The Ballinadee Threshing at Corcorans Bar will take place this Sunday 2nd of November. A road run for tractors will start at the Blue Horizon, Garrettstown at 12 and proceed to attend Corcorans 21st anniversary threshing. Proceeds to A.R.C. house. Contact Martin 087 6060777 for further details.
The hard working team of the De Courcey Classic and Vintage club are just settling down and relaxing, after the excitement of yet another wonderful August Bank Holiday ‘Harvest Day’ at Barrel’s Cross, Kinsale.
Once again in 2014 crowds flocked to the farm of Jim and Eileen O’Regan at Coolyrahilly, Barrel’s Cross, Kinsale in County Cork. The many thousands who attended the event were not disappointed as the club committee and sponsors Mc & S Agri Sales Ltd, had prepared a very special day indeed. Of course with Mc & S on the team Courceys had to abandon their traditional red and white colours for the blue and yellow of Ford and New Holland.
The day started early with ploughs, harrows and tilling at midday followed by the teams of horses mowing, binding and drawing sheaves in the traditional harvest section. The vintage Claas, M.F’s Dronningberg, and Dania harvesters then started their own display.
A break in activity was called at 1PM for the opening ceremony. The crowd was addressed by John O’Neill (Club Chairman), Jim O’Regan (landowner) and John McCarthy of Mc&S. The official opening was then performed by Mr Andrew Watson C.E.O. of New Holland UK and Ireland, who had travelled to Ireland especially for the event.
Then it was down to work! A range of Ford and New Holland tractors from Keith Byran’s 1918 model F, to Jim O’Regan’s 2014 T7.260, gave an unforgettable display of ploughing. Donal McCarthy’s team of Clydesdale horses were joined by Fordson model F’s, N’s, Ford Nans, Majors and Dextas with a mixture of trailer and hydraulic ploughs. The thousand series up to the modern T6’s and T7’s with their huge reversible were all represented. There was plenty for the tractor enthusiast to enjoy and lots of cameras were out to capture the occasion. The final sequence in the ploughing area was a spectacular line up of the 24 participants in a single line spanning 96 years of progress.
With the ploughing out of the way, the Claeys, Claysons and New Holland combines took up position for a unique formation harvesting display of 16 combines with Kinsale Harbour and the sea in the distance behind them. The earliest machine on site was a 1963 Claeys M103 owned by Michael Ryan, Ballinscarthy and the most modern was a 2014 New Holland CX6090 owned by Leonard Draper of Dunmanway. New Holland combines from each decade in between were present.
As all this activity was taking place visitors were able take a break in the picnic area at the food village which occupied a central location in the 35 Acre field. Delicious food was served all day by local West Cork food outlets and many people returned several times to try out the different wares. The De Courcey tea tent was an especially busy place with many exhibitors and visitors having a cuppa and catching up with acquaintances for a chat.
In tune with the harvest theme, there was an impressive display of various milling machines from horse operated threshing machines to engine and tractor driven mills. Raymond White from Ballinspittle was kept busy all day demonstrating how the hand operated kern stones produced flour from wheat.
A fine display of vintage cars, trucks and tractors was on site. The tractors were of course dominated by the blue of the Fords. Many early Fordsons were also present. New Holland had a full range of modern machines at the event and the merchandise shop did tremendous business out all day.
After the final harvesting displays completed the raffle was held. Prizes included three months use of a New Holland Tractor, a weekend break and a New Holland gift pack. Mr Andrew Watson was then called to cut a specially commissioned cake commemorating 50 years of tractor production at the Basildon UK plant.
De Courcey Classic and Vintage Club would like to thank the members, sponsors, landowner, local groups and individuals and the many people who contributed in all sorts of ways for their support in 2014.
The proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to Marymount Hospice, Ballinspittle and Ballinadee primary schools and to Courcey Rovers GAA underage teams.
Timetable
12:00 Arena 5: Cutting sect, horse mowing machines, horse reaper and binder, threshing with horses, cutting and binding by hand, tillage
12:30 Arena No 4: Other Harvesting
13:00 Opening Ceremony
14:15 Arena 1 Ploughing
14:15 Arena 5 Threshing & Milling
14:45 Arena 2 New Holland Harvesting
16:30 Raffle/Birthday cake ceremony
17:00 Arena 3 Grand Finale
*Times Subject to change
You can download the entry form for this years event here
*Please Note* There is a limit to the number of exhibits that can work in the working areas.
As per last year, there will be no trade stands at this years event.
De Courcey Classic and Vintage Club are delighted to have New Holland as a partner in this year’s Harvest Working day at Barrell’s Cross, Kinsale, Co. Cork. The Club is looking forward with anticipation to the various Ford and New Holland models that will be on show at Barrell’s Cross on Mon 4th August.
Recently the Club committee met with Gordon and Lorraine Sullivan from MC and S Agrisales Ltd, to discuss the upcoming event. Pictured at this meeting alongside a New Holland T7.200 was a Fordson N belonging to Keith Bryan of Waterfall. This tractor with the Cork stamp on the fuel tank was built in the Ford plant at the Marina in 1929.
Tractor production in Europe began at the Ford plant in Cork in 1919 when the Model N was produced there. When tractor manufacture moved to Dagenham in the U.K. in the 1930’s, so many of the Irish workers also made the move that Dagenham became known as “Little Cork”. In 1964 the tractor production moved to a modern plant in Basildon to begin assembly of the new generation of 1000 series Fords. The plant became New Holland in the 1990’s. Fifty years on from 1964 Ford and New Holland return to Cork where it all began.
