Setting off from the very northern tip of Scotland in the first week of May, on a cabless tractor, heading for the very southern tip of England, would appear somewhat heroic given the inclement weather being experienced of late.

Indeed, it was a thought shared by the Irish Rovers as they embarked on this marathon trip, but as it turned out, it was sunburn that proved the bigger problem with t-shirts, rather than raincoats being the dress of the day on many occasions.

The trip had been in the planning for over two years, yet it was never envisaged that they would have only one day of bad weather during the entire month.

It was the icing on the cake for the crew, a reward, perhaps, for the meticulous planning that had gone into the venture.

Irish Rovers at Killarney — Back home at the Killarney National Vintage Tractor Rally (l-r:) Kieran O’Donaghue, James Keohane and Tom Fitzgerald, celebrate a tremendous achievement in planning and completing the trip

Spokesman for the group, Kieran Donahugh, puts this entirely down to his colleague, Tom Fitzgerald, who had spent months poring over maps and satellite images as he worked out a route that would avoid travelling on main roads and would take in various points of interest along the way.

It was worth the effort, for not once did they get lost, all planned visits were accomplished and they only ran late on one day due to a breakdown that was minor in nature, but took a little while to fix.

Warm welcome for the Irish Rovers

In addition to the weather gods smiling upon them, it was the incredible hospitality they received which will make for the fondest memories.

At every stop, they were welcomed with open arms and should help be needed, then it was generously provided with all offers of payment being refused.

This was epitomised when an injector pipe cracked on the Nuffield, it was brought to DW Toppins Ltd., a Deutz Fahr dealer in Cumbria, which immediately downed tools on its regular work to get the tractor back up and running again, enabling the small convoy to continue onwards and keep to its schedule.

Two-day break

Further down the route, the organisers of a vintage rally at Castle Combe, home of the legendary racing circuit in Wiltshire, gave them pride of place on the day and made them welcome for the two days they stopped in the area – the only break from the driving they had during the entire month.

Irish Rovers at Ironbridge — Stopping at the seat of the Industrial Revolution, the Irish Rovers take in the first ever Iron Bridge at Telford, Shropshire

Several times throughout the trip, they were joined by other enthusiasts who would drive with them for while on their own classics, in a display of solidarity and support, it was moments like this that the four particularly cherish.

In addition to the weather and hospitality the scenery was a delight, Fitzgerald having chosen a route which, as a rule, kept them away from main roads, which not only gave them the opportunity to see more of the country, but also reduced the amount of other traffic that might have been inconvenienced.

The Scottish Highlands were a particularly memorable part of the journey

The highlands of Scotland made a great impression, as did the Yorkshire Dales, where they visited the filming locations for both Emmerdale and All Creatures Great and Small before pressing on south.

Goal achieved

A month after starting off, they reached Lands End in Cornwall, having covered 1,440 miles with very few mechanical problems and never having got lost – a fact that is put down to the plan working, rather than simply pinning hope on a satnav, which is not always reliable or clear in its recommendations.

The group considers one of the biggest achievements being that four drivers sat on the four tractors throughout the entire trip, rather than a team doing stints on the same tractor. They believe this to be the first time it has been done.

Yet it wasn’t just about the team enjoying an adventure, they have so far collected over €20,000 for Critical, a voluntary organisation made up of health care professionals who act as first responders whenever there is an emergency in their own locality.

The Irish Rovers are planning a reception in October to hand over the money raised, meanwhile, another trip has been proposed, one that will take them to Lourdes in France, but not for another couple of years.

Warm welcome for the Irish Rovers

Two-day break

Goal achieved

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