‘Contractors’, the seven-part entertainment-based documentary series is returning for a second season to TG4 on Thursday, March 21 at 9:30p.m.
The series explores the working lives of eight agricultural contracting families from different locations across Ireland, over a 12-month period.
Featuring contracting crews from counties Meath, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Cavan and Donegal, the series highlights the highs and lows of their daily routines.
These contractors consist of men and women, hired hands and sub-contractors – driving the tractors, excavators, combines, foraging, hauling, seeding, cutting and harvesting.
Some of these workers are full-time farmers who offer their skills and machines for hire come ploughing season and harvest time. Others are dedicated contractors who hire additional help for the busy months.
The eight contractors gear up to “tame the land”, sharing the unexpected twists they encounter day-to-day.
With a mix of Irish culture, heritage, experience and contemporary society, it is presented in the Irish language featuring many strong female-led and female-centred enterprises.
This series features a mixture of ages, with a range of generations blended into a programme that it is claimed will “stand the test of time”.
Each episode is defined by a separate theme, based on the time of year and the work involved during that time.
In between work, viewers will see the contractors make time for family and friends, as they attend weddings, pub quizzes, and deal with sibling drama.
They also discuss and deal with issues such as farm safety, climate change, the changing role of the farmer and discuss other topics that may arise in their daily lives.
Episodes
In episode one, young contractor, Niall is busy spreading slurry in Cúl Aodha, Co. Cork, as well as Paddy and his crew in Co. Kerry, while in Co. Donegal, Traolach is busy with drainage work.
The Carrolls from Co. Cavan are “all hands on deck”, as they prepare the spring farm machinery, while Kiernan from Co. Waterford is harvesting beet.
In the rebel county, Alan is sowing winter wheat, while, Shane in Co. Meath is hedge-cutting before the season comes to an end.
In a Gaeltacht area of Co. Meath, the Ó’Curraoins are looking after new-born lambs.
In episode two, calves are being tagged and tested for bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) by the Ó’Curraoins, while the Carrolls are preparing last year’s calves for the mart.
Kieran is washing the last of the beet and starting work on next year’s harvest, while Niall and his father, Noel, are looking after the sheep as they wait for lambing to begin.
In episode three, Shane continues his work on the new dairy farm, while Alan awaits new recruits from New Zealand.
Kieran is busy sowing maize, while Niall is “flat out” performing stone racking work. Traolach finds a bit of time to train the local GAA team, while Ultan from the Carroll family goes line dancing.
Ellie and Amy from Paddy’s crew are busy drawing top soil, while Kylie is topping rushes.
In the meantime, Liam Ó’Curraoin returns home from New Zealand for the silage season.