At the remarkable age of 97, James Riddell from Seskinore, Co Tyrone may well be the country’s oldest combine driver.
His grandson, also James, told the Irish Farmers Journal this week that his grandfather is showing no signs of slowing down either.
Born on 12 April 1928, James has spent almost 70 years in the fields.
He first took to the controls in 1955 with a Ransomes 4ft cutter, towed behind a tractor.
“Back then, the hard-working rig could manage around half an acre an hour. Fast forward to today and it is a New Holland TX36 with a 17ft header - a machine with at least 10 times the capacity of his very first combine.
Neighbours say it is a rare sight to witness someone of his years still guiding a combine across the fields, but for James, it remains second nature,” James junior told the Irish Farmers Journal.
While his son Robert has now taken over the harvesting, James senior admits he still enjoys the occasional run on the combine “just to keep my hand in”.
James was originally born in 1928 in Philadelphia, USA, to parents who had emigrated from Northern Ireland to the US and Canada respectively. When James was five years old, he and his mother and sister returned to Northern Ireland while his father continued to work to try and save money to buy a farm back home. After a time, the family bought 60ac at Lisnarable, Seskinore, for £475.
James, in turn, made enough money to buy his own farm and can lay claim to having the first milking parlour in Co Tyrone.
James Riddell, aged 97, working the combine at Seskinore, Co Tyrone.
He had a fascination with machinery and was one of the first to bring a combine harvester to the county.
This later led to a machinery import business with James bringing secondhand machines in from England to sell in Northern Ireland.
He also sold combines throughout the island, from Donegal right down to Wexford and Cork.
James Riddell, aged 97, working the combine at Seskinore, Co Tyrone.
At the remarkable age of 97, James Riddell from Seskinore, Co Tyrone may well be the country’s oldest combine driver.
His grandson, also James, told the Irish Farmers Journal this week that his grandfather is showing no signs of slowing down either.
Born on 12 April 1928, James has spent almost 70 years in the fields.
He first took to the controls in 1955 with a Ransomes 4ft cutter, towed behind a tractor.
“Back then, the hard-working rig could manage around half an acre an hour. Fast forward to today and it is a New Holland TX36 with a 17ft header - a machine with at least 10 times the capacity of his very first combine.
Neighbours say it is a rare sight to witness someone of his years still guiding a combine across the fields, but for James, it remains second nature,” James junior told the Irish Farmers Journal.
While his son Robert has now taken over the harvesting, James senior admits he still enjoys the occasional run on the combine “just to keep my hand in”.
James was originally born in 1928 in Philadelphia, USA, to parents who had emigrated from Northern Ireland to the US and Canada respectively. When James was five years old, he and his mother and sister returned to Northern Ireland while his father continued to work to try and save money to buy a farm back home. After a time, the family bought 60ac at Lisnarable, Seskinore, for £475.
James, in turn, made enough money to buy his own farm and can lay claim to having the first milking parlour in Co Tyrone.
James Riddell, aged 97, working the combine at Seskinore, Co Tyrone.
He had a fascination with machinery and was one of the first to bring a combine harvester to the county.
This later led to a machinery import business with James bringing secondhand machines in from England to sell in Northern Ireland.
He also sold combines throughout the island, from Donegal right down to Wexford and Cork.
James Riddell, aged 97, working the combine at Seskinore, Co Tyrone.
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