With well over three thousand people of all ages in attendance, this year’s harvest day was the biggest yet to be hosted by De Courcey classic and vintage Club with the assistance of our sponsor Claas farm machinery who are celebrating 100 years in business.
Our charities this year;
The Children’s leukaemia unit Mercy Hospital, The local Friendship Club.
Old Head Tower restoration fund, Kilmacsimon community and amenity centre.
The event featured three separate areas of winter barley being cut in turn by a variety of combines, reaper and binders and horse drawn equipment.
A tillage area, being worked with vintage farm machinery.
Static displays of cars, motorbikes, tractors, commercial vehicles.
Working stationery engine display.
The three harvest areas;
Claas machines. 1950,s trailed combines, the first self-propelled models, machines from the 60’s 70’s and up to 2012 models on tracks. 15 Claas machines from all over the country attended from even as far away as Ballymena, Co Antrim.
Non Claas machines. Trailed Danias , Massey Fergusons, a Dronningborg and Claysons. Approx 10 machines in this area.
Pre combine harvester harvesting technology. Reaper and binder, Horse drawn mowing machine, Milling and threshing by steam engine and 102 year old Clayton Shuttleworth threshing machine.
Other attractions included hand milling demonstration by Raymond White of Ballinspittle. Large display of farm models. BBQ by Barracuda. Traditional music and set dancing.
One of the highlights of the afternoon was an auction of a number of collectors’ items. Available were two Claas Lexion combine harvester models specially commissioned for the day and a special book signed by Helmut Claas, the man responsible for growing Claas from the small family business in the 1940’s to the multi-national that it is today.
The models both made several hundred euros but the book went for several thousand.
The Club was delighted to have the C.E.O. of Claas UK and Ireland Mr Trevor Tyrrell at the event to perform the official opening. The Club would like to thank the many, many people who worked so hard to make this memorable event possible.
