Last weekend’s Castleisland Vintage Run attracted a total of 50 tractors, nine cars and eight motorbikes. They all gathered at The Half Way Bar in Ballymacelligott in glorious sunshine on Sunday afternoon for the great 1pm. departure – which eventually happened at 1.20pm.
In the course of the 21 mile run they took in a route through: Farranfore, Currow, Scartaglin and Castleisland and finishing back at The Halfway Bar.
This was the third successive year that the event has been organised by Castleisland man, Noel O’Connor. Mr. O’Connor took on the task to fulfill a promise he made to the Breakthrough Cancer Research Charity at the Cork Cancer Research Centre.
Noel lost a lung to cancer through his addiction to smoking back in 1999 and he promised the medical team which saved his life that when he got on his feet he would do all in his power to raise funds for them.
“I made a promise to them that I’d do something to raise money for them for the rest of my days. This is my third year of the Castleisland Vintage Run now and I’m hoping there’s a good few more years left in me that I can carry on with it,” said Noel on Monday.
“We were back a few tractors from last year – but you’d expect that and the way the country is going now. Even so, I lodged €3,510 already and there’s about a dozen cards to come in all the time.
We had a great day and the weather was perfect. We couldn’t ask for anymore. Our Best Restored Tractor prizes went to: Jack McAuliffe, Ballydesmond; Pádraig Fitzmaurice, Cordal; Bertie Moriarty, Cordal and Jerry McCarthy, Ballymacelligott. We’re waiting for all the cards to be in and we’ll present the cheque to the Cork Cancer Research Centre and then we’ll start planning for next year’s run,” said the enthusiastic and lucky cancer survivor, Noel.
