Mayo farm machinery dealership Castlebar Farm Machinery has been selling and servicing tractors from their Turlough, Castlebar base for over 50 years. That’s a lot of history in this farm machinery business and the late Tom Jennings, who set it up after a short career as a butcher, sold many hundreds of tractors to farmers in the region over those years.

The David Brown range has always had a special place for the family run company. So it is no surprise that when it came to assembling a vintage and classic tractor collection, the David Brown range had to feature strongly.

The Jennings family started their farm machinery dealership in 1965 and by 1974 they were appointed as David Brown tractor dealers. Today, they continue that legacy as they remain Case IH dealers and still supply parts and service to many of the original tractors sold during those 50 or more years.

The late Tom and his son Thomas, who now runs the business with his sisters Mary and Connie and son Tom, have put together a very special collection of tractors that almost all mean something very special to the development of their business. Many of these tractors have local connections, some were originally sold as either new or secondhand tractors, while others were supplied by other local dealers.

I spent some time with Thomas Jennings recently and he gave me the opportunity to see some of the tractors in their collection. Pride of place has to go to a David Brown 990 Implematic tractor that has a very special history. This tractor never worked on a farm and was bought by the late Tom Jennings from the David Brown factory museum in Meltham, Yorkshire.

This was a very carefully hand-built tractor that was a display model, while still being a functional working machine. The quality and attention to detail in the manufacture of this tractor is impressive.

Every detailed part of the tractor has been preserved in its original assembly condition and gets a regular waxing to maintain the beautiful paint finish. This tractor was produced from 1961 to 1965 with serial numbers running from 440001-480600.

The David Brown 990 is a four cylinder tractor rated at 52hp with a PTO power rating of 48hp. The Implematic hydraulic system gave single lever operation of the David Brown patented Traction Depth Control system and it had a semi-automatic latch system to ensure that the three point linkage could be mechanically locked for transport.

The tractor came with a two-speed PTO system that gave more powerful low ratio operation to deliver 48hp at the shaft or a lower power version to give 28hp also at 540 rpm on the shaft. David Brown also offered a 1000rpm PTO shaft drive that at 2000rpm on the tractor engine, could deliver 46hp on the shaft.

Other tractors in the Jennings collection include a very clean white David Brown 990 Selectamatic version with a high cab. This 1996 tractor was bought in England some years ago and has only 1,600 hours in the clock. It had an easy working life in England on a market gardening farm and that has allowed for the preservation of its great condition.

Other more local origin in the collection includes a well-preserved David Brown Cropmaster diesel conversion tractor. This tractor was originally sold as a TVO unit and converted locally in a specially provided David Brown diesel conversion kit some years later. This tractor was sold by one of the original David Brown dealers of the 1950’s White’s Garage of Ballina, Co Mayo.

There are two original International Harvester tractors from the 1950’s in the collection, one of which was sold locally by former International dealer, Tommy Johnson of Ballyhaunis. This tractor was rescued from under a collapsed shed by the Jennings family and restored to an original looking and working condition.

There are also two very special Massey Ferguson tractors in the collection, one a 35X and the other a slightly more recent MF135. During the early years of Castlebar Farm Machinery Tom Jennings imported hundreds of these tractors for Mayo farmers. Today, the Jennings family have retained two of the original tractors sold back then and both are fully restored to their original condition and have a very sentimental attachment. “During the early 1970s we imported up to five truckloads of these tractors each week from England,” says Thomas Jennings, “so they were a huge part of our growing business until the arrival of the David Brown agency.”

There is a neat Massey Ferguson 65 Mk II in the collection, which in the early 1970s was a still a big tractor in the area. When the David Brown 1200 models appeared they were considered too big for the area and that’s where the David Brown 995 and 996 dominated the market in the area.

Just ten tractor makes available in 1965

It is interesting that in 1965 industry reports show that 2,355 new tractors were sold and a further 3,705 used imported tractors were sold. The David Brown range was an important part of this market. The David Brown 990 was considered among the bigger tractors on the market with its 52hp engine and was rated highly against the likes of the Massey Ferguson 165 (56hp), Ford 5000 (56.9hp) and Nuffield 10/60 (56hp) and Fiat 615 (63hp).

At that stage there were about 50,000 tractors on Irish farms. Just 10 makes of tractors were available and of these three brands, Massey Ferguson, Ford and David Brown, accounted for 85% of the market.

This year, the Carlow to Cork Tractor Club is planning a unique all-Ireland tractor run where they hope to place at least one tractor in every county in Ireland and on drive them back to Carlow. The challenge takes place on 19 and 20 August and has been called the “Follow me back to Carlow” run. Brendan Byrne of the club said that the combined distance for the tractors taking part in this unique road run will be over 5,500km.

