Hugh
Oram reports from the annual Rosdillig Vintage Rally in Co.
Carlow, Ireland, at which 24 vintage threshing mills were run
simultaneously in line on September 21, beating the gathering
of threshing mills in New Zealand on March 29 this year (OG
June/July) by a further ten machines.
Contrary
to dismal weather forecast expectations, the weather was largely
warm and sunny for the annual Rosdillig rally in Co. Carlow
in Ireland, staged on September 21. This year, the organisers
tried something uniquely different; they attempted to set a
world threshing record, with 24 vintage threshing mills being
run in line and simultaneously. Most of the mills were powered
by steam engines with around half a dozen powered by tractors.
James Roche, owner (left) and Ned Fleming, from Kilmacow, Co.
Waterford, with James’s very rare 1926 Boyd threshing
mill, which he restored from a derelict state.
The
whole event, which ran from 2pm-7pm, turned out to be a tremendous
success. The upland setting was magnificent, being held on the
foothill slopes of Mount Leinster, one of Ireland’s highest
mountains, at 793m. The site, which is near Borris, is close
to where the three counties of Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford
meet, right in the heart of the sunny south east of Ireland.
The Rosdillig rally has been run annually for 16 years, expanding
year by year and this was by far the largest ever. The event
was started because two men - Philip Whitford, the owner of
the land on which the fair is held, and another local man Paddy
Byrne (who died before the first event could be held) - decided
that they wanted to perpetuate the old threshing methods. Neither
could have dreamed just how big the whole event would become,
the biggest-ever collection of threshing mills and engines ever
seen in Ireland, according to most people at the rally.
The first year of the rally attracted a mere 80-90 visitors
but this year’s event brought well over 2,000 people to
the rally, which is always held on the third Sunday of September.
Visitor numbers would have been even higher except that a county
Gaelic Athletic Association match was on at the same time which
drew some potential spectators away.
In 2002, they had ten threshing mills in action – so this
year, the organisers decided to go for gold and the world record
attempt. Fortunately, this part of Ireland has an excellent
collection of mills.
The threshing line-up at the Rosdillig Vintage Rally on September
21 included no less than 24 vintage mills. Photos: Hugh Oram.
The
steam engines at this year’s fair came from the local
area, as well as some from other parts of Ireland. Around 20
of the engines and mills were brought by locally-based owners
in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois and Wexford, which are close
to the event’s location, while others came from as far
away as Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Dublin and Co. Monaghan.
By far the longest journey was made by David Carroll from Lavagh,
near Ballymote, Co. Sligo, who brought his threshing mill 180
miles to the rally. His 1945 Garvie mill, made in Aberdeenshire,
has been owned by him for the past 20 years and he has carried
out major restoration work on it with much of the timber work
being fairly new. The thresher was towed by David’s 1945
Fordson Major tractor, which was driven by his son, Lovell.
The Carrolls were an exception to the rule; most of the engines
and mills came from a 20-mile radius of the rally site.
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