One of the largest vintage rallies in the west of Ireland will be held in Mountbellew, this coming Sunday, July 26. From a small beginning 14 years ago, this vintage festival has grown dramatically over the years and now draws huge audiences from all over Ireland and many from overseas.
According to chairman Michael Whelan, the success is due to good traffic and parking organisation and outstanding value for all the family with no parking charges and no admission fees for children.
“We have a site extending to over 60 acres and each free car park is within a few minutes’ walk of the event itself,’”he said.This year the festival sees the return of the massive 300 hp tractors, which will take part in the tractor pulling competition. Those engines roar like jet planes as they pull a massive metal object down a dirt track behind them and it is a deafening but exhilarating experience.
As has been the case for a number of years, the familiar array of steam engines are returning to the Square in the village on Saturday evening for a free demonstration of old fashioned steam power from an era long gone.
The sight of these colourful fully restored monster machines blasting massive volumes of steam up to the summer night sky is a sight all children are never likely to forget. There will be a free music session on the Square on Saturday night and of course a wide array of amusements will be commercially available in the Square over the weekend.
