Banna all set again for a great Maurice Collins Vintage Rally
THE bad weather we’ve had this year means the Maurice Collins Memorial Vintage Day has had to find a new venue – but organisers’ excitement ahead of the 2018 edition is no less than it would normally be, and with good reason.
The event has traditionally taken place on the grounds of Gerard McCarthy in Banna West, but the extraordinary weather of 2018 has seen it move to Ardfert Quarries, Sacksville, where Maurice himself worked.
The event’s title is somewhat misleading in that festivities actually carry on for a couple of days; it starts on Easter Saturday, March 31, with its traditional tractor run from Ardfert Quarry to Ballyheigue.
This is the 11th rally; it raised more than €13,000 for good causes in 2017, and organising committee chairperson Joe McCarthy is confident of further success in 2018 given its packed schedule.
“Easter Sunday will start with St Brendan’s AC Ardfert doing their run,” he said. “It will be a jam-packed day of plenty to see and do, including vintage tractors, car engines, trucks, bikes, and machinery from days gone by.”
The day will also feature threshing, butter-making, farm skills contests and a whole host of entertainment for children and adults alike.
This year’s beneficiaries will be the Palliative Care/Hospice at University Hospital Kerry, and the O’Carroll family has been thanked for allowing the use of their premises.