This is a subscriber-only article
Over 30 years ago, Ray and Nuala McEvoy had a surprise answer to their dreams when they won a brand new Massey Ferguson 240 tractor in one of the monthly competitions that were a regular feature of the Irish Farmers Journal back then. Thirty-two years on, the tractor is still earning its keep on their small farm outside Cloneygowan, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The tractor underwent a full makeover in recent weeks to coincide with a significant birthday for Ray and the smile is still on his face from the occasion and, more so, from the new-look MF 240.
Ray and Nuala diligently completed the weekly Irish Farmers Journal prize draw competition, which in the month of April 1984 was for the new Massey Ferguson 240. They needed to get the correct sequence of numbers to be in with a chance to win. They sent their entry along with a postal order fee off in the post with their hopes high.
They got news that they were in with a chance to win some days later and were asked to submit a slogan that reflected how they felt about this popular small tractor. Nuala recalls that they included the word ‘‘perfect’’ in the slogan because she felt that it matched the P in the three-cylinder Perkins engine of the tractor.
Some days later, as Ray was driving through Cloneygowan village with his Massey Ferguson 35X Multi-Power and a loaded homemade transport box on behind, the box accidentally tripped as he was passing the post office, dropping his load. The postmaster came out and told him that he was about to go down to his house as he had just received a telegram message to say that Ray had won the tractor. With the transport box tidied up, Ray headed home with the good news.
Ray and Nuala then came to the Irish Farmers Journal’s office at the Irish Farm Centre for a presentation. Shortly afterwards, the whole family went to the RDS Spring Show to see the actual tractor up close before it was delivered to them by the then local Massey Ferguson dealer, JJ Healion of Tullamore.
In the 32 years since, the Massey Ferguson 240 has worked hard and clocked up more than 9,000 hours. Ray, who at the time was also a baker by trade in the local Matthews Bakery in nearby Portarlington, was a very active part-time farmer. He was also in the turf-cutting business. Here, the role of the 240 was a busy one and it has been working up until recently, with no hints of its retirement.
Ray always kept it serviced on time, as well as storing under cover in a shed. Prior to its restoration, he had completed an engine overhaul a few years ago, while the restoration was what impressed him most as his old tractor looks like new once again.
Ray’s son Aiden, who was 12 at the time of the competition, got in touch with us to tell us the 240 story and how he and his three brothers were going to give the tractor as full restoration as a 70th birthday present for his father.
Looking back, Aiden says: “Winning the tractor was a very positive thing for my family at the time. It was like a big lottery win with all the good wishes from neighbours and people who knew us.”
The boys secretly engaged the services of local tractor restorer Dwayne Thompson, who did a very thorough job of cleaning and respraying the tractor. Dwayne ensured that the Cabcraft cab would remain intact and that the rubber covers that Ray had minded so well over the years would be retained. He stripped the tractor down to the basic frame, removed the cab to ensure that it would look like new. And it certainly does.
Many of the replacement parts needed for the restoration were supplied by local tractor dealer Eamon Casey of Portarlington. They got one important and original rubber seal unit for the radiator cover area from Healions of Tullamore, who also provided them with an original cab sticker identical to the one that came on the tractor 32 years ago.
While the restoration was being completed, Aiden told his father that he was using the tractor for his own work. That’s why Ray never expected to be so impressed when another son, Sean, who was home from Australia for the celebrations, drove the 240 into the yard on the day of the birthday party. Ray is still smiling every time he walks by the MF240. And who could blame him.
Darren remembered in Rooskey
Tractor enthusiasts from the Tarmonbarry and Rooskey areas of Roscommon are staging the second running of the Darren McGlynn Memorial Tractor Run this Sunday 25 September. Padraig Fallon (086-392 2965) of the organising committee told the Irish Farmers Journal that the event takes place from the McGlynn home in Cloonfour, midway between Tarmonbarry and Rooskey, and is open to vintage, classic and new tractors.
This is the second running of the Darren McGlynn Memorial Tractor Run. Last year, the event was run in conjunction with the Mark’s Wish to Walk Fund and raised over €18,000 to help three-year-old Mark Dolan travel to the US for surgery and treatment to help him to walk. The proceeds this year are going to two charities working in the local area, Co Longford SCUBA Divers/Search and Rescue, and Pieta House West.
John Deere 50 celebrations this weekend
The John Deere 50 Celebration and Heritage Event at Langar near Nottingham in England takes place this coming weekend on Saturday and Sunday, 24 and 25 September. John Deere customers and fans are invited to join the anniversary celebrations with a chance to win special 50th anniversary merchandise in a prize draw.
The event will include a parade of 50 vintage, classic and modern John Deere tractors and machinery. It will start with a 1916 Overtime Model R tractor, belonging to Lincolnshire farm manager Malcolm Robinson. It will also include the iconic 4020 tractor, marking the beginnings of John Deere Limited at Langar in 1966, and represent every decade up to the present day, finishing with John Deere’s new flagship 620hp four-track 9620RX.
Owners of old and new John Deere machines are expected to attend the event with some Irish-origin machines sure to make it to the Nottingham venue.
SHARING OPTIONS: