It was founded by a group of dedicated men in 1953 and, since then, the organisation has done trojan work to improve the lot of the mountain sheep farmer.

Those fine Kerry Scotch Blackface sheep that you came across so regularly today all spring from the improvement brought about by this pioneering association which put the breed on the map.

The main work done by the Kerry Blackface Sheep Breeders Association was to have a show and sale annually.

At the show there were prizes given for the best rams on view and having the champion ram was highly sought after by breeders from Kerry, Cork and Waterford.

It was the All-Ireland for the mountain sheep farmer at the end of the day.

The Curramore Estate in Waterford nabbed quite a few of the early prizes but the Kerry and Cork sheep men were not standing idly by.

They were buying the best rams to improve their breed and made headway in double quick time.

Denis Kelliher, a likeable Corkman, was one of those early pioneers. He was Superintendent at Muckross Estate which carried a lot of mountain sheep and Kerry cattle at that time.

Denis has had his heart set on providing the champion ram and the celebrations went on long into the night when he landed the prize in the late fifties or early sixties. That was a great breakthrough at the time.

The Department of Agriculture awarded premiums at the show annually and the sheep that were awarded premiums had to be top class to make good prices at the sale.

It took place originally in the Fair Field, Killarney on the afternoon after the morning show where the winners were selected and premiums awarded.

The first auctioneer of the Kerry Blackface Sheep Breeders Association was Michael O Leary of the Flesk Bar in Killarney.

There was a makeshift ring made in the Fair Field and Michael did his selling from his roster there.

Taking on the Waterford sheep early on were breeders from Dingle, Killarney and Ballyvourney country.

The experts could see the breed improving annually with the top sheep brought in by the breeders. Foremost amongst those was Michael Fleming of Grenagh, Killarney. He was one of the dedicated men who helped launch the association along with Tim Scarteen O Connor, Denis Kelliher and Kerry CAO Gerry Moyles.

Jimmy Regan, Agricultural Adviser in Killarney at the time, was the first secretary. He was succeeded by Jim Adams who held the position for many years.

Others to hold the post were John Burke, Charlie Riordan, Michael Crean, Ted Horan and the present secretary, Michael Dennehy.

Michael Flmeing was the man who really elevated the association to stardom. He attended a sheep sale in Cahir in 1952 when the seed was sown to have a similar operation in Kerry.

The first meeting took place at the Flesk Bar in Killarney with the pioneers mentioned earlier in attendance.

Michael Fleming was chairman for over three decades. He was succeeded by Tom Crean, Denis Horan, Pat Twomey and the present chairman Dan Dennehy.

Outside judges from Scotland and Northern Ireland were brought in annually to do the judging which was a good move of course as he knew none of the breeders.

I always remember one bull show and sale I attended in Dublin. An Argentinean arrived by plane that morning and picked out the winners from 200 to 300 Herefords which, to the ordinary man on the street, all looked the same.

After doing his job he was on the plane again to Paris to repeat the performance there could be no comeback.

As well as the annual show and sale of mountain sheep, the Kerry Blackface Sheep Breeders Association held a social function annually in the GlenEagle Hotel in Killarney.

At one stage this was the biggest social function of the year held in Kerry, commanding an attendance of over 600 sheep men and their wives or girlfriends.

It was one of those great occasions in town, highlighted by selecting the belle of the ball at the dance that night.

Some lovely lassie was crowned Maid of the Mountain which was a much coveted title. Sadly, the great occasion was allowed to lapse as it was a great night out for sheepfarmers living in the highways and byways of Cork and Kerry. What a shame.

The then Bishop of Kerry, Bishop Kevin McNamara, later to become Archbishop of Dublin, made his first public appearance as Bishop of Kerry at the Sheep Breeders Ball where he addressed his flock for the first time.

I had the privilege of sitting beside him that night as I was keeping a seat warm for Jim Norton, another great sheep-man and editor of the Farming Independent but he never arrived.

Another visitor to the Sheep Breeders Ball was Benjy of The Riordans. I picked him up on arrival on the 9.30pm train and he got a great reception when he came into the function which was in full swing.

Also there was a photograph taken of the organising group at the ball it would be nice to see a few of those now to bring back memories.

With the powers that be in Killarney lacking the vision to have a mart in the town, Mill-town stepped into the breech and built one thanks in no small measure to Dick Lang-ford, Fr McCluskey and Michael Fleming.

The annual show and sale of the Kerry Blackface Sheep Breeders Association moved to Milltown Mart where all had the comfort of sitting down and doing their buying with pleasure.

Onlookers could also come in and sit down and have a look around.

The first auctioneer at Mill-town was the late Michael O Leary s son Denis. Great progress was made at Mill-town thanks, in no small measure, to Charlie Riordan.

He must be congratulated for the pioneering work he did as manager of the Mart. He was a dedicated man to his job and helped in no small way to put the one-horse town of Milltown on the map.

After the Kerry Blackface Sheep Breeders Association moved its business to Mill-town there was generally a get-together the night before the sale in Killarney when all concerned with the running of the show were provided with a lovely meal by the Association.

This was always a great get together that was enjoyed by one and all.

Hats off then to those pioneers who launched a winner back in 1953.

Many of those involved in those early days have left their mark and none more so than Michael Fleming who exhibited sheep at the first show and sale and will be doing so again this year.

An exhibitor for 50 continuous years. The words so nobly put by the poet, Longfellow:

"Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o er life s solemn main, A forlorn and shipwreck d brother Seeing, shall take heart again.

Yes, those pioneering footprints will be there on the sands of time for many a day.

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