We are looking forward to the NSA Sheep Show on Tuesday the 4th July 2023, 9am-5pm. The event will take place at Tynan Estate, Co Armagh by kind permission of host Kate Kingan and her partner James.

Visitors had the opportunity to see and compare a wide range of sheep breeds, suitable for both hill and lowland production, while an excellent entry of trade stands brought together examples of just about everything the sheep farmer could need.

This biennial event provides a platform for industry representatives, breed societies, breeders and companies to assemble and display their products at a single devoted venue.

Farm Facts

Part of the Tynan Abbey Estate, Co Armagh.
550 acres (222ha) of grassland plus woodland.
Up to 120 acres (48ha) of the farm to be flooded for much of the winter.
570 ewes and 100 ewe lamb replacements, mainly
Suffolk cross and Romney.
25 continental cross suckler cows and 50 Dexter cows.
Breeding, genetics and health planning have helped improve stock quality.
Moving towards a closed flock to improve flock health.
Focus on soil health and grassland management has reduced reliance on inputs.

Tynan Abbey Farm has experienced a significant transformation over the past 10 years with soil fertility, grassland management and farm infrastructure all changing drastically.

The 850 acre estate farm has been run by Kate Kingan and Peter Mant Tynan since 2014. While the farm has been in Kate’s family for centuries, it was rented out for decades prior to her return to the farm and in the latter years fell into poor shape.

In recent years the farm participated in the Northern Ireland Sheep Programme and, as part of this, developed a three and five-year farm plan, reviewing the farm’s objectives and setting key performance targets to identify areas for change. This included soil fertility, grassland management, breeding and genetics, health planning and performance recording, all of which will be discussed at NSA Sheep Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Sheep Programme:

The Northern Ireland Sheep Programme was launched in May 2019 at Balmoral Show. The programme is a joint collaboration between CAFRE, Dunbia and the Irish Farmers Journal. The aim of the three-ear programme is to increase the profitability of participating farmers through technological transfer and the adoption of the latest research advancements and management practices.

There are 9 participating farmers and the farms deliver a good geographical spread in sheep strongholds.

The farms also reflect the diverse nature of the sheep sector, with significant variation in flock size, systems operated, land type and breed profile.