Lambay Island is seeking a shepherd for its 300-ewe Lleyn flock.
Lambay is a 650-acre off-grid private island 3 miles off the coast of County Dublin, Ireland.
It is the largest island off Ireland’s east coast and the largest privately owned island in North-West Europe.
On its website, it is described as a “paradise of fine architecture”, birds, flowers, cattle, seals, fallow deer and even a mob of wallabies!
According to its website, Lambay is host to a “wide” variety of wildlife, including fallow deer, wallabies, rabbits, and notably, a large breeding colony of North Atlantic Grey (and Harbour) seals.
Lambay Island shepherd
The island wishes to recruit an experienced, full-time residential shepherd to run and expand its flock.
According to the job listing, responsibilities include general estate duties such as fencing, logistics, pest control and wallaby wrangling.
It reads: “Applicants must be fit, exceptionally reliable and trustworthy.”
“You will need to embrace island living: groceries arrive once a week by boat; tide and weather have a vote.”
“You will work alongside a small grounds/tourism team of 4-5. €25K p.a. with free accommodation, fuel & wi-fi. Immediate start (or no later than March 1st, 2022).”
Interested parties can email their CVs and references to: [email protected]
Find out what life is like on Lambay Island by watching this video from Caroline Keane.
Inishturk
In another instalment of the Island Farming Adventure series, Caroline Keane headed to beautiful Mayo island of Inishturk, 14.5 kms off the Atlantic coast.
She caught up with Eamon Heanue, who has been farming on the island for over 25 years.
Eamon’s history of farming sheep on the island stretches back a number of decades, as he explained: “I suppose I am probably 25/30 years farming sheep on the island. I started off with my uncle following him around when I was a child.”
Currently, sheep are the only farmed animal on the island, with the Mayo Connemara Blackface ewe being the most dominant breed.
