This year’s De Courcey Harvest Working Day moves to a new venue at the farm of Paddy and Ann McCarthy, Ballinadee, Bandon, Co Cork. Titled “A Century of Change”, this year’s event takes place on Monday 3 August and will be based around grain harvesting from years past.

The De Courcey Harvest Day began in 2011 with a working demonstration using several restored vintage combine harvesters from the locality. The event doubled in size the following year and 2013 and 2014 saw a radical change as sponsorship from Claas and New Holland allowed the De Courcey Vintage Club to organise an event of national significance on a 35-acre site. These shows attracted several thousand visitors to Barrell’s Cross, Kinsale.

The harvest working day now features working areas with continuous activity. For this year, harvesters, reaper and binders and every sort of machinery associated with the harvest past and present will be working throughout the day. The tilling side of farming will be represented by a display of vintage machinery turning the soil and planting crops.

ADVERTISEMENT

Many horse-operated machines will be operating on the day. Horses will be ploughing, harrowing, cutting corn, threshing and drawing cartloads of sheaves. There will be a large static display of vintage commercial vehicles, cars and tractors in a section that continues to grow each year.

The annual raffle has a top prize of a family trip to Disneyland Paris sponsored by local travel firm Barters of Bandon, which is celebrating 150 years in business.

The De Courcey Vintage Club will continue to support local causes. This year, funds raised will once again go to several local groups in De Courcey’s parish and the main beneficiary will be the Friends of Jamie Wall fund, said club chairman John O’Neill (087-266 7296).

John said that the McCarthy farm is a very appropriate site for this year’s event as Paddy McCarthy’s family have a long association with harvesting and machinery. Paddy’s family on his mother’s side were the Hales. In the early 1900s they had five threshing steam sets that travelled all over Ireland.

In the 1950s, the McCarthys bought one of the first Claas combine harvesters introduced into Ireland.

Tommy Hales and PJ McCarthy, uncles of Paddy, visited to the Claas factory in Germany and saw first-hand their Claas combines being manufactured.

The village of Ballinadee had a long association with milling and the industry provided huge employment to the area. In the past, there was a mill located at the rear of Ryan’s Shop near the old Creamery and Crowley’s had a mill at Cuckles Forge. John said: “It’s great to be able to host our event on land which had so much association with tillage farming in Cork.”

Thurles working day deferred

The Thurles & District Vintage Club working day due to be held on Sunday 2 August has been deferred to a future date due to unforeseen circumstances, says James Hassey of the organising committee.

New chairman at the IVS

The Irish Vintage Society (IVS) elected a new national chairman at a recent meeting. Donegal man Eunan Kelly from Milltown, Convoy, Lifford, was elected as the society’s new chairman, taking over the reins from Denis Murphy of Kilkenny.

Eunan has been a board member of the IVS since 2012 and has been an active member of the Donegal Vintage and Classic Car Club.

Robert’s Cove adds tractor pulling

Robert’s Cove Vintage event on Sunday 2 August will include a major vintage tractor display as well as round 6 of Irish Tractor Pulling Championships on the scenic site near Minane Bridge, which is located on the western side of Cork Harbour.

The event has a country music flavour as well-known country music singers Susan McCann and Cliona Hagan will perform at the festival.

Silage Extravaganza

There is continued enthusiasm building for this week’s Silage Extravaganza, being organised by the Coolmoyne and Moyglass Vintage Club at the Trehy farm in Mobarne, near Moyglass, Fethard, Co Tipperary, on Sunday 26 July.

Matty Tynan of the organising committee said: “It’s important that all of the tractors and harvesters are on site on Saturday, July 25 as the gardaí are planning on closing some roads on Sunday due to the huge interest in the event.” Coolmoyne and Moyglass Vintage Club will be showing the hurling matches being played at nearby Thurles live on a big screen.

23 July Temple & District Vintage event, Boardmills Lisburn 028/048-90812025

24-26 July Ballincollig Vintage Club Annual Show Cork 087-909 6616

25 July Claragh Bridge Vintage Show, Drumaroad Down 028/048-44811269

25 July Cloughmills Vintage Club Road Run Antrim 0044-07934534199

25 July Glenelly Vintage Rally, Plumbridge Tyrone 0044-7702374982

25 July Coolmoyne & Moyglass Club Silage Prep Day Tipperary 086-254 7162

26 July Coolmoyne & Moyglass Silage Extravaganza Tipperary 086-254 7162

26 July Askamore Vintage car and tractor run Wexford 087-268 5791

26 July Coolmoyne & Moyglass Double Chop Challange Tipperary 086-853 5759

26 July Courtnacuddy Vintage Day Wexford 087-315 1257

26 July Iveragh Vintage Rally, Waterville Kerry 086-603 8800

26 July Mountbellew Vintage Rally Galway 086-242 9581

26 July Rod Iron Vintage Club Rally, Mullinavat Kilkenny 086-837 2607

26 July Ballinrostig Vintage Field Day, Whitegate Cork 087-997 4619

31 July Drive to Survive Model T challenge Cork 086-254 9014

1 August Slievenamon Vintage Tractor Road Run Tipperary 086-0854381

1 August Mid Ulster Vintage Club August Car Run Tyrone www.muvvc.co.uk

1 August Carnlough Vintage Society Annual Heritage Antrim 0044-07764-794104

1 August Dechomet Community Vintage Road Run Down 0044-7793-290523

2 August Roberts Cove Vintage & Music Festival Cork 086-278 2479

2 August IVETA All-Ireland Vintage Rally, Doon Limerick 085-277 0391

2 August Inistioge Vintage Show Kilkenny 087-918 3930

2 August Townspark Vintage Run & Field Day Westmeath 086-199 3429

2 August Ballingree Vintage Day Cork 087-664 2613

2/3 August Stradbally National Steam & Vintage Rally Laois 086-389 0184

3 August Kilmihill Vintage Rally Clare 087-257 7029

3 August De Courcey Harvest Working Day, Ballinadee Cork 087-266 7296

3 August Nobber Vintage John Joe Calnan memorial run Meath 087-312 7775