The 2026 Teagasc National Hill Sheep Conference will take place on Wednesday 18th February at the Westport Woods Hotel in Westport, County Mayo.
This year’s conference will feature a mix of conference papers and a panel discussion. First up will be a paper from Dr. Frank Campion, Teagasc Sheep researcher, who will present the latest findings from the Teagasc Hill Sheep Research Programme, including the results of the trials of finishing both organic and conventional hill lambs. These studies will highlight the challenges and opportunities that are available to hill farmers to best market their lambs.
The water quality of the rivers and streams in the Irish Uplands has always been important, especially from an environmental sustainability point of view. Dr. Shaun Roarty, Teagasc ASSAP Advisor will present a paper outlining the work that Teagasc ASSAP is doing on maintaining and improving the quality of water in upland areas. Shaun will point out important steps that farmers can take to ensure that the quality of watercourses remain high.
Commenting on this year’s conference, Dr. Shaun Roarty said: “Upland farmers can play a critical role in the reinstatement and management of good and high-status upland waterbodies, which provide essential ecosystem services such as high-quality water supply, carbon sequestration, flood attenuation, and biodiversity support. While reaffirming the value of these resources, our upland waterbodies face unique and complex challenges, particularly in relation to hydromorphology and pesticide occurrences.”
The last session at this year’s hill sheep conference will be a panel discussion chaired by Darren Carty of the Irish Farmers Journal. On the panel Darren will be joined by key industry representatives who will discuss the opportunities that lie ahead for marketing hill lamb. This will be an interactive discussion where members of the audience will be able to ask questions and discuss strategies for marketing hill lambs with the ultimate aim of improving margins. The members of the panel discussion are:
- Seamus McMenamin, Sector Manager for Sheep Meat and Livestock at Bord Bia
- James Smyth, General Manager, Irish Country Meats
- Brendan Joyce, Hill Sheep Farmer, Galway
- Teresa Gibsey, Ballinrobe Mart Manager
Speaking about this year’s Teagasc Hill Sheep Conference, Michael Gottstein, Head of Sheep Knowledge Transfer Programme with Teagasc said: “this year’s conference provides an exciting opportunity for farmers and industry stakeholders to hear about the latest research and marketing opportunities and challenges facing the hill sheep sector.”
The conference starts at 7pm next Wednesday, 18 February. No prior booking is required and there is no charge to attend this event.