This weekend the hard working team at the Innishannon Steam & Vintage Rally will celebrate their 19th event with a Sunday and Monday show at the Cork venue. The event is billed as the largest steam and vintage rally in Ireland and has attracted huge crowds in recent years.

Paul Kelleher of the rally committee told the Journal that they expect over 1,500 exhibits on the 40 acre site. These will include steam engines, tractors, military vehicles, oil engines, fire engines, motor cycles, lorries and vintage farm machinery.

For this year the committee has extended the working area including plough engine demonstration with a grubber, threshing and stone crushing. There are over 50 steam engines entered, including some new ones from Northern Ireland and England.

This year the Innishannon Rally will provide a dedicated tractor arena for tractor and machinery demonstrations. There will be a special celebration of the horse drawn hay mower. And it will also attempt to set a record for the largest number of old cast iron machine seats in one location.

The event organisers are expecting to have over 400 tractors of all ages on display, which is similar to last year. These will range from early and International Titan of over 100 years old, some Lanz Bulldog versions through to the popular Fordsons and Fergusons.

There will be over 200 oil engines on show with pumps, power, grinding and many more different units to be seen. Some of the early ones for the event will include a 1910 Ruston Proctor and a similar vintage 1913 Petter Junior and a 1914 Hornby.

I always find that a stroll around the event field will reveal many great treasures and many a willing exhibitor only too happy to share their knowledge. There is always a mix of entries including a superb auto jumble section bringing something there for everyone, young and old.

Last year’s Innishannon Steam and Vintage Rally suffered contrasting fortunes over the two days. On the Sunday a record crowd attended the rally while on the Monday the rally had to be cancelled due to heavy rain and strong winds, the first time in the history of the rally.

Over the past 18 years, the rally has raised over €1,275,000 for the Irish Cancer Society (ICS). While last year’s contribution was lower than usual, following the abandoning of the second day, the voluntary committee is still aiming to break the €1.5 million mark in the coming years as the rally gets bigger.

There is a €12 entrance fee to the event for adults with children free. There is a four person family ticket costing €30. You can get more information from event secretary Mary Desmond (087-2802658) or Paul Kelleher (087-6142977).

Border Counties takes the single chop route

The Border Counties Vintage Grassmen holds its vintage single-chop silage cutting day on Sunday 5 June this year just off the main Castleblayney to Dundalk road (N53) at the Inniskeen to Blackstaff turn. The event will be signposted from there.

Organiser Francis McBride (086-363 5056) said that the field this year is twice the size of recent years so as to allow more working machinery on the day. There will be a large display of classic and vintage machinery, including a newly restored County from Michael Hoey’s collection.

Francis said that they can also accommodate more single-chop harvesters to cut this year and they are encouraging all possible participants to contact a committee member to register first.

The event will include live music all day and the Monaghan football match will be shown on screen as well.

Donations this year are going to four local cancer societies and Blackstaff National School, all of which are very worthy causes.

Sligo hosts folk park vintage day

The Sligo Folk Park at Riverstown hosts its 22nd annual vintage festival on Saturday 4 June from 12pm-5pm. Attractions on the day will include vintage tractors, cars and stationery engines.

The folk park is set in the grounds of the restored Millview House, originally built in 1873 by George Reid, a farmer, shoemaker and the local church sexton. Large volumes of records and documentation relevant to the area are available for research at the house.

You can get more information on 071-916 5001 or 086-235 6688 or visit www.sligofolkpark.com.

Polish-only Ursus

Denis Sutton of Ursus Tractors and Machinery Ireland has been in contact following last week’s report to say that some of the smaller Ursus tractors that his company recently reintroduced here had some links with Turkish-built tractors. He says that all Ursus tractors now imported and distributed by them are produced solely at Lublin in Poland by Ursus.

Date Event Location Contact

4 June Loanends Vintage Tractor Run Antrim 0044-7581006781

4 June Drumcree Vintage Rally Armagh 028/048-38337060

4 June Mid Ulster Vintage Vintage Rally Moneymore, Tyrone 0044-7887948543

4 June Ballyeaston Vintage Road Run Larne, Antrim 0044-7963517407

4 June Sligo Folk Park Festival Riverstown, Sligo 086-2356688

5 June Border Counties Vintage Grassmen Monaghan 086-6033288

5 June Sperrin Vintage Club Rally Draperstown, Tyrone 028/048-79643262

5 June Lissan Parish Church Vintage Service Tyrone 0044-7795436918

5 June Sth Leitrim/W Cavan Vintage Show Ballinamore, Leitrim 087-9806974

5 June Irish Rovers Vintage Road Run Oola, Limerick 087-2455156

5 June Ballyglass Vintage Rally Claremorris, Mayo 086-8200652

5-6 June Innishannon Steam & Vintage Rally Cork 021-4775808

9 June Ballynahinch Vintage Road Run Down 028/048-97533597

9/10 June Farming & Country Life 1916 Event Athenry, Galway 091-845200

10 June Glenavy Vintage Road Run Dundrod, Down 0044-7860372304

11 June Tempo Vintage Day Tempo, Fermanagh 028/048-89541246

11 June Ballintoy & Dunservick Vintage Rally Antrim 028/048-20732170

11 June Castle Classic Club Rally & Jumble Lurgan, Armagh 028/048-38322288

11 June Tullylagan Vintage Rally Loughry Campus, Tyrone 0044-7713148860

11 June Dromara Vintage Show Down 0044-7759672584

12 June IVETA Vintage Rally & Run Donaghmore, Laois 086-8672664

12 June Hannah O’Byrne Memorial Run & Show Rathdrum, Wicklow 087-1527809

12 June South Donegal Vintage Road Run Killargue, Leitrim 087-6165431

12 June Thomastown Steam & Vintage Club Rally Kilkenny 087-2539412

12 June Aherla Vintage Club Road Run Tipperary 087-6319883

12 June Inishowen Vintage Club Show Donegal 086-6062038

12 June Shrule & District Vintage Rally Mayo 087-9826003

18 June Kilflynn Vintage Tractor Road Run Kerry 086-3630213

*The Irish Farmers Journal does not take responsibility for date or venue changes. Please contact each event before you travel.