Memories from the Mourne Mountains
17th October 2014
NSA extends its thanks to Ian Sherry of Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, who sent us these wonderful line drawings of Mourne-bred Blackface sheep drawn by his son David Sherry. Ian sent the images with the memories that spring to his mind when he thinks of the sheep that inspired his son's work.
“My image is of a small flock gathered at Joe’s Loanin on Loughin More. The men are in dungarees, their sleeves rolled up. There’s clicking of hand shears and barking of bogs. Experienced eyes overlook the flock, as steady hands reach for and turn up ewes ready to clip. The wool is up on them, a gap between the raised fleece and the new growth.
"In a week or so these men will carry a wooden dip tub and drainer to The Buch, a stone circle on Loughin’s side. There they’ll fill the bath with water, add a measure of dip and, with no thought for health and safety, plunge each sheep and, on the draining board, squeeze them dry. Sheep were small and hardy with a tuft of light grey wool on their forehead. They had one lamb, seldom two, and thrived without supplement between mountain and fields. In a snowfall, shepherds would hunt their sheep through whins, the activity shaking the snow from the top of the gorse, exposing fresh shoots; forage to sustain their flock for a time.
"I just about remember the early 50s movement to improve the breed. The criterion – a ewe should be tall with clean black legs, a ‘sprinkle’ face, a long snout to eat between the rocks, and a white fleece (no black wool). For a tup lamb, a grown man’s hand should fit between the horns on the top of his head. It goes without saying all sheep must be of sound conformation with a good mouth for their age, and pleasingly curved horns. With the new era, the seasonal pattern was – lams weaned and sold in the Warrenpoint Fair (a gathering of South Down sheep-men in Duke Street on the last Friday in July) then the ewes were put to the mountain until tupping in November, returned again in late December and brought down pre-lambing about St Patrick’s Day.
“My Mourne ewe are now much bigger and broader. They are more blackface than ‘sprinkle’ face and keep their teeth. In Mourne speak: “Good tight sheep that carry their mouth.” This year I was particularly pleased they carried their fleece. With wool £1.05/kg it worked out at the best part of £6/sheep.
“I’ve heard the Scottish proverb ‘give your enemy a pet lamb’ and it strikes me as true. It will fully occupy them, try their patience, frustrate their endeavour and finally break their heart when, despite their best efforts, there’s a good chance it won’t survive. I’m told there’s a renewed interest in the Mourne ewe; a renaissance with knowledgeable people who have a clear vision for the breed. I wish them well.”
