A Visit to Knockvicar Alpacas in Roscommon

Knockvicar Alpacas is a gem of a place that you need to visit, it’s a wonderful experience for all the family, and I’d highly recommend it. Located just off the N4, between Boyle and Carrick on Shannon (just a few minutes from Ardcarne Garden Centre), it’s very easy to find.

I booked a farm visit and off I went. I met Andrew who runs the farm, and he introduced me to the alpacas, they are beautiful animals. Some of them are quite friendly and were happy to come up and say hello, others stayed their distance, but it was a pleasure to spend time with them and hear everything about them.

I was inspired to visit after I saw Cruella de Ville (sorry Liath – I’ve renamed you), and her amazing fringe on social media. She really does have amazing hair, and she appears to know it.

We had a ‘fringe’ competition, and it comes to something when an alpaca has better hair than I do.

I heard about seven-month-old Portan, he had issues with his legs when he was born, hence his name. Portan is the Irish for crab.

I also met an alpaca with a moustache, I think she was called Angel, but I’m useless with names.

I found out so many things about Alpacas that I never knew, I heard about the sounds they make, I heard about their fleece, which is hypoallergenic and is warmer than sheep’s wool. I also discovered that alpacas are pregnant for over 11 months, and they can choose to postpone a birth if they feel the cria (baby) will be in danger. Of course, I’m not explaining it well, so you need to visit the farm yourself and hear the proper story from Andrew.

Knockvicar Alpaca Farm has experience working with charities and service providers, providing a calm, welcoming space where visitors can enjoy time with the gentle alpacas at their own pace. Whether you’re visiting as a family, an individual, or as part of a group, they are happy to create an experience that suits your needs. The barn is wheelchair accessible, and it’s covered, so there is no issue about the weather.

You can choose from an Alpaca Trek (a stroll through nature with your own alpaca). This is a 90-minute experience.

Or you can choose a farm visit (which I did). I had the choice of going into the field or meeting the herd in the barn. It was a beautiful sunny day, so I chose to be outdoors. This was a 45-minute experience, and it was lovely.