Timetable is subject to change.
De Courcey Harvest Working Day will take place on the Hayes Farm, Kilkerran, Ballinspittle, Co. Cork on Bank Holiday Monday 1st August 2022.
Old time tillage and harvest working displays. Competition ploughing. Static displays of stationary engines, cars, tractors and commercial vehicles
The August Bank Holiday Monday is almost upon us and excitement is growing in DeCourcey Country. We have a change of venue this year as the annual Harvest Working day moves to the farm of Derry Desmond in Harbour View, Kilbrittain.
On the evening of Tuesday 18th July, the De Courcey Vintage Club members, gathered with Friends of Bandon Community Hospital and the Ballinspittle Comhaltas group to attend the official launch of the Harvest day at the wonderful new site overlooking Courtmacsherry bay on the Wild Atlantic Way.
The large site will have plenty of space to accommodate the usual working areas with continuous displays of harvesting, tilling, and horse work throughout the day. Visitors to previous events will be aware of the range of machines from horse drawn reapers to trailer combines and early self-propelled models to modern giant harvesters that will be seen working on the day. Each year the number of machines grows and we are looking forward to seeing some recently restored vintage combines doing their thing at our event for the first time.
This year we will also have silage cutting which is a first for De Courcey’s and we are really excited about it. The emphasis will be on vintage and rare machines but Claas Farm Machinery will also be using the event to promote their latest silage harvesters. The Claas display will also be a must see for all tractor and machinery fans. We will be very fortunate to be able to display the latest Claas Jaguar 970 silage harvester working at the event. A big De Courcey thanks to Claas agent, Tim McCarthy of McCarthy plant and agri. sales Carriogtwohill for his support.
All working combines must register before the event. Silage cutting slots will be allocated before the event but anyone bringing equipment will be able to display in the static area.
For up to date Club News and entry forms, please check the facebook page or our website www.decourceyvintage.com.
Bill Chambers P.R.O. DeCourcey Classic and Vintage Club. 087 2844197.
On Monday the 1st Aug 2016 the 6th Annual De Courcey Harvest working day takes place in Ballinadee, Bandon, Co Cork. This year the theme is “80 years of the Ferguson tractor” and will be officially opened by Mr Andrew Pollock editor of the Irish Vintage Scene magazine.
2016 may be the 100th anniversary of the Rising but it is also the 80th anniversary of the start of production of the Ferguson tractor line, with the Ferguson Brown being manufactured in 1936. One of these rare tractors will be on display in Ballinadee at the event curtesy of Mick Forde of “The Farm” Grenagh, Co Cork, see www.visitthefarm.ie . We will have a large number of Ferguson tractors and Ferguson system implements on show and being demonstrated by their owners in our special Ferguson tilling area.
A highlight of the event will be a presentation by Pat O’Donovan on Ferguson and the Ferguson system.
Star attractions of the Harvest Working Day will of course be the growing numbers of vintage combines from all over the country that attend this event each year. Mick Forde has promised to bring a Massey Harris 726 combine which he states is probably the oldest self-propelled combine in Ireland.
A highlight of the event will be the annual raffle. Top prize will be a trip to London with Barters travel of Bandon.
The De Courcey Harvest Day began in 2011 as an idea to put on a working demonstration using several restored vintage combine harvesters from the locality. The event was very successful and the following year increased in size with both participant and visitor numbers doubling.
Both 2013 and 2014 saw a radical change as sponsorship from first Claas and then New Holland allowed the De Courcey Vintage Club to organise an event of national significance on a thirty five acre site. These shows attracted several thousand visitors to Barrell’s Cross Kinsale. Both these events received much positive coverage in overseas publications as well as in Ireland.
The harvest working day now features working areas with continuous activity. Harvesters, reaper and binders and every sort of machinery associated with the harvest past and present can be seen working throughout the day.
Tilling is also represented with a ploughed field filled with vintage machinery turning the soil and planting crops.
Many horse operated machines will be operating on the day. Horses will be ploughing, harrowing, cutting corn, threshing and drawing cartloads of sheaves.
Also on site will be a picnic area surrounded by food outlets showcasing some of our unique West Cork products. Last year’s participants included Clonakilty black puddings, Barracuda BBQ and Clona Dairies.
Of course the event will also have a large static display of vintage commercial vehicles, cars and tractors. This section continues to grow each year.
Continuing with our commitment to supporting local causes, this year funds raised will once again go to several local groups in De Courcey’s parish but our main beneficiary will be the ‘Irish guide dogs for the blind ‘. The guide dogs will be attending to meet the public on the day.
The other groups are as follows; Ballinadee Development Assoc. The local Foroige group and Courcey Rovers Ladies football and Camogie Club, .
Bill Chambers P.R.O. De Courcey classic and Vintage club.
Contact
Chairman: John O Neill 087 266 7296
Secretary: John Quinn 086 8162529
This day two weeks the 2015 De Courcey Harvest Working Day takes place. It’s launch took place in Ballinadee last Monday, the 13th of July.
Chairman of De Courcey Classic and Vintage club told how the McCarthy Family, land owners of this years site have a long history associated with Harvesting and Milling.
Members from each group who will benefit from funds raised on the day also said a few words.
Afterwards Corcoran’s Bar in Ballinadee hoisted some refreshments.
De Courcey Classic and vintage Club, building on the success of the Claas Centenary and the New Holland Basildon 50 celebrations are once again planning a major event for the 2015 August Bank Holiday Monday.
The theme for this year’s event will be “A century of Change”. As in previous years it will of course be a working day. Visitors will be able to see teams of horses working with implements and machinery from bygone farming days as well as the giant harvesters of today and everything in between.
Continuing with our commitment to supporting local causes, this year funds raised will once again go to several local groups in De Courcey’s parish but our main beneficiary will be the ‘Friends of Jamie Wall Trust Fund”.
Friends of Jamie Wall
Jamie Wall is a local young teacher who led a very active life and was much involved in the GAA, playing both hurling and football for Cork in Under 21’s and Minors. Unfortunately Jamie suffered a severe illness in 2014 which left him requiring a great deal of care. ‘The friends of Jamie Wall’ fund was set up to raise funds to support Jamie’s rehabilitation and aid in his goal of once again living an independent life.
The team at De Courcey’s look forward to fine weather on the August Bank Holiday Monday and a great day at our new site in Ballinadee to celebrate the ‘Century of Change’.
Bill Chambers PRO.
Contact John 087 2667296 or Martin 087 6060777.
You can now rent or buy the Harvest Day 2014 video on Demand in HD! Watch it anywhere! On mobile, tablet, PC, laptop, Xbox, Apple TV and more.
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.
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.