Longford sheep shearing will leave 'ewe' completely amazed

There will be a great atmosphere and lots of ‘lightning fast’ sheep shearing skills on display in Lisryan this weekend when dozens of people will compete for top honours in aid of a very worthy cause.

Caillum Kelly is on the organising committee for the second annual speed shear competition in aid of The Gavin Glynn Foundation at The Crossroads Inn on Saturday, August 16.

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Caillum said there will be a host of entertainment with musical acts such as DJ Duggy B, Brian Reynolds, Eamon O’Neil, and 4 Degrees West set to perform and a barbeque and raffle for big prizes in the beer garden.

“It will be sort of a family day out and we will have a barbeque, live music, and then we’ll have a speech and the raffles.

“It’s the best atmosphere, the shearing will start at around 4pm and it’s a speed shear competition with roughly between 40 and 50 competing.”

Caillum is busy at this time of the year as a sheep shearer, switching over to his main job as a fencing contractor when the season ends.

“We had close to 400 people last year and we’d be expecting a bit more this year.

“They have put on extensions in the pub and made it bigger in the beer garden area,” he added.

The speed shearing of sheep is a particularly demanding skill that requires physical endurance, and intense training.

Shearers must have the strength and stamina to maintain a working rhythm over long hours.

Caillum has been tasked with getting the message out about the event and he said there is excitement ahead of the event.

“People are looking forward to it and we have good prize money and stuff as well for the competition.

“We pick a charity every year and we try to raise a bit of money for them and this time it’s The Gavin Glynn Foundation.”

Caillum said the Wicklow-based organisation does fantastic work and they are a worthy beneficiary of funding.

The Gavin Glynn Foundation helps families of children with cancer in Ireland travel overseas for treatment when it’s not available at home.

Gavin was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as Rhabdomyosarcoma in October 2011 at the age of 18 months old.

The young boy, from Greystones, county Wicklow, received prominence nationally when a fundraising campaign for specialist treatment in the US raised €350,000 in a single week.

However, after a brave battle the much-loved young boy passed away on October 21, 2014, surrounded by his family.

The Gavin Glynn Foundation covers flights, accommodation, and support — so families can focus on what matters most: their child’s health and hope.

There is a prize fund of €2,000 with the entry fee for the ‘Open’ category €30 with a first prize of €800, a prize of €300 for the runner-up and €100 for third place.

The entry fee for the ‘Senior’ section is €20 with a top prize of €300 with additional smaller prizes and the entry fee for the ‘Junior’ category is also €20 with a first prize on offer of €150 and further lower prizes.

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The speed shear competition in The Crossroads Inn, Lisryan (Eircode N39 R1X8) in aid of The Gavin Glynn Foundation takes place this Saturday starting at 4pm.

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