This year’s Silage Extravaganza (in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Ireland) played host to a massive gathering of County tractors.
99 of these Ford-derived machines descended on the site on Sunday (July 29).
Also Read: Silage Extravaganza was tight for grass, but ‘awash’ with tractorsExamples of various shapes, sizes and even colours (not all were blue!) arrived from all over the island.
It was all part of an event organised by Coolmoyne & Moyglass Vintage Club. The club’s objective was two-fold – to engender community spirit and to raise much needed funds for South Tipperary Hospice.
The club, working in conjunction with the Irish County Tractor Club, also sought to gather together a record-breaking number of County tractors in one field. It claims to have done so – with a tally of 99 tractors turning up on the day.
This gallery of pictures (below) depicts just some of these contraptions, in all their resplendent glory.
Among the more unusual oddities on display (from the County stable) was this ‘Seahorse‘ (pictured below). It’s owned by Martin Fernihough of Worcestershire.
County Commercial Cars built the tractor to cross the English Channel as a publicity stunt in 1963, sealing off the engine and gearbox and mounting buoyancy tanks at either end.
Although the fate of the machine was not fully documented at the time, Martin believes that his example has a good claim to being the original of the several conversions undertaken. As a keen tractor restorer, he has invested a good deal of time and effort in bringing it back to show condition.
‘Best Of The Rest’
It was not just about County ‘contraptions’ though. Massey Ferguson 65 tractors were also to the fore. There were 33 of these – in various states of repair or restoration (including some rather rare specimens).
Stay tuned to AgriLand for further coverage from the event, including extensive picture galleries depicting the other machines present.
