Ewe have got to be kidding me!

It’s not every Sunday morning a sheep farmer wakes up to five new baby lambs, but the Egan family in Taughmaconnell defied odds of one on a million when one of their ewes gave birth to quintuplets last week.

The lambs, three females and two males, were born on the Egan family farm in the townsland of Antrane two weeks ago, and according to owner, John Joe Egan, they have been “the toast of Taughmaconnell” ever since.

PHOTO: Quintuplets lambs watched over by their ewe mother in Taughmaconnell.

John Joe, who runs a sheep and sucker cow farming enterprise with his wife, Mary, says he would love to bring the five lambs down to the local school, but Covid-19 restrictions have precluded him from too much socialising with his new offspring.

“We have had loads of texts and phone calls from all over the country, and we have had a few callers to see them too, as five lambs are such an unusual sight, but we have to be very conscious of social distancing and of not having too many people on the farm at the same time” says their proud owner.

Having given birth to three rounds of three lambs over the last three years, John Joe Egan said he knew the four-year old sheep would have a number of lambs this year as she was “huge” but he never dreamed she would give birth to quintuplets.

“We couldn’t believe it when we walked into the shed on Sunday of last week and saw five hardy little lambs running around …it was some sight….we were absolutely delighted,” recalled Johnjoe.

While John Joe Egan says he will not be giving his new lambs any names he already knows them from each other as they all look slightly different.

“To be honest, it’s hard to keep up with them as they are very lively and active,” he said, “but we are delighted that they are all healthy and well, that’s the main thing.”