In a ‘Farm Classics’ special Peter O’Brien shares a fascinating story of a West Cork tractor that now resides 90 minutes from the Russian border in Ukraine.
SINCE 2012, I have been involved in agricultural machinery journalism - it feeds my passion for tractors and photography, along with the challenge of compiling articles. Above all, it is the network of people that I meet through various means who share the same enthusiasm that is the most rewarding aspect.
A reader of The Southern Star who contacted me recently led to some enjoyable chats, and this fascinating story.
Jerry Keohane always had great interest in tractors and machinery, enjoying driving, restoring, and trading.
Jerry Keohane and his grandson Cathal. Cathal inherited his interest in tractors from his grandfather.
Farming in Clouncarrigeen, Dunmanway, Jerry spent many summer days of the 70s and 80s working with well-known silage contractor Richard Buttimer drawing and mowing silage.
At home, Ford tractors were the main workhorses on the farm, with Jerry also having a particular interest in Massey Ferguson 35s.
In the early 2000s, Jerry purchased a 1976 Ford 3600 for the primary purpose of attending vintage tractor runs, which were growing in popularity.
Arriving in its working clothes, the Ford was duly tidied up and painted. After numerous runs and a number of years, the tractor was sold on, as Jerry looked to the next project.
Jerry’s grandson Cathal inherited the tractor bug from his grandfather Jerry.
With fond memories of growing up around the various tractors on the farm, Cathal set about the mammoth task of attempting to locate some of Jerry’s previous tractors with the intent of returning them to Clouncarrigeen.
Armed with a handful of photos, registration numbers, and insurance documents, Cathal took to social media in a bid to find the tractor placing an advertisement on DoneDeal, and a post of ‘The Ford 1000 series group’ Facebook page.
Within hours, Cathal had a response on Facebook – the Ford 3600 located! The reply was from a man in Bantry, who actually now owned the tractor. However, there was a slight problem.
Replying to Cathal via Facebook was Eugene O’Sullivan, hailing from Ballinacarriga, Bantry.
Eugene’s wife is from Dikanka, and they have been travelling, by aeroplane, to the eastern Ukrainian town, which is 97km from the Russian border, for the past 24 years.
Situated in an agricultural heartland, Eugene describes the town as similar in size to Tralee but rural, with a population of almost 7,500.
Interestingly, the majority of the houses in Dikanka have large plots to the rear ranging in size from 0.5 to 1 hectare, where vegetables are grown – particularly potatoes – and locals take great pride in their tradition of self-sufficiency.
In 2011, Eugene was on the lookout for a small, nimble tractor that he would be familiar with for working these plots.
A Ford 3600 was located in Kinsale, and brought to Bantry. The following summer, the Ford 3600 was stripped of its wheels to lower the tractors centre of gravity, and securely tied down to an 18ft Ifor Williams tri axle trailer, which Eugene had purchased from Maloney Trailers, Bandon. This was not Eugene’s first road trip to the Ukraine, having previously undertaken the journey with a generator and welding unit in the back of his trusty Toyota. Nor would it be his last, making five return trips up to 2016.
Eugene pointed the nose of the 1998 2.8l Hi-Lux east in the summer of 2012, and with the Ford 3600 in tow, headed for Dikanka.
Arriving into Cherbourg from Rosslare, the rig headed north into Belgium, dipping into the Netherlands before turning east across Germany.
Eugene skirted around the German city of Dresden, and then across another border into Poland.
With the compass still pointing east, and another 660km on the clock, the Ukrainian border was finally reached.
This border crossing was a little more complicated to negotiate as Poland is the last EU country on the journey.
Crossing into Ukraine and exiting the EU can take anything from 12 to 24 hours, according to Eugene, or sometimes even more.
Paperwork and cargo were scrutinised and a DAF – Document Assistance Fee – was provided to border officers.
Once satisfied with this ‘brown envelope’, and with the help of Google translate, the journey eastward continued.
In fact, the longest leg of the journey was about to begin with a mammoth 1,000km of driving to the final destination of Dikanka, taking Eugene more than three-quarters of the way across this vast country.
Part of this journey involved travelling through the city of Kyiv, which Eugene remembers was holding the Uefa Euro 2012 final.
Finally reaching Dikanka, the Ford 3600 was a welcome arrival and put to work in the black sandy soil with a Ransomes two furrow plough, Howard 50” rotavator, Pierce two-furrow ridger, and a manual twin-row planter – all of which were sourced in Ireland.
The tractor has spent the last 12 years in this role, hardly missing beat.
And so, a Ford 3600 tractor once owned by Jerry Keohane in Clouncarrigeen, is now earning its keep 3,741km away in Dikanka.
Cathal McCarthy is delighted to have located his grandfather’s tractor, and both were surprised to hear the fascinating story surrounding the little Ford, however for obvious reasons it is not economically feasible to return the tractor to Cork.
Equally surprised about the enquiry of the 3600, Eugene says without any doubt that ‘if the tractor was in Ireland, I would sell it to Cathal with a heart and a half’.
With the gold painted ‘onion’ topped spire of the main Orthodox church in Dikanka town centre in the background, Eugene O’Sullivan with his Ford 3600 he transported from Bantry to Dikanka.
