connemara National Park covers some 2,000 hectares of scenic mountains, expanses of bogs, heaths, grasslands and woodlands. Some of the Park’s mountains, namely Benbaun, Bencullagh, Benbrack and Muckanaght, are part of the famous Twelve Bens or Beanna Beola range. Connemara National Park was established and opened to the public in 1980. Much of the present Park lands formed part of the Kylemore Abbey Estate and the Letterfrack Industrial School, the remainder having been owned by private individuals. The southern part of the Park was at one time owned by Richard (Humanity Dick) Martin who helped to form the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals during the early 19th century. The Park lands are now wholly owned by the State and managed solely for National Park purpose.
Irish Native Rare Breed Society
The Irish Native Rare Breed Society (INRBS) is a society dedicated to the promotion of indigenous breeds of domesticated livestock. The society aims to facilitate cooperation between individual breed societies and others who are interested in the breeds for their own sake and those who see a use for the breeds in farming and areas such as land management. The society was originally The Irish Rare Breeds Society (IRBS) and has been in existence since the 1990’s and following a reorganisation of its structures was renamed in 2019 and incorporated as a company limited by guarantee with representatives of each of the indigenous breed societies entitled to sit at board level.
Dooley Wool
Dooley Wool Ltd was formed in 2005 but we’ve been an ever present figure in the Irish Wool Industry for over nearly 60 years. From Ballyduff, Co. Tipperary in the heart Of Ireland, Seamus Dooley originally started to buy wool in 1955 while he was shearing sheep and farming . He set up depots throughout the country and built up strong relationships with the farmers . In 2005 Seamus formed Dooley Wool Ltd specialising in Wool Merchants and Wool Exporters along with his sons Kevin and Fergus. They have continued the family tradition of buying wool and hope to keep it going for the next generation.
Weatherbys Scientific
Weatherbys Scientific commenced parentage testing thoroughbred horses using blood typing technology in 1985, and established operations at a facility on the same site as the Irish Equine Centre in Johnstown, County Kildare, Ireland. In 2000, the technology for parentage verification changed to Microsatellite DNA markers. We started offering parentage testing services for other species – bovine, ovine, canine, companion and exotics. As the level of scientific expertise developed in the business, so too did the suite of DNA based services offered, and in 2010 the laboratory commenced genotyping cattle using SNP technology. The team quickly developed a reputation for service and versatility and genotyped cattle using the Illumina 7k low density SNP chip in 2012. Weatherbys Scientific’s reputation for service has been strengthening over time. Close relationships were established with the Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) in 2012 and 2013, and the Weatherbys Scientific team collaborated, through a research project, in the development of a customised SNP chip (IDB) for dairy and beef breeds, genotyping 25,000 cattle/week (the largest program of its type in the world). Weatherbys Scientific has achieved significant technical milestones – it is an institutional member of the scientific body of the International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) and it is also accredited by the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR). It is also approved with Propel certification by Illumina, and has been selected as an Illumina Beta testing laboratory for new technologies.
