Charities benefit from event

IN excess of €7,000 was raised by the 2015 Ford Heritage Event and split between two worthy local causes, West Cork Rapid Response and Cancer Connect. 

The event was organised by the West Cork Vintage Ploughing and Threshing Association sponsored by Ford Motor Company, in association with MC&S Agri Sales Ltd and was held on the Ford Homestead at Ballinascarthy, where Henry Ford’s ancestors were born . 

Poor weather caused proceedings to be postponed initially for one week last September and some scheduled events had to be curtailed. It provided a once-off opportunity to sample a huge variety of Ford vehicles and visit the now restored homestead. 

A range of new Ford cars was on show courtesy of Bandon Motors and Ford Ireland. Mc&S Agri Sales displayed a range of New Holland tractors, while vintage enthusiasts from near and far brought a huge variety of cars, tractors, silage harvesters, ploughs and combine harvesters to the fund-raising event in aid of West 

Despite the poor weather conditions, in excess of €7,000 was raised and proceeds were presented to the charities recently. West Cork Vintage Ploughing and Threshing Association thanked the Buttimer Family for their hospitality, welcome and their ‘is féidir linn’ attitude. They also thanked their sponsors, Ford Ireland in association with Bandon Motors, Mc&S Agri Sales and Lynch & McCarthy. 

Thanks also went to Tim O’Leary, deputy president of the IFA, and Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, Mayor of Clonakilty, who both came to officially open proceedings. In addition they thanked the exhibitors who travelled from near and far to support the event, Executive Helicopters, local historian Timothy Crowley, side show organisers and caterers. Their own members and volunteers helped with site set up and the marshalling of traffic, in particular Gerry Ryan, traffic co-ordinator, assisted by Eoin Lee. Finally, their gratitude went to those who braved the wet weather conditions and came along as spectators.