Clare to audit old farm equipment

EUROPE’S first ever large-scale audit of farm machinery is being undertaken in Co Clare. It aims to document unpro-tected early agricultural machinery and to establish a strategy for their conservation.

Seed drills, harrows, ploughs, rollers, horse carts and harvesting and haymaking machinery will be the main focus of the Clare Farm Machinery Audit.

Clare Heritage Office recently secured funding from the Heritage Council and Clare County Council to conduct the project, as part of the implementation of the Clare Heritage Plan for 2007.

Minogue Associates, an East Clare-based consult-ancy firm has been appointed to conduct the audit. Researchers will identify and compile an inventory of agricultural machinery in Clare.

Tomás Mac Conmara, Acting Heritage Officer, Clare County Council, said

“There is a significant gap in awareness when it comes to our agricultural heritage”.

Mr Mac Conmara said the Clare Heritage Office is hoping the audit and its subsequent promotion will help address that gap in Clare and also provide an effective template that can be used on a national and international level.

Although there had been many individual efforts across Europe to collect and preserve antiquated farm machinery, no large-scale audit had ever been undertaken.

Mr Mac Conmara urged anyone to come forward who may have a piece of old farm machinery on their land, which can be photographed and included in the audit.