Duration: 9 months

Placement Host: Oisin Murnion

Location: Kilkeel, County Down

Landholding: 500 ha

Main grazing: Hill, costal edges, heather moorland and dry heath.

 

Livestock: 230 cattle pure galloways and galloway x

 

The Project: Oisin Murnion is one of the major conservation graziers in Northern Ireland. Based at the foot of  the Mourne Mountains he shares commoners grazing rights to 4500ha of mountain and moorland. Under license he grazes 250ha of Defence estates coastal area at Ballykinler an important site for the Marsh Fritillary butterfly. He also grazes under license for the National Trust Pawle Island part of the Murlough national Nature Reserve.

 

The Work: The successful candidate will be involved in all aspects of general cattle care and livestock skills. There will be oppurtunity to learn skills such as stone dyking. Although Oisin does not own sheep experience in these skills will be gained else where. Habitat monitoring and surveillance skills will be gained through time spent with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Ulster Wildlife Trust during May, June and July. The trainees project will be based on Irish Moiled Cattle as conservation graziers.