A project to revive the Cladóir/Claddagh sheep breed is now in its third year and is still in the discovery phase, according to Sean Cadden, president of the preservation committee and a retired agricultural advisor.
“We recently found the breed was known by two names in different parts of Connemara. Two other flocks have been discovered this year. These are presently being DNA tested but they have the fine wool of the Cladóir/Claddagh,” Sean said.
This year approximately 60 lambs will be weaned he said, which is about one per ewe.
“It is unlikely they were a prolific breed,” Cadden said.
“They were kept on poor ground and they did well to rear one lamb. They were shore-dwelling sheep and were accustomed to eating seaweed but most sheep will eat seaweed if they are confined to the seashore.
“The sheep at the display of how native wool was once used in Connemara, held in Carna on August 9, were in an area with abundant seaweed where they survived until the 1950s. They were what was called in Connemara a ‘bradach’ or thieving sheep,” Sean said.
“Some old photos show Cladóir-like sheep with tyings on their legs to prevent them from climbing fences and trespassing on the neighbours.
“Some old people remember the Cladóir/Claddagh sheep scraping the soil off potato pits to get at the potatoes inside.
“We have over 25 hoggets to join the breeding flock this year. Probably five ewes will have to be culled but with two new flocks in the Connemara area, we hope to have 100 breeding ewes this autumn. These will be divided into 10 to 12 breeding groups by Thierry Pabiou of Sheep Ireland,” he added.
“A simple assessment of appearance will be made this autumn. Those with a strong appearance to other breeds will be given a low score,” he said.
“The original sheep were crossed with Scotch Blackface, Cheviot and Galway, and some bear resemblance to those breeds. Some have strong horns from the Blackface, others have the short thick faces of the Cheviot. All have better conformation than is found on primitive sheep,” Sean contended.
Cladóir/Claddagh wool
The Cladóir/Claddagh genes for wool are dominant because nearly all have fine wool different from the other local breeds, Sean said.
“The wool has crimp which is a waviness and a sign that it is fine. There are occasional fleeces with Blackface-type wool. Some have black fibres and kemp that are coarse fibres which are not true wool and do not take dye mainly found in Scotch Blackface-type fleeces,” he said.
“The Cladóir/Claddagh wool may be the finest wool of any Irish sheep breed.
“Woollen clothes like Aran sweaters are prickly if worn next to the skin. The congested districts baseline report for the Carna area of Connemara said all clothes worn by the people were of home manufacture.
“They must have had sheep with very fine wool which could be used to make underclothes. The report said a family of six people needed three stones of wool per year which in today’s measure is 19kg,” Sean contended.
“The woman of the house must have been engaged full-time, carding, spinning, and knitting for the family. Of course some of the wool would also have been sent to the weaver,” he added.
“We expect to have about 60 ‘good’ fleeces this year. The quality and quantity of wool will improve as the breed is revived,” he said.