In Ireland, New Holland are celebrating the 50 years of production in Basildon by sponsoring the De Courcey Harvest working day 2014. The Harvest working day will showcase modern and Classic Combine Harvesters starting back at the MZ89 model through the Clayes 103, the Clayson 135 , Sperry/ New Holland models of the 60’s and 70’s to the 80 Series the TX32 and 34, the 60 , 700, 800 and 8000 Series, with the CX8090 Model representing the current range.
As in previous years at De Courcey’s all of these machines will be seen operating in the harvesting area.
As well as combines a full range of tractors dating from the Ford plant in Cork, The Fordsons from Dagenhan, The 1000 series, the silver jubilee 7810’s up to this year’s golden jubilee T6 and T7 models manufactured in Basildon will all be on show.
Currently undergoing restoration is a 1919 Ford model F. This tractor rolled off the production line in Cork during the first months of operation and will hopefully be ready for display at the event.
In addition a special attraction will celebrate the evolution of ploughing from the horse drawn era through each decade to the latest New Holland machines. Visitors will see horses ploughing, Ford model F’s and N’s, Fordson 27N “High Nellys”, Fordson Majors and Dextas, 1000 series , 600 Series, 10 Series , 40, 60 and 70 Series and the TM T7000 models. Each tractor will be ploughing with a plough appropriate to the year from ferguson system ploughs to trailed ploughs up to modern reversible equipment.
Other attractions on the day will include horse drawn mowing machines, reaper and binder, Steam threshing, Hand milling of corn, static display of vintage cars, tractors, motorbikes and engines. There will also be music and dancing and plenty of good food.
Funds raised from the event will be donated to Marymount Hospice, Ballinadee and Ballinspittle primary schools and Courcey Rovers underage GAA teams.
De Courcey Classic and Vintage club will present a talk on the West Cork railway 1845 to 1961 by Mr Chris Larkin of the Irish Railway Record Society on Monday May 5th at 7:30 P.M.
The event will take place at new Kilmacsimon Community Centre, Bandon (The centre is located between Innishannon and Ballinadee).
The talk which will include a slide and film show will cover the planning, construction, history and eventual closing of the line in controversial circumstances.
The club are delighted to have Mr Larkin for the evening as he has in the past joined members for a highly enjoyable walk through Kilpatrick railway tunnel and his knowledge of the railway is second to none. (See Video of walk below). His talk on the 5th of May is certain to be both informative and entertaining.
The DVD of the De Courcey Classic and Vintage club Harvest day 2013 “100 Years of Claas” is now available. This DVD costs €15 and is available from Corcorans Bar, Ballinadee, The Blue Horizon, Garrettstown or direct from Kevin O’Neill, Ballinadee. Contact Kevin on 021 4778176, 087 7752059 or by email kevinaoneill@gmail.com. You can also have the DVD posted to you for an additional €2.
As well as the 60 minutes of the main feature there is also 30 minutes of extra footage including the build up to the day.
You buy it directly from here on this site just by clicking the add to cart button below.
With the final club event behind us the club held its AGM on Monday night 18th November. The Chairman’s and Secretary’s speeches reflected on the successful year enjoyed by the club. There were letters from sponsors and participants complementing the club on their running of the Harvest Day on the August bank holiday as well as letters of thanks from the organisations to which €30,000 had been donated to during the year.
The 2014 committee elected on the night is as follows;
President; Chris Corcoran.
Chairman; John O’Neill.
Secretary; Martin Nyhan.
Treasurer; Brendan Nyhan.
PRO; Bill Chambers.
Assistant; Chairman Edward Draper.
Assistant Secretary/ Safety Officer; John Nyhan.
Assistant Treasurer; Flor Lovell.
Assistant PRO; Jim O’Regan.
Assistant Safety Officer; Diarmuid Coughlan.
The next meeting of the Club is scheduled for 9PM Mon. 27th Jan. at the Blue Horizon, Garrettstown. We would like to invite any lady or gent interested in joining to come along on the night.
The Club is already looking forward to 2014. We are expecting to run three events next year. A spring event at Easter(details of which have yet to be worked out), a Harvest day on the August bank holiday similar to this year’s event with New Holland harvesters and machinery as the theme and of course the Ballinadee threshing next November, which will be celebrating its 21st anniversary.
€30,000 presented to four worthy causes.
Celebrating 100 years of Claas.
On sat 12th Oct De Courcey Classic and Vintage Club held a presentation night to distribute funds raised at the Harvest day on Mon 5th Aug. Tim and Fidelma McCarthy, of McCarthy Argi Carrigtwohill & Lisavard and representating Claas farm machinery joined club members and friends at the Blue Horizon, Garrettstown for a social evening during which cheques were presented to a number of organisations. The Children’s leukaemia unit Mercy Hospital received €12,000 , The local Friendship Club, Old Head Tower restoration fund and the Kilmacsimon community and amenity centre received €6000 each.
With well over three thousand people of all ages in attendance at Jim O’Regans farm, Barrells Cross, this year’s Harvest day was the biggest yet to be hosted by De Courcey classic and vintage Club with the assistance of Claas who are celebrating 100 years in business.
Presentations were also given to Jim & Eileen O’Regan, the landowners and to former Chairman and founding member Connie Coughlan and Martina Coughlan on their recent marriage.
