Ireland: Sheepdogs at Kells on The Ring of Kerry: We arrived at Caitlin's Pub in Kells after a very frustrating drive along The Ring of Kerry, one of the most scenic spots in Ireland.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

We arrived at Caitlin's Pub in Kells after a very frustrating drive along The Ring of Kerry, one of the most scenic spots in Ireland. Unfortunately the magnificent vistas along the coast was completely socked in with thick fog and steady rain. The sheepdog demonstration on the mountainside behind Caitlins however was most enjoyable.

Kells Sheep Centre is run by Sheepdog trainer Brendan Ferris and located in Kells on the Ring of Kerry Scenic Drive on the N70, halfway between Cahersiveen and Glenbeigh. If you ever wondered how sheepdogs were trained to round up sheep then a trip to Kells Sheep Centre is a must.
Brendan trains Border Collies in the art of sheep herding over 1.5 years and his amazing skills are on show here with his dogs responding to his every command. Brendan always has four dogs trained and two learning at all times. Visitors can watch demonstrations of sheep dogs rounding up sheep.
Ferris tells you all about the different type of sheep, which ones taste good, which ones have good wool and so on. And then he does a demonstration with his dogs of how they herd sheep. Each dog has a unique set of whistle commands telling them to go left, right, stop and something else (they each have 4 commands).

From "The Irish Times":

"Well, you could spend lots of money on an interpretative centre or, if you are a canny Kerry hill farmer, you could think up an innovative idea that is simple and real at a location where tourists pass. Here you create a beguilingly simple experience that feeds into our universal nostalgia for the ancient, unchanged practices that bring men and animals into perfect harmony.
Arriving at Kells Bay for the renowned sheepdog demonstrations, the location comes across initially as unpretentiously rural and raw, and clearly a place where the smart economy has yet to fetch up.
Then a Tom Selleck lookalike arrives to sprinkle stardust with words at will, a lilting Kerry accent, a shepherd’s crook and an irresistibly unaffected personality.
Soon Brendan Ferris has everybody eating out of his hands as he explains the harsh life of a Kerry hill farmer. Then a whistle sends two Border collies up the sheep-speckled mountainside.
Responding to Brendan’s unintelligible commands and whistles, the dogs guide the sheep downwards – expertly separating them when required – until all are resolutely penned.
The spectacle is watched by several coachloads of tourists each time – up to a couple of hundred at a go.
A question-and-answer session then follows where the dogs are the real stars. People want to find out more about them and inevitably somebody becomes besotted and asks if they’re for sale. The reply to this question is always unambiguous: no."

I hope you enjoy these images of these incredible animals at work.
Mark

Arriving at Caitlin's Pub and B&B- Gail Bought a Great Wool Jacket in the Gift Shop

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Brendan Ferris and The Herd
Brendan Ferris and The Herd...

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A Rare Four Horned Jacob Sheep

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Cheviot Sheep
Cheviot Sheep...

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? Corsican Ram
? Corsican Ram...

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Herding a Group of Connemarra Black Faced Sheep

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kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

That's one horny ram, Mark. Great set and narrative.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Some serious sheep, Mark! That is a very attractive jacket on Gail.

lxu532 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Terrific photos!

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

kpmac wrote:

That's one horny ram, Mark. Great set and narrative.

Thanks very much Ken

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

UTMike wrote:

Some serious sheep, Mark! That is a very attractive jacket on Gail.

Thanks very much Mike. She appreciates the compliment!

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

lxu532 wrote:

Terrific photos!

Thanks very much Ixu.

L-Fox

srfmhg wrote:

We arrived at Caitlin's Pub in Kells after a very frustrating drive along The Ring of Kerry, one of the most scenic spots in Ireland. Unfortunately the magnificent vistas along the coast was completely socked in with thick fog and steady rain. The sheepdog demonstration on the mountainside behind Caitlins however was most enjoyable.

Kells Sheep Centre is run by Sheepdog trainer Brendan Ferris and located in Kells on the Ring of Kerry Scenic Drive on the N70, halfway between Cahersiveen and Glenbeigh. If you ever wondered how sheepdogs were trained to round up sheep then a trip to Kells Sheep Centre is a must.
Brendan trains Border Collies in the art of sheep herding over 1.5 years and his amazing skills are on show here with his dogs responding to his every command. Brendan always has four dogs trained and two learning at all times. Visitors can watch demonstrations of sheep dogs rounding up sheep.
Ferris tells you all about the different type of sheep, which ones taste good, which ones have good wool and so on. And then he does a demonstration with his dogs of how they herd sheep. Each dog has a unique set of whistle commands telling them to go left, right, stop and something else (they each have 4 commands).