“We are issuing a call for help from vintage tractor clubs from all 32 counties of Ireland,” says Brendan. “We are still looking for their help with accommodation, tractor parking and breakdown crews that our drivers can call on if we need help,” he said. “Part of the driving crew of 22 people aims to overnight in Mullingar, on Friday 19 August as they will meet there on their route from all northern counties,” said Brendan.

The Carlow to Cork tractor club has been supporting the Children’s Medical & Research Foundation (CMRF) at Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Dublin for over 11 years and to date the club has donated over €228,000 to the hospital.

Brendan said that the team can be contacted on Facebook or via email on Followmebacktocarlow@gmail.com and they have put in place a text line for much needed donations.

We have put in place a text number to help us raise much-needed funds for CMRF. We are appealing to farmers supporting us to text RUN32 to 50300 to donate €4. All of the donations go to CMRF Crumlin across most network operators.

This unique tractor run was launched at Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Dublin recently with a selection of vintage tractors brought to the venue to set the scene. A large number of club members were joined by local rugby hero Sean O’Brien, world champion ploughman Eamonn Treacy and well-known singer Marty Mone, famous for his Hit the Diff song.

Ballinagore Macra recently held its first charity tractor road run event in aid of Westmeath Hospice over the May bank holiday weekend. Dympna Claffey club chair said that the entire €4,500 raised on the day went towards the charity.

There were over 70 participants in the road run and Dympna said that the club was blown away with all the support they received for their first ever charity event.

Jimmy McCarthy memorial run

The Carrigtwohill Vintage Club is celebrating the life and times of one of its founder members, the late Jimmy McCarthy, this weekend with its first commemorative tractor run leaving the town on Sunday morning, 3 July. Jimmy McCarthy was a prominent farmer and contractor for many years in the region and along with his late wife Mary they ran a pioneering farm contracting business for four decades.

His legacy to the region includes establishment of the local vintage club and a lifetime of support for the National Ploughing Association. Conor Mulcahy (087-793 2488) of the Carrigtwohill Vintage Club is expecting a big turnout for the event.

Irish Farmers Journal Vintage Diary

29 June Dark Hedges Tractor Run, Stranocum, Ballymoney, Antrim 028/048-207 41621

2 July Adamstown Vintage Show, Wexford 087-298 4904

2 July Birches Vintage Rally, Portadown, Armagh 0044-773 3417540

2 July Portglenone Vintage Rally, Antrim 0044-773 8238 695

2 July John Glasgow Annual Memorial Road Run, Cookstown 0044-780 8360334

2 July Cullybackey Independence Day Festival, Antrim 028/048-258 82281

3 July Jimmy McCarthy Memorial Run, Carrigtwohill, Cork 087-793 2488

3 July Colmcille Vintage Club Tractor Run, Longford 086-818 8550

3 July Rathfreadagh Vintage Rally, Limerick 087-699 5904

3 July Clonoulty Rossmore Vintage Run, Tipperary 087-623 0816

3 July Blackstairs Vintage Rally, Myshall, Carlow 086-602 9050

3 July West Limerick Vintage Car & Tractor Run, Limerick 087-699 5904

3 July Western Vintage Club Rally, Mayo 089-841 1989

3 July Fisherstown Tractor Run, Vicarstown, Laois 086-348 1866

9 July Streete Club Philip Moran Vintage Tractor Run, Westmeath 086-259 6656

9/10 July NW Donegal Vintage Club Carrigart Show, Donegal 087-220 3331

9 July Braid Valley Vintage Rally, Broughshane, Antrim 0044-780 2537124

9 July Sheepbridge Tractor Run, Antrim 028/048-302 66428

10 July Four Counties Vintage Club Field Day, Ballyhoe, Meath 087-276 8406

10 July South Eastern Vintage Rally & Hay Day, Carlow 087-238 5195

10 July Sixmilebridge Road Run, Clare 061-369 999

10 July Ballinrostig Vintage Field Day, Whitegate, Cork 087-997 4619

10 July Knockbridge Vintage Road Run, Louth 087-976 3355

10 July Shamrock Vintage Club Carrickbyrne Show, Wexford 051-428 416

13 July Bushmills Vintage Rally, Ballyness, Antrim 0044-798 9383234?

13 July Peninsula Vintage Road Run, Kircubbin, Antrim 0044-778 9448668?

14 July Drumbo Vintage, Drumbo, Armagh 0044-781 1602788

Dates are subject to change. The Irish Farmers Journal does not take responsibility for date or venue changes. Please contact each event before you travel.