“Well, it’s been a magnificent summer. Fields are still growing grass. Sheds and yards are full and ready for the winter. Also, the football journey of the summer, that is the All Ireland Championship was very successful, let celebrate the achievements of Kerry Football in bringing both the Sam Maguire and Tom Markham Cup to reside in the county for the winter by entering if you have a Tractor, vintage or otherwise or vintage motor car and supporting this year’s very worthy cause.
“This year’s third annual Paudie Fitzmaurice Memorial Tractor & Vintage Run will leave Brosna GAA Club grounds at 1pm on this Sunday afternoon September 28th.”
This year’s Paudie Fitzmaurice Tractor and Vintage Run will benefit a very deserving charity, St Francis Special School attached to St Mary of the Angels Beaufort. St Francis Special School provides educational services to Pupils with a moderate and/or severe to profound learning disability aged between four and 18 years. The school is in the process of constructing four extra classrooms with toilet and changing facilities to provide extra care and service to the children who attend there on a daily basis. They hope to have this work completed by June 2015,” said event PRO Danny Kelliher.
“On visiting the school recently to launch the Tractor Run, members of the ad-hoc tractor run committee commented among themselves about the fantastic work clearly to be seen being done on a daily basis and the laughter and joy exhibited by the children throughout the facility.
It has been three years since the untimely passing of Paudie. It is fitting that this year’s run begins back where it started, in 2012, at Brosna GAA Club field. The sight of the large car park at the GAA field filling up with Tractors driven by men and women from all the parishes of the area is one that will live long in the memory,” said Danny.
The year’s run will depart Brosna GAA Club grounds at 12.30pm sharp. The cavalcade of tractors and other vintage vehicles will travel over The Black Banks towards Castleisland, turning left at Kearney’s Cross heading for Cordal. The route will continue through Kilmurry, turning right at Cordal Church and onto Castleisland. It will travel down the town and onto Creamery Lane to park on the yard of the Castleisland Co-Op Mart. Refreshments will be had at Kearney’s Bar for the drivers afterwards.
“As quite a number of vehicles, both tractor and motor cars are expected to take part in this year’s run, the committee wish to apologies in advance for any delay that may occur. We also wish to thank the Gardai and the communities of Brosna and Castleisland for their support and oo-operation on the day. Please turn out to cheer on and support the drivers as they show their support for this year’s charity and for the family and friends of the late Paudie Fitzmaurice,” according to Danny.
Under new regulations covering events using public roads, a permit is granted each year by An Gárda Síochana to allow the event to take place. Part of this requirements in granting the Permit is that all vehicles participating in the run are insured to be on the Public Road and that the drivers taking part take responsibility for their vehicles as they would at any other time.
Vehicle Drivers will be required to sign a declaration before entering the run stating that their vehicle is insured. This practice is now common with the participants of other such events using public roads throughout the country.
“This is a great opportunity for anyone who is a tractor or a vintage enthusiast to get up close to view and compare the modern powerful tractors and also the tractors and motor cars of a bygone era many of which are in everyday use and which were the engineering marvels of their time.
The run also gives a great excuse to the local farming community to spend a pleasant afternoon in the company of like-minded people reflecting on the fantastic summer past as well as making a contribution to two very deserving charities.
The organisers and the family of the late Paudie Fitzmaurice are asking all participants and spectators to enjoy the day, be safe and to work together to ensure that we run an event from which all will return home safely,” Mr. Kelliher concluded.
Entry fee is €20 Euro per vehicle, sponsorship cards can be had from any member of the organising committee – or you can simply pay on the day.
