Hold a Baby Lamb on the Dingle Peninsula (And Let Dave the Sheepdog Steal the Show)

We spent a day driving the Dingle Peninsula, one of the most scenic routes in all of Ireland, and one random stop turned into the highlight of the whole trip. We pulled over at a small farm along Slea Head Drive to hold a baby lamb, and ended up bottle feeding a sheep and getting completely upstaged by a sheepdog named Dave. Here’s everything you need to know if you want to do the same thing.

Quick Facts

• What: Hold A Baby Lamb and Sheepdog Demonstration Slea Head Drive, Glanfahan, County Kerry
• Cost: €4 per person to hold a lamb, €5 more if you want to bottle-feed the older sheep
• Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Payment: Cash and card both accepted
• Bonus: 1,400-year-old beehive huts on the same property, plus sweeping views of the Blasket Islands and Skellig Michael
• When we went: September 2025

Getting There

The stop for the Beehive Huts, where you can hold a baby lamb and see a sheepdog demonstration, is right on Slea Head Drive. This is the loop road that makes up part of the Wild Atlantic Way on the Dingle Peninsula.

If you’re already doing the Slea Head drive (and you should be because it’s one of the best coastal drives in Ireland), you will pass right by it. This makes it a really easy pit stop.

The road narrows to a single lane in spots with the ocean on one side, so go slow and enjoy the views while you look for the signs. There’s parking on site (we parked along the side of the road of Slea Head Drive), and restrooms available. If you’re not planning to rent a car and would rather book a small-group Slea Head Drive tour, there are several you can book that depart from Dingle, covering this stretch of coast along with the rest of the loop.

The Experience

The second we got out of the car, a Border Collie named Dave came right up to greet us like we were old friends. He was so cute and clearly loved everybody who walked in as we saw his tail wagging the whole time.

Then it was time to hold a lamb, a moment I had been waiting for since I first saw a video about this experience. I was handed a baby so light and fluffy. She was wiggly for the first few seconds, but ultimately settled right into my arms and calmed down. The moment that she stopped squirming and just let me hold her was one I’ll never forget. It was comforting, it was peaceful, and I felt like she was almost snuggling into me.

After we got our turn with the lambs, we walked over for the sheepdog demonstration, and this ended up being an incredible part of our stop. Watching a working dog respond to commands like lie down, walk on, come by, and away, and move a whole group of sheep exactly where the farmer wanted them, was one of the more impressive things I’ve ever seen from an animal.

It takes about two years to train a dog to do that job, and you could tell Dave enjoyed every second of it. He looked like he was exactly where he wanted to be and when you’re there and look out at the incredible view of the coastline it feels like an absolute off-the-beaten-path paradise.

We also had time to walk over to the beehive huts on the property, which are stone structures that are around 1,400 years old. They were once dwellings for monks and a reminder of just how far back Ireland’s history dates.

Takeaway

If you’re trying to decide whether to hold a baby lamb on the Dingle Peninsula or skip it to save time, here is my take.

If you’re planning a Dingle Peninsula road trip, I would absolutely build in time for this stop. It’s a quick one (maybe 30 to 45 minutes if you just do the lamb holding and the sheepdog demo), but it can be longer if you want to explore the beehive huts too.

One thing I would mention: this spot can get busy in the middle of the day, so if you want a calmer experience with the animals, try to get there closer to opening or later in the afternoon.

It cost us less than the price of a coffee and it turned into one of the most memorable stops of the whole trip. You don’t need to be an animal person or a farm person to enjoy this. You just need a few minutes and an open mind, and Dave will take care of the rest.Tours and Experiences in Europe

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