Vintage Charleville show to celebrate single cylinder tractors

THE single cylinder tractor, which helped to modernise Irish farming, is to be given a new lease of life at this year’s Charleville Show.

Owners of these vintage machines from all over Ireland and Britain will travel to the town on June 26 and 27 in a bid to create a world record.

The aim is to have more than 172 tractors with their engines running at the same time in a 15-acre field. It will all form part of the show’s vintage rally where a fleet of lorries will be among the attractions.

Dick Bradley, one of the organisers of the vintage section, said it is one of the biggest in Ireland and is growing every year.

The show committee, headed by Bernie Carroll, chairwoman, has been working hard since last October to ensure that everything is well organised for this year’s event on a 45-acre site near the town. Charleville now boasts the largest two-day show in the country with a big reputation for attracting some of the country’s leading cattle exhibitors and horse breeders.

The event was established in 1979 when the running costs were £22,000. Last year’s event cost over €150,000.

PRO Billy Biggane said entries are pouring in for this year’s show which is a great indication of the variety of classes and the attractive prize money.

“As a result of this, we are proud to have the leading dairy and beef herds in the country listed among our exhibitors, and also in the horse section we have the top-class riders taking part in the show jumping,” he said.

Kerry Agribusiness is again the main sponsor of the show where the All-Ireland junior cow championship will be the highlight of the dairy classes.