‘Incredible’ lifetime collection of farm machinery comes to Cavan auction

An “incredible” collection of farm machinery gathered over the last seven decades is to go for auction later this month.

Hundreds of implements used to tend the land before mechanical equipment revolutionised agriculture in Ireland will also feature in the 1,200-lot sale in Cavan, on October 24 and 25.

The outstanding array of items, priced at an estimated €300,000, belongs to Tommy Shannon, who is ensuring the unique pieces he has gathered over a lifetime find new homes.

‘The Tommy Shannon Collection’ includes an item of sentimental value to the 81-year-old - an unrestored 1930s Italian motorbike, which he dreamed of one day owning as a child.

The collection also boasts vintage farm machinery, such as a 1947 Field Marshall Series 2 tractor and a 1947 David Brown Cropmaster.

Described as a legendary character, Mr Shannon has accumulated his expertise and his catalogue of farm machinery and historical implements over the last 70 years.

“Tommy is a very knowledgeable man. In fact, his knowledge is frightening, I’ve never come across someone with such an encyclopaedic knowledge,” said antiques dealer Niall Mullen, who has curated the collection.

“People can expect to find the prototypes for what we use in our lives every day in Tommy’s collection. He has all the implements and tools that were used to tend the land pre-Industrial Revolution, before mechanical equipment and petrol engines.

“He helped me to catalogue the auction items and was even correcting me on my item descriptions.

“Tommy ran a breaker’s yard for 50 years until 2005. Since then, he has been in engineering works, the products of which will also be for sale in the auction.

“Every single item works unless it specifically says that they are for parts. It is, in its entirety, an incredible collection.

“Tommy has collected enough for two lifetimes entirely by himself, he inherited nothing. He is selling everything: forklifts, steamrollers, generators, JCBs, vintage jerrycans, antique washing machines and his tools.

“As he worked as a tractor breaker, there are also some particularly unusual tractors.”

Tommy purchased the collected items over the decades not only because he saw value in them, but also because they intrigued him.

An example is a rare milking can, which he identified as a milking bucket. Its unusual shape protects the milk from being destroyed by preventing the cow’s foot from going into the bucket if it kicks back during milking.

“That kind of knowledge is priceless, we just run to the shop for a pint of milk now,” Mullen said.

The items can be viewed in the spectacular lakeside setting of Tommy Shannon’s yard in Killeshandra, Co Cavan, from 10am to 6pm, October 20-22, and 12-6pm, October 23.

“It is remote Ireland and a very special location. It would make a great place to visit for a day out, there’s even an airstrip. When you drive down the small country road covered in trees, it’s like going into a different world,” added Mullen.

Aidan Foley will auction off this extensive collection at 11am on October 24 and 25, in MacSeains Pub & Golf, Cornafean, Co Cavan. Bidders can also join online, via https://www.easyliveauction.com/.

Full catalogue on https://www.irishcountryhome.com/.