More than 200 machines turn out for Glenidan tractor run

"It was a huge success, usually on most tractor runs you’d have maybe a hundred tractors – 231 participated on the day, but there was actually 301 registered tractors," said David Buckley, one of the organisers involved in the Glenidan St Stephen’s Day tractor run for Mullingar based community counselling service, Good2Talk.

"It was very well supported and everything went brilliantly on the day. It was very emotional, " he admits.

"We try to run one every year around Christmas, and the last one we ran we raised money for Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland, who go out and give talks in schools as a preventative measure.

"We held the run in memory Martin Doyne, ,who passed away last year, and raised funds for Good2Talk in Mullingar. We said we’d fundraise for something locally this year.

"It’s nice to help a good cause on your own doorstep, and look it: there’s a lot of lonely farmers out there, and they might just some day need to ring the number.

"Good2Talk had banners up on the tractors on the day, and it helped to spread awareness about who they are, where they are and how they can help.

"The last piece of the jigsaw was Saturday night, New Year’s Eve, when we had a beard shave with five lads - Niall Mulvaney, Derek Weldon, Sean Og Doyne and Noel Smith, participating in it. That brought in even more fundraising.

"We’d like to thank everybody that helped us and it wouldn’t have been possible without that help," says David. "I couldn’t believe the way businesses donated prizes to us, it showed us the generosity that’s in the area.”

Plans are to make the final cheque presentation to Good2Talk in the coming weeks.

- More photos from the Glenidan Tractor Run in this week's edition of the Westmeath Examiner.