Cooley demonstrates the pulling power of tractors

They came from all over the world to the Cooley Peninsula yesterday to raise €100,000 for charity and to set a new world record…

They came from all over the world to the Cooley Peninsula yesterday to raise €100,000 for charity and to set a new world record.

It was the strangest sight to behold: more than 1,800 vintage tractors, their enthusiastic owners and very serious looking adjudicators from the Guinness Book of Records.

The Cooley Vintage Festival, one of the most popular summer festivals in Ireland, yesterday landed a place on the international stage as it broke the record for the largest number of vintage tractors in style.

The 1,832 tractors were all lined up in a 200-acre field, which had its winter barley harvested last week, and each had to move a set distance at a set time to fulfil the criteria.

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The tractors and general support that the organiser Mr John Hanlon received were amazing, he said.

"One man, Alan Harris, shipped three vintage tractors all the way from Australia.

"They are coming from all over Ireland and the UK," said an enthusiastic Mr Hanlon.

Mr Harris also took part in the last world record, which was set in South Africa in April with 730 tractors. People also travelled from the United States and Canada to attend the record-breaking event yesterday.

They joined with the thousands of Irish people who went to the festival.

Mr Hanlon hopes to have raised close to €100,000 for a number of cross-Border charities.

"This is the biggest cross-Border, cross-community event in Ireland," he said proudly.