A major shearing extravaganza, Shearfest 2025, will take place on the grounds of Mountbellew Co-Operative Livestock Mart on Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June.
The event, which was launched on Friday night in Mountbellew Co Galway, will host the 2025 European and Connacht Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Championships, attracting elite shearers from across Europe.
The event has been recently boosted by the recent announcement by Galway Rural Development of a €130,000 LEADER grant to Mountbellew Social Development Co-op Society. Galway Rural Development and LEADER are the main sponsors of the event, with numerous other sponsors also supporting the event in 2025.
Shearfest 2025 follows on from the successful Kepak All-Ireland and International Sheep Shearing Championships which was also held in the mart in 2024.
Michael Cunniffe, chair of the organising committee explains: “We were delighted with the success of last year’s competition and there was a lot of support locally and within the committee to build on the initiative. We had the shearing stage still set up and were toying with a few ideas before being delighted to secure the European Championships”.
Development test
There will be 13 competitions held across the two days along with a development test between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The pinnacle of the event will be the European Open final and European Plate final taking place on Sunday afternoon with in excess of 1,500 sheep being shorn in all competitions.
There is also a much wider programme of festivities outside of shearing.
Michael says “daytime attractions include trade stands, sheep breed displays, sheepdog training demonstrations, Irish Wool experience, fashion shows, cookery demonstrations and much more. The return of MartBeat, which is a three-day top class music festival running from Friday evening to Sunday night makes the event much more than shearing with top country music performers in attendance."
Over 13 shearing competitions will be held over the two-day event with wool handling competitions also taking place. \ David Ruffles
"We have a special early bird ticket costing €60 per adult available (see www.shearfest.ie) until 16 May that will gain access to all day and night-time attractions and a range of day / night-time ticket options from €20 to €40”.
The closing date for shearers and wool handlers to entry competitions is approaching fast on 17 May 2025.
Shearing starts at approximately 8am and finishes at 6pm with Connacht shearing finals and wool handling competitions taking place on Saturday along with novice, junior and intermediate heats / finals. Open and European competitions will be held on Sunday.
A major shearing extravaganza, Shearfest 2025, will take place on the grounds of Mountbellew Co-Operative Livestock Mart on Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June.
The event, which was launched on Friday night in Mountbellew Co Galway, will host the 2025 European and Connacht Sheep Shearing and Wool Handling Championships, attracting elite shearers from across Europe.
The event has been recently boosted by the recent announcement by Galway Rural Development of a €130,000 LEADER grant to Mountbellew Social Development Co-op Society. Galway Rural Development and LEADER are the main sponsors of the event, with numerous other sponsors also supporting the event in 2025.
Shearfest 2025 follows on from the successful Kepak All-Ireland and International Sheep Shearing Championships which was also held in the mart in 2024.
Michael Cunniffe, chair of the organising committee explains: “We were delighted with the success of last year’s competition and there was a lot of support locally and within the committee to build on the initiative. We had the shearing stage still set up and were toying with a few ideas before being delighted to secure the European Championships”.
Development test
There will be 13 competitions held across the two days along with a development test between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The pinnacle of the event will be the European Open final and European Plate final taking place on Sunday afternoon with in excess of 1,500 sheep being shorn in all competitions.
There is also a much wider programme of festivities outside of shearing.
Michael says “daytime attractions include trade stands, sheep breed displays, sheepdog training demonstrations, Irish Wool experience, fashion shows, cookery demonstrations and much more. The return of MartBeat, which is a three-day top class music festival running from Friday evening to Sunday night makes the event much more than shearing with top country music performers in attendance."
Over 13 shearing competitions will be held over the two-day event with wool handling competitions also taking place. \ David Ruffles
"We have a special early bird ticket costing €60 per adult available (see www.shearfest.ie) until 16 May that will gain access to all day and night-time attractions and a range of day / night-time ticket options from €20 to €40”.
The closing date for shearers and wool handlers to entry competitions is approaching fast on 17 May 2025.
Shearing starts at approximately 8am and finishes at 6pm with Connacht shearing finals and wool handling competitions taking place on Saturday along with novice, junior and intermediate heats / finals. Open and European competitions will be held on Sunday.
SHARING OPTIONS