Those of us who remember the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Spring Show up to the 1980s remember the event as a huge and vibrant farming and industries show that extended from the front doors of the Ballsbridge building and bulged to the back walls of the Simmonscourt Arena. There was a waiting list for stands and it was getting expensive for exhibitors.

The 1916 Spring Show was equally important as a farming and industries fair, while the scale and size was a lot smaller. That was the reason why the show organisers and the military authorities encamped at Ballsbridge felt it was important that the show went ahead, despite the outbreak of the 1916 Rebellion. But attendances over the four days from 25 to 28 April were very poor and the show recorded a financial loss.

Among the company names taking part in the 1916 Spring Show that are still familiar to farmers was Paul and Vincent Ltd, with an address back then at Blackhall Place, Dublin. As well as being an animal feed company, in 1916 Paul and Vincent also distributed the Blackstone range of farm machinery, including the fertiliser spreader, swathe turner and rickshifter, for moving cocks of hay intact.

The Irish Agricultural Wholesales Society (now IAWS) was a major player in the farm machinery business. The company, based then and now in Dublin’s Thomas Street, was the Irish agent for Amanco and Petter oil engines, as well as the Martin brand of farm horse machinery. An Amanco 6hp portable engine cost £55 in 1916. IAWS was also the agent for the Garrett compound tractor, which was rated as a 6hp steam traction engine that cost £550.

Philip Pierce of Wexford was among the biggest names in Irish and European farm machinery at the time. The Pierce range for the 1916 Spring Show was extensive and varied. The Pierce range was so vast that the full listing of machines on view for the event took up almost a full page in the Spring Show catalogue that year.

At the turn of the 1900s, Wexford was the farm machinery manufacturing hub of Ireland; 100 years later Mayo has that honour. The Wexford Engineering Company from the Star Iron Works, Wexford, also had an extensive display of machinery for the 1916 Spring Show. This included a three-row potato sprayer for £17 and 3s and the patented Star ricklifter for £10 and 15s. The company’s one-horse steel plough was priced at £2 19s 6d. It also supplied a range of grass and seed sowers, as well as a winnowing machine and a small-scale 18in threshing drum for oil, gas or petrol engines for £13 7s 3d.

The Wexford engineering dominance also included the firm of William Doyle and Co of Selskar Iron Works, Wexford, town. The Doyle range included one- and two-horse mowing machines, a drill hoe and a champion potato digger model, also horsedrawn.

Ransomes Simms and Jeffries, one of Britain’s best-known farm machinery companies based in Ipswich, had a major stand at the 1916 Spring Show. The highlight was the 6hp traction engine, with all of the usual accessories, costing £587. The Ransomes 54in threshing machine was a big seller at the time with a list price of £210.

1915 was the first year that we saw the arrival of the Overtime Farm Tractor Co to Ireland. This was a British-based company offering the Overtime Farm Tractor, which was a rebranded Waterloo Boy, in the years before John Deere took over the Waterloo Tractor Company.

For the 1916 Spring Show, the Overtime Farm Tractor was rated at 24hp at the belt pulley and 12hp at the drawbar. The company claimed that this tractor would pull a three- or four-furrow plough, ploughing seven acres a day. The Overtime Farm Tractor was priced at £255, so it was expensive at the time.

Other names that are still part of modern Irish agriculture and took part in the 1916 Spring Show included McKenzies of 212 Brunswick Street, Dublin, now part of Atkins of Cork; Drummonds Seeds; and Lenehan’s of Capel Street in Dublin, no longer a farming company. Keenan and Sons of Fishamble Street, Dublin, was then among the leading supplier of steel farm haysheds and it had a big stand at the 1916 Spring Show. Its leading product at the time was a 30ft x 20ft x 16ft iron hay barn with a loft included. More recently the Keenan name has become part of the modern generation and Irish-owned Alltech family.

John Deere celebration event in September

John Deere is hosting a special green and yellow celebration field event on the weekend of 24 and 25 September at the company headquarters in Langar, Nottingham, to commemorate 50 years of the company in the UK and Ireland.

For the special heritage field event, John Deere is inviting John Deere tractor and machinery owners to take part. The company wants to gather together examples of John Deere products sold through its UK and Irish dealers from 1966 to 2016.

There will be demonstration and working plots for those who would like to bring implements (preferably John Deere) and use them, plus parades and prizes. John Deere has a dedicated webpage at www.JohnDeere.co.uk/50years with more information and updates about the event.

Rare Marshall comes home

One of the last Marshall 100 series tractors ever produced is making its way back to Northern Ireland from New Zealand after spending several years down under. The tractor was delivered to a Lincolnshire dealer in January 1990.

This now rare Marshall is owned by Welshman David Williams who emigrated to New Zealand some years ago. David now runs Toplink Machinery of Otorohanga in the Waikato region and is the sole importer of Fleming machinery produced in New Buildings, Northern Ireland.

The tractor is expected to arrive at Fleming Agri-Products’ base in mid-May.

It is being joined on the journey by a pair of four-wheel drive MF 185 tractors with a four-wheel traction axle and an MF 178 with a Selene axle. These refurbished tractors also belong to David Williams.