From "The Irish Times":

"Well, you could spend lots of money on an interpretative centre or, if you are a canny Kerry hill farmer, you could think up an innovative idea that is simple and real at a location where tourists pass. Here you create a beguilingly simple experience that feeds into our universal nostalgia for the ancient, unchanged practices that bring men and animals into perfect harmony.
Arriving at Kells Bay for the renowned sheepdog demonstrations, the location comes across initially as unpretentiously rural and raw, and clearly a place where the smart economy has yet to fetch up.
Then a Tom Selleck lookalike arrives to sprinkle stardust with words at will, a lilting Kerry accent, a shepherd’s crook and an irresistibly unaffected personality.
Soon Brendan Ferris has everybody eating out of his hands as he explains the harsh life of a Kerry hill farmer. Then a whistle sends two Border collies up the sheep-speckled mountainside.
Responding to Brendan’s unintelligible commands and whistles, the dogs guide the sheep downwards – expertly separating them when required – until all are resolutely penned.
The spectacle is watched by several coachloads of tourists each time – up to a couple of hundred at a go.
A question-and-answer session then follows where the dogs are the real stars. People want to find out more about them and inevitably somebody becomes besotted and asks if they’re for sale. The reply to this question is always unambiguous: no."

I hope you enjoy these images of these incredible animals at work.
Mark

We arrived at Caitlin's Pub in Kells after a very ... (show quote)

Ourspolair

That sheepdog seems to be having a lot of fun! They are amazing. Great captures and the usual excellent narrative. Please stay well and keep on sharing.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

srfmhg wrote:

We arrived at Caitlin's Pub in Kells after a very frustrating drive along The Ring of Kerry, one of the most scenic spots in Ireland. Unfortunately the magnificent vistas along the coast was completely socked in with thick fog and steady rain. The sheepdog demonstration on the mountainside behind Caitlins however was most enjoyable.

Kells Sheep Centre is run by Sheepdog trainer Brendan Ferris and located in Kells on the Ring of Kerry Scenic Drive on the N70, halfway between Cahersiveen and Glenbeigh. If you ever wondered how sheepdogs were trained to round up sheep then a trip to Kells Sheep Centre is a must.
Brendan trains Border Collies in the art of sheep herding over 1.5 years and his amazing skills are on show here with his dogs responding to his every command. Brendan always has four dogs trained and two learning at all times. Visitors can watch demonstrations of sheep dogs rounding up sheep.
Ferris tells you all about the different type of sheep, which ones taste good, which ones have good wool and so on. And then he does a demonstration with his dogs of how they herd sheep. Each dog has a unique set of whistle commands telling them to go left, right, stop and something else (they each have 4 commands).

From "The Irish Times":

"Well, you could spend lots of money on an interpretative centre or, if you are a canny Kerry hill farmer, you could think up an innovative idea that is simple and real at a location where tourists pass. Here you create a beguilingly simple experience that feeds into our universal nostalgia for the ancient, unchanged practices that bring men and animals into perfect harmony.
Arriving at Kells Bay for the renowned sheepdog demonstrations, the location comes across initially as unpretentiously rural and raw, and clearly a place where the smart economy has yet to fetch up.
Then a Tom Selleck lookalike arrives to sprinkle stardust with words at will, a lilting Kerry accent, a shepherd’s crook and an irresistibly unaffected personality.
Soon Brendan Ferris has everybody eating out of his hands as he explains the harsh life of a Kerry hill farmer. Then a whistle sends two Border collies up the sheep-speckled mountainside.
Responding to Brendan’s unintelligible commands and whistles, the dogs guide the sheep downwards – expertly separating them when required – until all are resolutely penned.
The spectacle is watched by several coachloads of tourists each time – up to a couple of hundred at a go.
A question-and-answer session then follows where the dogs are the real stars. People want to find out more about them and inevitably somebody becomes besotted and asks if they’re for sale. The reply to this question is always unambiguous: no."

I hope you enjoy these images of these incredible animals at work.
Mark

We arrived at Caitlin's Pub in Kells after a very ... (show quote)

Interesting set and narrative Mark. Too bad you missed the scenery, I guess you'll have to go back.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

l-fox wrote:

Thanks Loren.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

Ourspolair wrote:

That sheepdog seems to be having a lot of fun! They are amazing. Great captures and the usual excellent narrative. Please stay well and keep on sharing.

Thanks so much George. I always appreciate your most generous comments.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

DJphoto wrote:

Interesting set and narrative Mark. Too bad you missed the scenery, I guess you'll have to go back.

Thanks Dennis. Always looking for an excuse to go back. It cleared as we drove inland so I did get some good scenery images which are on deck.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

Excellent shots Mark. I have been to several Sheepdog trials over the years, and I'm always amazed at the Border Collie's endurance and intelligence. they were originally bred from a dog called 'Old Hemp' on the English Scottish border at Old Woodburn a village in Northumberland in the 1890's.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Very nice set Mark!