Largest alpaca show in country
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Paul and Claudia Kiernan from Mullingar having a look at some of the award winning alpaca at the show.Image 2 of 14
Teresa Booker enjoying the alpaca event on her birthday with Michael Ward.Image 3 of 14
Molly and Kevin Dunleavy at the Alpaca event.Image 4 of 14
Stephanie and Malachy Carty.Image 5 of 14
Lisa Reilly and Laura Boland from Mullingar.Image 6 of 14
Liz Brady from Castlepollard.Image 7 of 14
Jason, Anne-Marie, Amie, Robyn and Leigha Flanagan from Mullingar.Image 8 of 14
Claudia Kiernan with her paintings from Castlepollard chatting to Violetta and Dana.Image 9 of 14
Zoe and June Kirby watching Fionnula Hayden spinning.Image 10 of 14
Lucy Champ. Ellen Donlon, Lucy Hamilton and Caitlin Bastic from Moate Community School brought some Junk Kouture colour and glam to the alpaca event.Image 11 of 14
Eilish Campbell, Robert Byrne, Caroline Byrne and Florence Byrne from Mullingar.Image 12 of 14
Paul O’Brennan watching Dominic Greyson making baskets.Image 13 of 14
Anne, Sofia and Adriana Curran and Vania Guimaraes from Mullingar.Image 14 of 14
Clara Casey from Mullingar was a visitor to the national alpaca show at Mullingar Equestrian Centre.Breeders from all over the country travelled to Mullingar Equestrian Centre for the recent National Alpaca Show, which attracted more than 100 entries in the various classes.
The event is the largest alpaca show in the country and is organised by Paul O’Brennan of Andean Alpacas in Cullionbeg, Mullingar, and fellow alpaca farmer, Helen Eivers from Glenidan, Collinstown. They are members of the Irish Alpaca Association.
Paul’s entry into the alpaca farming industry was “a fluke”. In 2012 at Tullamore Show, he saw alpacas being judged and was immediately interested. He, with his son Stephen and daughter Aisling, now run one of the largest alpaca enterprises in the area. They have more than 100 animals and are hoping to expand that to 130. They specialise in dark coloured alpacas, mainly black.
The Mullingar event is the main alpaca show of the year. The animals are judged on their fleece, conformation, and structure. O’Brennan entries “won quite a bit” at this year’s show. “We had the champion and reserve champion black female winners and the reserve champion black male as well as the champion brown female and reserve champion brown male,” Paul reported.
He explained that alpacas are bred to sell and for their fleeces – which are more valuable than cashmere. However, as they are placid creatures, they have huge therapeutic uses for people with special needs. “We have people coming from various organisations regularly to spend time with them,” he said.