Irish Farmers Stage Epic Resc-Ewe After Sheep Are Buried In Snow

Irish Farmers Stage Epic Resc-Ewe After Sheep Are Buried In Snow. A family of sheep farmers conducted a heroic rescue of their sheep herd after the animals became buried in deep snow in Ireland’s Galtee Mountains following freezing weather at the start of 2025. Ann Drake, the owner of Ballyhoura Farm Escape Accommodation in Co. Limerick and her brothers, Tom, John, and William were joined by their nephew, Billy Cunningham, and neighbours from the hill sheep farming community in the rescue. The family have been working tirelessly for days to free their sheep, ably assisted by their skilled sheepdogs Sue, Sally, Hemp, and Ted. The snow has reached unprecedented depths, completely obscuring gates and fences, forcing farmers to search for sheep by spotting heads emerging from the drifts. Once located, the sheep are dug and pulled out and brought down the mountain to waiting quad bikes, then transported home for care. They are treated for injuries, fed boiled nuts, and nursed back to health at the Drake family home, which has been turned into a makeshift animal hospital. Weather like this is unknown in the area since the 1960s and has resulted in calls for a humanitarian fund to support the hill sheep farming community, due to the impact of the snowstorm.