Contractors returns to TG4: a deep dive into the crucial role of agricultural subcontractors in Ireland

Exploring the working lives and personal narratives of eight agricultural contracting families from diverse locations over a 12-month period ‘Contractors’ offers a unique, practical and personal insight into contemporary life in rural Ireland.

Featuring eight contracting crews from Wicklow, Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Armagh, Donegal and Mayo the series highlights their professional challenges, the high and lows of their daily routine and their hopes and dreams, presenting a no-holds barred portrait of eight extraordinary crews for hire – all members of an agricultural sub-economy without which farming would not be possible.

Throughout the year there’s a monumental lot of machinery work to be done on the land in Ireland and the farmers can’t do it alone. So they turn to farming contractors and their families: men and women, young and old - hired hands and subcontractors – driving the tractors, excavators and combines, foraging, hauling, seeding, cutting and harvesting. Making farming happen. Without them, fields would be unploughed and unseeded, slurry would be unspread, silage would be uncut and hedgerows would descend into chaos.

These are real, hardworking people. Some 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 – among them, mums, dads and students earning money to cover the rent – a connected community in a no-nonsense world where time costs money and excuses count for nothing.

In their company, the series will share the ups and downs, daily routines, unexpected twists, good times and bad as eight contractors gear up to tame the land. Viewers will discover not only how they deal with shrinking margins and logistical challenges, but also how they manage the equally daunting balance of work and family life.

With an unprecedented mix of Irish culture, heritage, experience and contemporary society presented in the Irish Language featuring many strong female led and female centred enterprises this series will be a melting pot of all ages, generations and sexes set in the Ireland of the 2020’s blended into a high quality programme that will stand the test of time.

Contractors are the heartbeat of rural Ireland – crucial players in a food-producing sector that is central to Ireland’s economy. Their job is arguably more difficult than that of farmers themselves and without them, modern farming itself would not be possible.

Information about the contractors: Based just outside the village of Poyntzpass on the Down/Armagh border, you’ll find Ivan Megaw & Son Ltd, a big contracting business which is run by Willie Megaw along with his Dad Ivan. Willie is the 3rd generation of Contractors in the family. As well as their contracting business, they have around 500-600 acres of their own farmland for Beef & Arable.

In Bandon, Co. Cork, there is a very busy outfit Tony O’Mahony Agri, Plant & Haulage. This is a full family operation with Dad Tony, his 4 sons (Diarmuid, Seán, Mícheal, Séamus) They do everything from ploughing, spreading slurry, dung, hedge cutting, to Plant and Haulage.

In Donard, Co. Wicklow, we meet the Walshe Triplets, Patrick, Edward and James who run their own Agri & Plant hire business. Their late father originally set up the business but died suddenly a few years ago. The lads have been in the business since they could walk and have a huge passion for what they do.

Mark Daynes in Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow, over the road from the Triplets, runs a Contracting & Tillage business with his dad and sister. He has a few full-time staff working for him and his brother helps out during the summer months. One very interesting thing that he does is take rejected Guinness from Diageo and keep it in a lagoon on their land. They spread it like slurry on their own land and for clients too.

In the capital, you have the last of the Mohicans (as most farms and farmland are gone in Dublin), Cabbage GrowerEamonn Murphy along with his son Shane who are based in Kinsealy, North Dublin are growing 100 acres of cabbage. They also grow some potatoes and barley. They’ve all their own machinery to work the land. They have a contract with Dunnes to supply York & Sweetheart Cabbage.

In Athy, Co. Kildare, we have a large potato growing operation run by 3 brothers Kevin, Brendan and John O’Gorman. The business is called Johnstown Produce. They harvest around 350 acres of potatoes a year. They provide potatoes mostly for ALDI, which is distributed through O’Shea’s Farms, Kilkenny. They have their own washing and processing plant onsite and plenty of machinery. Brendan also runs a Dairy farm on site (with robots for milking) while Kevin and John also do Tillage farming and provide some barley for Guinness as part of that work.

In the Gaeltacht area of Tourmakeady, Co. Mayo, we’ll meet Collins Plant Hire, owned by Kevin Collins. Kevin is a veteran at this stage as he’s been doing contracting work for around 30 years! He is also a cattle & sheep farmer. He mainly runs the business by himself and brings on a few lads during the Summer, when things are at their busiest. He does Slurry, Silage, Bales, Wrapping, Lime Spreading, Ground work, etc.