IRISH sheep shearer Mark McGeown has broken the country’s ewe shearing record at his first attempt.

The Ravensdale shearer shore 514 ewes in eight hours at the County Louth Agricultural Show at Bellurgan Park on June 11 to break the previous record.

McGeown shore 133 sheep in the first two hour run, following that with 134, 124 and 123 to set the new record. The video above from the Irish Sheep Shearing Association shows McGeown during his successful record attempt.

McGeown’s effort is the second successful Irish shearing record to be set in less than a year. Irish shearing champion Ivan Scott set a new world record by shearing 867 lambs in nine hours in August last year. Scott beat by one lamb the previous record set by New Zealand shearer Dion King in 2007.

Irish shearer Mark McGeown, centre with his record attempt team. Picture – Irish Sheep Shearing Association.

Mark is an experienced All Ireland title holder and world shearing competition competitor. He has represented Ireland at international events and won at several Irish events, including the Leinster Championships, Balmoral Show and Ballymena Show. In 2003 he won the intermediate event at the world championships in New Zealand.

Proceeds from the McGeown record shear will be donated to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.