The number of lambs being killed by foxes during the lambing season has been dramatically reduced thanks to the work of people with special needs in south Co Wicklow.
Workers at the Lalor Centre in Baltinglass are turning out thousands of special lamb jackets which not only prevent the lambs suffering from hypothermia but also keep foxes away.
The idea of manufacturing the jackets was the brainchild of the former parish priest of Baltinglass, the late Father Gary Doyle, himself the son of a sheep farmer.
He thought the idea of making the jackets to sell to sheep farmers would earn money for the KARE centre which provides services for people with intellectual disabilities. It was set up on land donated by the Lalor family.
The manufacture of the jackets was not without its difficulties, according to voluntary worker, Mr Séamus Leigh. "We had a lot of problems initially with the quality of the plastic we were using and the fact that we had to cut out the shapes using the hydraulic ram of a tractor," he said.
As demand for the "PAG" Jacket grew, the centre decided to go for a special machine and durable embossed plastic.
"We have had dozens of letters from farmers across the country telling us they want the jackets to protect their lambs from foxes and that nothing else quite works like they do," said Ms Mary Keogh, manager of the centre.
The centre is now supplying sheep farmers across the country.
"I think the fox will not attack a lamb in a jacket because it reduces the scent of the lamb and foxes are very cute and would be disturbed by the light shining on the plastic coats," said Mr Leigh, a retired sheep farmer.
The jackets cost €20 for a packet of 50. The money raised by the sale of the jackets helps supplement the annual KARE fund-raising auction which takes place this year on April 23rd and features such novel items as two walk-on parts in RTÉ's Fair City. The centre can be contacted by telephone at 059-6481711.