Farm Visits - Calveys Achill Mountain Lamb

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Seven generations living and hill sheep farming on Achill Island the Calvey family know a thing or two about life on the Wild Atlantic Way and offer a great hands-on farm experience in telling that story with a bite for your belly before you leave too! Wrapping you in a warm heartfelt welcome the Calvey family take you by the hand to sift through the many layers and skillfully knit together the story of Achill Island & it’s people, and most interestingly from the very beginning.

Seven generations of the Calvey family have lived raising the hardy, Mayo Blackface Mountain Sheep on the hills, mountains and shorelines of Achill Island, Co. Mayo.

At Slievemore, a deserted village or at Granuaine Uaile’s castle the story of Achill is scaffolded, it’s geology and archaeology, local history, heritage and culture. While here you will get your chance to try for yourself hand shearing, to experience live sheep herding & working border collie dogs, skilled age old hard shearing of wild mountain sheep while exploring the old stone ruins braced by silent echoes from abandoned lonely farmsteads.

Learn all about local seaweeds and soil, blackface hardy mountain sheep, strife and struggles. Celebrate that people lived, adapted and survived on these small holdings on Achill Island, their strength and resilience. And of course Calvey’s experience is fun with a bit of craic.

The story ends, of course, with a tasting and a visit to the Calvey farmhouse to enjoy Calvey’s Achill Mountain Lamb ( from their own on-farm butchery) bursting with the exquisite flavours of the Wild Atlantic Way and a sampling of foods enjoyed by past generations including tasty local seaweeds and a traditional blood pudding named Achill Belly and of course Calvey’s wild atlantic way special, a friendly fireside chat.

Our tour is a guided experience with multi-language capabilities.