A Guinness world record was set at the All-Ireland Hedgecutting Championships in Kilkenny at the weekend for the greatest number of tractor-mounted hedge cutters.
A total of 103 hedge cutters started the record and 102 successfully cut for five minutes to set the new world record.
There was a great turnout of hedge cutters from all corners of Ireland from May to Kerry. The tractors gathered in an assembly area and filed out in turn where they were counted with Guinness World Record clickers by independent stewards. The tractors were escorted to the outside parameters of two fields and a safe distance left between them.
There were two independent witnesses in each field, John Bryan, Irish Farmers Association (IFA) president; Peter Byrne 2012 All-Ireland Hedge Cutting Champion; Joe Costello ,chairman of Kilkenny IFA and Dick O’Shea, Teagasc, Kilkenny.
The successful attempt coincided with the second All-Ireland Hedge Cutting Championships where 41 competitors took part in the championships judged by Catherine Keena, Teagasc and Michael Power, Coillte. The new All Ireland Hedge Cutting Champion is Darren Fahey, Thurles.
All proceeds of the event to the LauraLynn charity, Ireland’s only children’s hospice for terminally ill children.