Three times Sheep Dog World Champion, James McGee, will be joined by two Donegal men at the International Sheepdog Trials in Roscommon in September after qualifying at the Irish National Trials held at An Grianán Estate, Burt, last week.
The Irish Team will be captained by John Maginn from Newry, Co. Down, who won the event with his dog Mozz after a great run on Saturday afternoon. Maginn won the singles event, while Enniscorthy man Frank Cashen, competing with dogs Jip and Alex, won the brace class.
Huge crowds attended over the three days as 150 of the top sheepdog and handlers from all over Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man competed for the 15 spots on the Irish team.
Spectators and competitors alike attending Saturday's closing competition also had the opportunity to welcome a brace of silverware to An Grianán as both the Anglo-Celt and Fr Murray Cups, the Ulster senior and minor Championship Cups won by the Donegal senior and minor football teams the previous weekend, were paraded through the event site and proving a big hit with spectators.
The highly successful event was organised by a local committee headed by Chairman James McGee and SSE Airtricity’s Seamus Herron, who was on hand to present the prizes. Seamus commented: “We’re delighted to have been involved in this event, as the Sheepdog Trials has certainly been one of the highlights of the summer in the North West.
“The Trials were launched at our Meentycat Wind Farm which is nearby to the event site. It was yet another real demonstration of how wind energy and rural activities go so well together."