De Courcey Vintage Club present a Historical talk & film show about the 1954 World Ploughing in Killarney & other events by Mr Robert Kidd, with special guest newly elected chairman of the National Ploughing Association, Mr Denis Keohane, at Kilmacsimon Community Centre on Monday 1st May at 8pm
De Courcey Classic and Vintage Club will host a Historical talk at the Kilmacsimon Community Centre, Bandon, Co. Cork at 8PM Monday the 2nd of May.
The talk will be presented by Mr Eugene Furlong who has himself travelled to Antarctica in recent times. The talk will cover many Corkmen who although not as famous as Tom Crean still contributed to the great South Pole expeditions of the early 19th and 20th centuries.
Eugene will discuss men like Edward Bransfield from Ballinacurra, who was taken off his father’s fishing boat and pressed into Royal Navy service. The McCarthy brothers from Kinsale who travelled with Scott and Shackleton (The McCarthy islands off south Georgia carry their name to this day). Robert Forde from Ballinascarthy, who on Scotts expedition built a field kitchen which is today a protected site of historical interest. Eugene will reveal the remarkable stories of these men whom history has passed by.
For further details contact John 087 2667296.
Last May the new Kilmacsimon Community centre, Bandon, Co Cork was the venue for a very well attended slideshow and talk about the West Cork and South Coast railway organized by the De Courcey Vintage Club and presented by Mr Chris Larkin. The evening was a huge success being both informative and also a great social occasion with a chance for a cup of tea and a chat during the interval.
Another historic talk is planned for the evening of Monday 4th May next at 8 P.M. in the same venue. This year’s talk will be presented by Mr Tim Crowley of the Michael Collins centre, Timoleague and will cover the history of Henry Ford from his family’s origins in Ballinscarthy to his great industrial success story with the famous Ford model T motor car. It is sure to be a most enjoyable night for anyone interested in either the history of West Cork or the history of the automobile.
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.
€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.
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.