Quads on the treble for former shearing champion

A FORMER All-Ireland shearing champion had a surprise when he welcomed three quadruple sets of lambs on his farm within two weeks.

It’s the first time in 46 years that Jimmy Cully had quad lambs on his holding in Longwood, Co Meath.

The 69-year-old has also welcomed 24 sets of triplets in the last few months.

“I wasn’t too surprised when the first set came a few weeks ago as it’s common enough nowadays, and then the second set appeared,” said Jimmy, who won All-Ireland Sheep Shearing

Championship in 1976 and ’78.

“But I was taken aback on Wednesday when the third set came along. A chap up the road had a sheep that had six lambs years ago and I know another farmer whose ewe had five, but I haven’t heard of three sets of quads in such a short period.

“I hadn’t scanned the sheep this year so didn’t know what they were having, but thankfully when the triplets started appearing, I changed the feed to help the ewes thrive.

“I had a number in a few pens on Tuesday and the ewe was in the corner on her own so I had an idea she was getting ready to give birth and when I came into the shed the next morning, there were the four lambs standing around her, all identical to the mother.

“I haven’t had a set of quads on my farm since 1974 when my father and I bought 20 sheep in Maynooth.

“We had 42 lambs that year and this year, we have at least 200 so far.”

Jimmy, who has been sheep farming all his life, said the rain this year had made life particularly difficult.

“You have to keep them in all the time or you will lose a few and they like lying close to hedges so they could roll and drop into a drain and drown.”