Passion and enthusiasm for alpacas evident at national show
Image 1 of 7
Paul O’Brennan from Mullingar with one of the many prizes he picked on the day and the winning alpaca.Image 2 of 7
Adam and Riannin Bouabbse with Millie, Mullingar.Image 3 of 7
Saoirse Cleary from Mullingar promoting her products and her business, Scribbled Sentiments.Image 4 of 7
Ella and Emily Green from Mullingar.Image 5 of 7
Ann and Sofia Curran from The Downs.Image 6 of 7
Michaela Hogg feeding alpaca at the show, which was at the equestrian centre in Mullingar.Image 7 of 7
Zoe Leavey from Multyfarnham at the alpaca show.Once a rarity in this country, alpacas are becoming quite a common sight, with the result that The Alpaca National Show, held on March 12 at Mullingar Equestrian Centre, attracted entries from all over the country.
“We had over 120 animals entered in the various classes, and there were about 23 breeders participating,” says Paul O’Brennan of Andean Alpacas in Cullionbeg, the largest alpaca farm in the area.
Paul and fellow alpaca farmer Helen Eivers from Glenidan, both members of the Irish Alpaca Association, organised the event, and Paul confessed that he was delighted that his herd picked up quite a number of rosettes, including champion black female.
There was a great air of passion and enthusiasm at the show, Paul reveals: “There is really massive interest in alpaca breeding at the moment, all over Europe in fact.
“A number of us were at the World Conference in Austria there a few weeks ago, and the next World Conference is in Germany in two years’ time, and they’re looking for us to host the World Conference in Ireland in 2027. And we expect we will if we get government support and department support,” he says.
If that project comes to fruition, it could bring several thousand people to this country; “So it would be a good shop window for Ireland in many ways,” says Paul.
Another development welcomed by breeders is the news that a woollen mill for alpaca wool is being established in Coleraine – a big plus for the sector.