WITH only days to go, Ahiohill Vintage Club is gearing up for their annual Vintage Harvest Day, with this year’s event promising to be yet another action-packed day.
BY PETER O'BRIEN
Organised to support both national and local charities in the West Cork area, the club are busy putting in the final preparations for the popular event, which will start at 10/30am on August 2nd and is now in its 9th year.
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Held again on the land of the Coffey family in Lisnacunna, Enniskeane, in conjunction with the Helen family, this year’s event has more than ample ground with up to 50ac of silage to be cut on the day by vintage and classic machinery of pre 1996era. Tractors and silage harvesters of all brands are invited to attend and are welcome to join the working event or the popular static display of tractors, loaders, trucks, and cars.
Marking 30 years since the launch of the Krone Big M self-propelled mower, a display of every model of Big M from the MK1 to the rare Big M 500 with be on show- believed to be the first time all six variants have been gathered together outside of the Krone factory in Spelle.
A collection of combines will pay tribute to the late Edward Twomey, a world class businessman with a keen interest in machinery who harvested grain on both sides of the globe – in West Cork as well as Australia. Edward and Collette are renowned for taking their family butcher shop to a global scale with their Clonakilty Black Pudding products. Their son Jonathan has continued the harvesting tradition to this day.
In a fitting tribute to his talented engineering ability and foresight in trailer fabrication, a collection of DC trailers designed and manufactured by the late Dominic Crowley from Ballinadee will be also on display. Dominic built a wide variety of trailers, many of which will showcased on the day.
To cater for those who enjoy ‘shiny metal’, a large number of dealer trade stands will also be showcasing a selection of their latest machinery including Paudy Buckley & Co, Cork Farm Machinery, Farm Power, Atkins, Farmhand, McCarthy Plant and Agri, Jim Power, Mc & S Agri Sales, Derry O’ Donovan, Lynch & McCarthy, Kearney Brothers, David Deasy Motors,, John Hayes Agri and Samco as well as others.
Some well-known social media personalities and names will also be in attendance including Sean Collins, The Sheep Shepard, Eoin Lynch, Karen Moynihan & Johnnie Neal. Culchie Competitions will be exhibiting their agri raffle bundle while the ever popular Grassmen will also be in attendance.
Ahiohill Vintage Club are delighted to welcome back The Southern Tractor Pulling Club who will be displaying their custom pullers. This year, a tractor pulling challenge will take place with 100-150hp, 150-200hp and 200hp+ categories open to farmers and contractors with tractors of any age.
A plot will be dedicated to vintage horse ploughing to showcase the pre-tractor skill. Amongst others showcasing the art, Caroline O’Driscoll, and Claire O’Rourke –well known for representing West Cork in All-Ireland Ploughing Competitions – who will be providing a demonstration. As tradition with any working day, a display of old-time threshing will also take place along with a steam engine from Lordon’s of Bandon.
A huge success last year, the contractor tug-of-war challenge is sure to draw a crowd, with a number of teams signed up so far. Test your tractor driving skills this year with the tractor driving challenge, a new event which is sure to be another crowd pleaser. A fun day for all the family, the event will also host a dog show with classes and prizes, food stalls, family amusements. Ahihioll Vintage Club are delighted welcome award winning country music singer songwriter Sabrina Fallon who will provide live music on the day.
Most importantly, the theme of the day is to both highlight and acknowledge the role of women in agriculture with the event being officially opened by Collette Twomey of Clonakilty Black Pudding. Joined by Farm & Forestry Contractors Association managing director Ann Hanrahan Gleeson, Irish Farmers Journal digital media journalist Sarah McIntosh, and Farming Now presenter and Southern Star Farming Awards Winner Katie Shanahan of Leap will all be discussing the significance of women in the agri sector.
Proceeds of the day will benefit Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association, West Cork Rapid Response and St. Michael’s Day Care Centre Bandon as well as other local causes. Extending gratitude to their main sponsor Ross Oil, all signs will point West to Ahiohill this Bank Holiday Weekend with the Ahiohill Vintage Club working day kicking off at 10.30 am on this Sunday the 2nd of August and will be sign posted from all approaches. Eircode: P85 C832 Check out the Ahiohill Vintage Club on Facebook for contact details and regular updates.
