Ballymac Vintage Club has launched its 16th Annual Classic Car and Honda 50 Run, which takes place on August 2.

The event begins at O’Riadas Bar and Restaurant in Ballymacelligott with Cars and Coffee from 9:00am. Vehicles will depart at 11:00pm.
This year’s run will finish in Knocknagoshel in partnership with the Knocknagoshel Meals on Wheels team, where tea and coffee will be served. Spot prizes will be distributed on the day.
Donations will be collected on the day, with proceeds going to the Kerry Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and St John of God Oileán Beo.
Sponsors for the event include BG Motors Killarney, Browne’s Agri, Steel and Builders Providers, and O Riada’s Bar and Restaurant.

The Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club secured second place and a €2,000 prize at the national Ferguson 20 restoration final in Wexford last weekend.

The prestigious showcase, organised by AXA and the Irish Vintage Society CLG, took place in Clohamon, Co. Wexford.

The initiative challenged heritage enthusiasts from all over the country to return a classic Grey Ferguson 20 tractor to its original state.

While Wexford’s own Clonroche/Poulpeasty Vintage Club walked away with the top prize of €5,000, the Killarney team’s outstanding craftsmanship earned them the runner-up spot on the podium.

The local entry is a diesel-powered Ferguson TEF 20 owned by John Howard, whose father originally bought the vehicle in the mid-1960s.

“It’s a Ferguson TEF 20 diesel, it was the first tractor that came to the farm, and when it came it did all sorts of work,” Mr Howard said. “It was in kind-of-poor repair because it had been used down through the years”.

Killarney Valley Classic and Vintage Club Chairman Tom Leslie explained that the vehicle was running before the project began, but required intensive restoration to meet competitive standards.

“The engine was quite good in it, but the bodywork needed a lot of attention,” Mr Leslie said. “It all needed a good tidy-up, and then of course the final finish was key here to this competition”.

The restoration was aided by spare components Mr Howard had previously kept in storage, with the remainder sourced by club members at various vintage exhibitions across Ireland.
Mr Howard expressed great pride in seeing the finished machine restored to its former glory, noting that the vehicle holds deep “sentimental value to myself and my family”.

The award-winning tractor is now set to go on public display across Munster and beyond.
“We’re delighted to be on the winning podium with second prize in this competition,” Mr Leslie added. “This is going to go to our shows now locally in Kerry and Cork, and we’ll also have it at the National Ploughing display for the Irish Vintage stand because we’re very proud in the club”.

With the national competition wrapped up, Killarney Valley members are already working on their next build, restoring a Ford 7600 imported from France. Once complete, the tractor will be auctioned, with the surplus proceeds going to a local charity.