Our alpacas are more than livestock. They are family. Just as the fibre from each animal has its own distinct characteristics, the personality and behavour of each individual animal is unique. Every cria born on Ballintotas Alpacas farm is given an Irish name.
From our foundation stock, Nelly is our oldest female, but wears her age with grace. Always the first to the pellet dish, she’s a calm and gentle girl.
Nelly’s daughter, Cashel is a ‘swimmer’. Born with a weakness in her rear legs, Cashel did swim therapy in a dog rehab pool for 8 weeks as a cria. She doesn’t let her legs slow her down at all!
Our most famous alpaca, Claddagh is our internet sensation featured in a video picked up by ViralHog. She’s also featured in many memes. Look for the alpaca wearing the ‘hay hat’ in the video captioned “When your hair game is on point”!
Claddagh’s daughter, Cobh has won many fibre and conformation awards, just like her mom. She’s reserved and unassuming, but her fleece makes a statement!
Liffey is our largest female, but gentle at toenail trimming time. Her fleece sports a distinctive fawn saddle that gives her yarn a soft shade when spun.
This girl came to us from Alberta through a virtual auction. When we saw her picture we knew we wanted her in our herd. Products featuring her beautiful grey fibre often sell out first.
Although Neva arrived to the farm alone, she didn’t worry about fitting in. We called her ‘The Diva’ and she does not disappoint. She is the only alpaca on the farm who eats apples, and she is in many visitors’ photos as she’s the first to photo bomb or lie down near children to accept a gentle touch.
An appaloosa, Madonna’s spots draw lots of attention. However, she was clearly named for the fact that she is a loud and persistent hummer on walks or trips away from the barn.
Our most striking alpaca, Merinda possesses a great alpaca head style with a teddy-bear face. A half-sister to Madonna, she is the mature, reserved one in the family.
This calm, sweet girl is a bay black - black on the inside with lighter tips and fibre colour on the outside. A peek inside her fleece won’t disappoint!
One of our original alpacas, he is the oldest alpaca on the farm. Shy and thoughtful, he’ll keep an eye on the action, but from a distance.
A half-brother to Liffey and born the same year, their mothers were our first female alpacas and key matriarchs in our herd. Belfast always steps up to keep the younger, more mischievous boys in check.
A half-brother to Belfast, Dublin proves that siblings can be opposites. He’s curious and will greet you with a nose-to-nose kiss through the barn door opening.
After a touch-and-go bout of bacterial meningitis as a cria, it became evident that Limerick would need to adapt to neurological changes caused by the illness. Since he ate salads only, served by Chris, for 6 months of recovery, he seems to prefer men. He seems to have no need to be with the rest of the boys and can often be found “doing his own thing”.
A son of Neva, Killarney is a proud male with beautiful ear tags (the soft hair that hangs from his ears). He is always right behind Dunnie to get his kiss.
A son of Claddagh, Dunnie is full of energy and curiosity. He would make the best greeter on the farm if it wasn’t for the fact that he missed the lesson on “personal space”. Dunnie is determined to taste the shoes, clothing, and noses of everyone he meets.