The 2025 European and Connacht Sheep Shearing Finals will be held at the Mountbellew Co-Op grounds over the June Bank Holiday Weekend, and the event was launched on Friday night last at an enjoyable gathering in the Malthouse, Mountbellew.
Parish Priest Fr. Karl Burns spoke of the importance of the event for all the community and wished the committee and its many voluntary workers every success.
National Chairman of the Sheep Shearing Association Tom Dunne recalled the All-Ireland finals held in Mountbellew in 2024 as one of the most successful ever held and said he had every confidence that this year’s European Finals would surpass that.
Chairman Michael Cunniffe spoke of the economic value of such an event to the region and thanked the community for their support.
He reported that many preparations had been made, but much work still had to be done, and he called for offers of support from voluntary people in the community to make the task easier for all concerned.
Mr Cunniffe spoke of the Sheepfest being a major tourism and family event and that already many side events in music and song, children’s events and activities, Tug-of-War, trade stands and many more events were now at the advanced planning stage.
He said the Town of Mountbellew would welcome Sheep Shearers from all over Europe to the prestigious event.
Representing the I.F.A., Teresa Roche said that the Committee had the full support of the organisation and called on farmers of the county and beyond to support the committee on their efforts to show the skills of Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling to the members of the wider community.
MC for the night Paul Connaughton called on many other speakers including local County Councillors Alan Harney, Michael Connolly and Declan Geraghty to address the capacity attendance while others to speak included: Bernadette Diskin (Credit Union), Nicola Fetherston (AIB), Steve Dolan (CEO of GRD) Hazel Crowe (Sheep Shearing Association) and Aine Gordon who thanked all for their attendance and outlined the many sponsors who had given their support and appealed for others who wished to support the fabulous festival for all the family to come forward in the coming days.
The very successful launch night concluded with music and song by local musicians and the serving of refreshments to all present.
