Paudie Fitzmaurice Tractor and Vehicle Run – The Biggest Yet

Pádraig Fitzmaurice at the start of the 10th Paudie Fitzmaurice Memorial Tractor and Vehicle Run on the yard of Castleisland Co-OP Mart on Sunday. The event is held in honour of his late father. ©Photograph: John Reidy

“It would have been a great day in town but for the f…ing Covid-19,” was one man’s verdict on Sunday’s biggest ever Paudie Fitzmaurice Memorial Tractor and Vehicle Run.

The run, the 10th in the series, had been an annual event up to last year and will hopefully now take up where it left off in 2019.

Sunday’s run attracted 151 vehicles. That total was made up of mostly tractors with cars, lorries and motorbikes bulking up the lengthy cavalcade through Castleisland and onto the Tralee Road and around by Farranfore and home.

No Post Run Celebrations

The lingering of the final restrictions meant that the post run celebrations had to be abandoned for this year with many promises that it will be all made up for next year.

The event rolled out of the mart yard at the top-of-the-town exit at the Crageens as the minute hand threatened 12:15.

Circus-Like Atmosphere

The noise and colour of the parade created a circus like atmosphere as people gathered on the sides of Main Street to wave the participants on their way in the Muire Gan Smál Primary School benefit run.

On Saturday morning the organising committee, under Cllr. Charlie Farrelly and Joe O’Connor, conducted a bucket collection on the streets of the town for the same cause and they will be handing over a cheque for €4,900 to the school over the coming week or so.

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