Farm Smart: The Sheep Shepherd who Left OZ for the Hills of Kerry..

Glyn Egan is an 8th-generation sheep farmer from the border of Cork and Kerry. Before returning to the land, he spent five years as a carpenter in Cork City. After that, his travels took him further afield — first to New Zealand, then to Sydney, where he met his wife Grace, a West Cork native.

The couple spent five years in Sydney. In the end, however, it was the family farm that brought Glyn home. His father was beginning to slow down and needed support.

From carpenter to sheep farmer — a deliberate choice

After returning home, Glyn pursued his Green Certificate at Clonakilty Agricultural College. His father had previously achieved 2nd place in the Suckler Farmer of the Year competition. Despite that success, Glyn made a clear decision early on.

As a result, all cattle on the farm were sold. The focus shifted entirely to sheep. That decision gave rise to his social media persona, The Sheep Shepherd — now followed by nearly 40,000 people on Instagram. Through his channels, Glyn showcases the rhythms of Irish farming life with honesty and humour.

The financial reality of sheep farming in Ireland

Glyn is candid about the financial pressures that come with sheep farming. Income is seasonal, and careful planning is essential throughout the year.

His lambs are destined for Irish Country Meats in County Wexford. This year, reaching target weights has been more challenging than usual. Unfavourable weather and poor grass quality have forced him to introduce concentrates earlier than normal. His target is around the 48kg mark.

Investing in genetics and the Sheep Improvement Scheme

Glyn recently travelled to Ballinrobe in County Mayo to source replacement ewe lambs and rams. He returned with a new genotyped ram and 40 replacement mule ewe lambs. The purchase was part of his participation in the Sheep Improvement Scheme.

The scheme requires farmers to carry out the Genotyped Ram action at least once within the first three years. However, Glyn has concerns about the level of support on offer.

In terms of replacements, Glyn takes a selective approach. He marks the finest ewe lambs from birth, based on lineage and whether they were born as singles or twins. The lighter ones are sold to a regular customer in County Galway, while the best are retained for the flock.

Day-to-day life on a 120-acre mountain farm

This week on farm, Glyn is focused on worming and dagging sheep and lambs. The current weather conditions are, in his words, “ideal for maggots.” Every sheep — except those heading to the factory shortly — will be dipped to prevent flystrike.

Meanwhile, ewes have been moved to better pastures in preparation for the breeding season. Glyn plans to release the rams on 20th October.

A family farm, built for the future

Glyn works alongside his father John on the farm. John is an accomplished runner for Ireland. He briefly left but returned quickly to protect the family farm — and has done so for the last 60 years. When asked about retirement, his answer is characteristically straightforward.

John has become a beloved figure among viewers on Glyn’s Instagram and YouTube channels, where he features daily. To manage increased stock numbers, Glyn also brought in extra help during lambing season two years ago — someone to cover nights and a student to assist during the day.

Looking ahead, Glyn hopes to involve his children, Darragh (3) and Clara (9 months), in farm duties during the busy lambing season. This family-run farm has a bright future — firmly rooted in tradition and commitment.

How Herdwatch helps Glyn stay on top of the Sheep Improvement Scheme

The Sheep Improvement Scheme offers €12 per breeding ewe to farmers who implement comprehensive flock welfare measures. In addition, participants must maintain meticulous records and use approved laboratories for parasite control sampling.

The Herdwatch App makes that process straightforward. Farmers can generate reports on treatments administered and flock numbers throughout the year. They can also log tasks such as lameness control, parasite control, and flystrike control — all of which are essential compliance measures within the scheme.

Furthermore, the app allows farmers to create multiple groups and attach treatments to each group — removing the need for repetitive data entry. By inputting mating information during the breeding season, Herdwatch calculates due dates for ewes and displays them on a “Due to Lamb” list. Farmers can also create lambing records for each ewe, which can then inform culling and replacement decisions down the line.

You can read more real farmer stories on our farm case studies page.