A crew comprising of 42 women – known as the ‘Grass Gals’ – harvested 30ac of silage at a record-setting event in Co. Waterford on Saturday (August 19).
Proceeds from the spectacle, which attracted 3,500 visitors, are going to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.
AgriLand was there to soak up the atmosphere and to capture the sights and sounds.
The venue for the feat was the striking Mount Melleray Abbey, which is close to Cappoquin. The picturesque monastery was founded in 1832, by a colony of Irish and English monks.
The ‘Grass Gals’ pictured before the main silage cutting event kicked off
In the lead up to the event, there were some concerns about the weather; the forecast was mixed. However, rain thankfully stayed away on the day.
Activities kicked off that morning; a team of women mowed the fields. As the afternoon set in, the women fired up two self-propelled forage harvesters – accompanied by a veritable army of tractors and trailers.
There was just one loading shovel at the pit – a Venieri 18.63B. It was kept busy – also piloted by an adept female operator – as the tractor/trailer combinations queued up to tip their loads.
There was an eclectic mix of female participants, including a garda, a doctor and even a nun.
AgriLand profiled some of these participants in the run-up to the event, including Kathleen Denn who drove one of the two Claas Jaguar foragers on the day. Also profiled was Paula Hogan, who was on raking duties.
The spectacle was organised by John O’Brien, who has a 130ac dry stock farm at Lyre East, Cappoquin. He has been running silage events at the well-known abbey for years to raise funds for charity.
Also present on the day were the Socket Rockets – a ladies-only team that can rebuild a vintage tractor in just a matter of minutes. Look out for further coverage of the Socket Rockets on AgriLand soon.
