News

Catch IDS on BBC’s The Repair Shop!

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We’re thrilled to share that IDS is featured on the Christmas episode of BBC’s The Repair Shop, airing at 8:15 pm on 24th December 2024!

In this heartwarming segment, Suzie Fletcher, renowned for her exceptional leatherwork, lovingly restores a donkey saddle that has been handed down through four generations of a family in Northern Ireland. This saddle holds a special place in their hearts, as it has been used since the current owner was just seven years old to ride into town and continue the cherished family tradition of delivering presents and spreading joy in […]

A busy few weeks!

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At Kinedale Donkeys we have had a few busy weeks taking our donkeys to nursing homes, hospitals and hospices. We have also had a children event at the farm, Santa Paws and a Carol service […]

Christmas message

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I warmly welcome you to our website and on behalf of all the members of the Irish Donkey Society may I wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas. Wherever you are spending the festive season I hope you will have a lovely time.
We all remember how the donkey was such a part of the original Christmas story. Christmas shows us ‘the new humanity’ that creates the opportunity for peace and good will. The role the donkey played  in the Christmas story highlighted the value of  human service provided with tenderness, patience and humility. Today we see the donkey […]

IDS presentation at the Mullingar Show – Sunday 10th July 2022

Presentation of the Pam Jermyn Perpetual Trophy at the Mullingar Show by Mary McAteer, President of the Irish Donkey Society to the Champion Donkey, Cross Patrick Diana, owned by the Looney family. Also shown are David and Helena Looney, the Chair of the Irish Donkey Society, Alastair Graham, and the two judges […]

Any holiday plans ?? Fancy travelling across Turkey on a Donkey

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‘Slow trip’: Japanese tourist travels across Turkey on donkey

Japanese tourist Kotaro Takada with his donkey Sorotsube in Izmir, western Turkey, June 29, 2022. (AA Photo)

Using donkeys as a method of transportation combines the 19th century’s longing for speed with the 21st century’s desire to slow down. While riding donkeys, the epitome of “slow travel” today, is enjoyed by some who lean toward a more leisurely, rural holiday, a Japanese tourist traveling across Turkey on a donkey still turns heads.

Kotaro Takeda, a seasoned traveler, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the idea of […]

Ruby & Remus win at the recent Bonniconlon Show

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1ST AUGUST 2022

The IDS is delighted to announce that one of our members Ruby won the IDS Gelding Trophy with her donkey Remus at the recent Bonniconlon Show. Tinkerbell is on the left.

Bonniconlon Show & Gymkhana is held annually on August Bank Holiday Monday and boasts a prize fund of up to €65,000.

Based in north Mayo, Bonniconlon is a quintessential rural village on the outskirts of Ballina – a hospitable locality which opens its doors to over 30,000 people each year for the one-day show event […]

Donkey Competition in West Kerry Agricultural Show – Dingle – Sunday 17th July 2022

Juliet and I were on holidays as we often do in the Dingle Peninsula. We are based in Castlegregory where my parents used to live.

On this Sunday we decided to visit West Kerry Agricultural Show in Dingle. It was a beautiful day and it was well attended with everything from competitions with all different breeds of cattle, there as a pony section and a horses section, mountain sheep and lowland sheep competitions. Added to this there were sheep dog trials and a competition on the best goat. There were also competitions for arts and crafts, cookery, art etc. etc […]

The Irish Donkey Society celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary

This year the Irish Donkey Society celebrates its 50th Anniversary. This is an amazing milestone and a wonderful achievement.

We warmly congratulate all the devoted members, past and present, who over the years have worked so hard and displayed such inspiring resilience by taking the opportunities and overcoming the obstacles to ensure the high standards and worthy objectives of the Society were always upheld and implemented.

This moral fortitude and commitment has won the admiration and affection of people from all walks of life from all parts of Ireland and beyond.

The current committee is proud to announce […]

Kilmacanogue Show (23rd July) are celebrating their 50th show this year.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary there will be NEW children’s baking and crafts, adult baking competitions and wild flower classes.  Some special Irish Draught classes including a Mare class with a €400 prize fund.

Qualifiers for All Ireland championships (donkey mare and foals, filly and colt foals and ID filly foal).  Some of the Fun/Activites are –  vintage cars on display including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, sheep shearing demos, free pony rides, Wicklow Whisk cake decorating workshop, DSPCA dog trainer demos and ask the trainer session, Wool Spinning demos from carding to spinning the wool, Kids play area, the […]

Pablo: Champion of Champions

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A huge congratulations to one of our members, Suzi Truesdale of Cloughey, Co. Down and her beloved stallion, Pablo.

Balmoral Show 2022 seen a huge turnout of donkeys from all over the island, with Ratallagh Pablo taking Champion donkey and Kinedale Silver Solstice as Reserve Champion with her foal. His success allowed him to compete against the other champions of the show including the champions of the dairy, beef, pigs, sheep, goats and various horse breeds.

The final selection was made by Nicola Drew of BBC Radio Ulster and she made history as Pablo is the first donkey to ever […]

A Degree in Donkeys

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As the final semester ends for many universities, graduation ceremonies begin.

One of our own members, Robert Wallace, has just completed his undergraduate degree in Equine Management with Honours at the College of Agriculture, Farming and Rural Enterprise in conjunction with the Ulster University. Robert received his first donkey at a year old and at seven years old began carriage driving with his donkey, Denis, who he still has. Donkeys have shaped his academic life, with his dissertation studying if donkeys can recognise human expressions of emotion, which they can his research shows!

Robert had asked if he could bring […]

Donkeys and Animals of Ukraine

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We have all witnessed the distressing images of Ukrainian people fleeing the horrible war inflicted on them by Russia. We take heart that our government has provided a welcoming refuge for them, despite the shortage of housing.  Many generous communities and individuals have opened their homes to Ukrainian families, in many cases taking in also their various pets. Ukrainians love their pets and have suffered personal hardship and expense in taking them with them by car, train, bus and on foot to Poland, to Ireland and other countries as well. All animal lovers know that the treasured pet is a […]