Contractors show on TG4

Patsy167

Looking forward to this starting. It should be a good insight for anyone interested - https://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/arid-40805229.html

"A new six-part TV series exploring the working lives of seven Irish agricultural contracting families from diverse locations is set to air later this month.

The entertainment documentary Contractors will follow the families over a critical period from April to September, and will air on TG4 on Thursday, February 24.

The programme will feature crews from Limerick, Kerry, Meath, Tipperary, Galway, Donegal and Clare, while highlighting the professional challenges they face, the high and lows of their daily routine, and their personal aspirations for a life in agriculture.

Each episode will follow a theme based on the time of year and work involved."

Capt'n Midnight

Thu 24.02.2022 Contractors 21:30 - 22:30 (60 min.)

Hard Knocks

BBC3 have the Fast snd the Farmerish

zetecescort

"entertainment documentary"? no doubt full of scripted problems and disasters

Patsy167

Anyone catch this last night?

I thought it was fairly entertaining episode to start off the series. Looking forward to next weeks.

Anto_Meath

Yes, local crew here are on it, so enjoyed, thought it was well done.

Grueller

Ya fairly honest stuff to be fair. No manufacturing of big dramas or anything. A refreshing change on a reality type show.

MIKEKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118691950#Comment_118691950

Hard to call fellows driving around in tractors entertainment. Seeing the same thing every day

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118691998#Comment_118691998

Most people aren't farmers and it's nice to see how the other half lives. I learned you can pump slurry to a moving tractor 2.5Km away.

TG4 Thu 21:30  , Sat 22:45  and on the Player

Anto_Meath

Well I would look at they way people use their machinery on a TV any day before looking at something like Fair City.. TG4 done a program on vets a few years back, just following them around filming their work & I found it entertaining as well.

kevthegaff

The lad pumping the slurry knew his stuff

funkey_monkey

I thought the converted silage trailer was a nice idea for a nurse tank. Anything that portrays farming in a positive light in the media has to be welcomed in the current climate. Kind of wished the ones loading the animals didn't use the sticks even though it was light touches.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118694449#Comment_118694449

The younger was more aware of the camera.

Was surprised at the retired school teacher listing the species of flowers he was about to annihilate with his sprayer, daisy & dandelion

roosky

Anyone any idea how I can watch these back on a kind of tg4 player ?

roosky

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118754782#Comment_118754782

never ask a question that you can google….I asked, then googled so here it is for anyone looking : https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/categories/top-documentaries/?series=Contractors&genre=Faisneis

rs8

Very enjoyable to watch.. you'd want to be up early to catch the donegal fellow on it .. he runs a tight ship.

jimdemp

Great show

ruwithme

Pat farrelly from meath strikes me as a lad that's stood some torture over the years at contracting, but just deals with it calmly.

Anto_Meath

Ah Pat & Peter are like that, the best in the world, nothing is ever an issue for them & always try their best for you. I remember them as a kid drawing in double chopped silage with a 290 & Ford 5610.. it would go on for awhile, now they draw it in when they are passing with a fleet of JDs.

zetecescort

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760118#Comment_118760118

they look to have some gear in fairness, 10 rotor tedder and 4 rotor rake

Pinsnbushings

Great variety in the ways and type of farming across the country..the setup in clare with all the neighbours helping is great to see..that has died out in theses parts unfortunately

Anto_Meath

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118765535#Comment_118765535

Ah they have, but there would be a few very big dairy farmers that they work for. And then there is the rest of us that only need them 1 or 2 days a year. But in fairness they treat everyone the same.

Dr Karl

Hope no one from the Office of Tobacco Control was watching

funkey_monkey

It was nice watching all those aul lads bringing in the bales. Haven't done anything like that since everyone moved from the small bales of hay. Days like that were great. Was at a funeral a while back and it was remarked that unless someone is coming (wedding) or going (funeral) you'd never see each other much these days.

Funny to listen to the guys with the all-in-one balers talking about their benefits, but up here it's all separated out as the ground and fields don't really lend to that size and weight of machine.

Was interesting to see the flora in some of the silage being cut down. One of them was very meadow-esque

Some of them lads are farming in absolutely stunning scenery. The fella mowing by the lake, beautiful place wherever it was.

Dakota Dan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118660415#Comment_118660415

Take it easy lad it isn’t gold rush.

Dakota Dan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118756819#Comment_118756819

He isn’t hungry that’s for sure.

endainoz

Very enjoyable show, a nice easy watch as is the case with so much of what tg4 produce. Best channel out there by a long way for their documentaries alone.

endainoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118768525#Comment_118768525

It's just outside Kilfenora, was doing soil sampling just beside it last week! It's nice to be be able to stop and appreciate the secenery in these parts sometimes!

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118812178#Comment_118812178

He needs to step back and take a serious look at his lifestyle.

farawaygrass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118812971#Comment_118812971

When RTÉ 2 etc lose their mass audience in years to come (not many young people watch tv stations, not mind RTÉ), there will always be a place for the likes of tg4. Excellent channel with no stupid frills about it

Brilliant programme, fair play to TG4

Hard Knocks

When does it be on?

sandyxxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118815475#Comment_118815475

Thursdays,repeated Saturday around 9:30

endainoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118815475#Comment_118815475

You can get it on the tg4 player any time too.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118816228#Comment_118816228

Thanks both, wee ones would love it

Dakota Dan

She isn’t a great plough woman, just drop it and drive on.

Dakota Dan

This thread is dead, anyone see last nights episode where your man spreading the lime with the utility vehicle on boggy ground and he starts spreading on the roadway 20 yards before the field entrance? Wouldn’t you like to be employing him and his pyjama shirt to spread lime for you?

The ould lad getting a fill of green diesel must be getting a heart attack these days.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118868310#Comment_118868310

Have it set to record so I’ll catch up on it during the week.

find it very good so far.

French Toast

Excellent program. Good approach to have small, medium and large outfits on the best of land and marginal land.

A season 2 focusing on different lads would be an idea.

YellowRattle

Anyone else notice the amount of docks in the sileage grounds. Spent last year digging out docks , Seems now I am able to spot them a mile away .

Easten

Only saw one episode (the last one). Is it just following silage contractors around?

Also what's with all the drivers/contractors they all look really unhealthy carrying massive belly guts in front of them. Is that from being in a sited position all day?

FintanMcluskey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877844#Comment_118877844

Also what's with all the drivers/contractors they all look really unhealthy carrying massive belly guts in front if them. Is that from being in a sited position all day?

I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking that.

Sitting down, smoking cigarettes and eating **** food does not suit us

ruwithme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877844#Comment_118877844

Yeah, most folk who sit on the back side to earn a living will carry a touch of weight. Suppose you could live with that if you were well paid on a iron horse with rubber wheels. Guessing most aren't though.

Odelay

That is a cute hoor buying a fire engine as a man lift to cut down big trees, and possibly wash industrial buildings.

timple23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118880971#Comment_118880971

Are you sure? Might be just throwing good money after bad. Given the insurance requirements for saw work I'd imagine any lifting equipment would have to be certified.

Odelay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118881177#Comment_118881177

It will have to be certified. That can be done. Costs money, but who else will have a 100ft boom at their disposal. He didn't build up that enterprise by making bad decisions, and if he did, the lad that never made a mistake never made anything.

Anto_Meath

I know him, he is a good lad, works hard and would have it sussed out what was needed before he bought the lift.

JustJoe7240

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877844#Comment_118877844

To be fair, They're not all carrying the massive beer guts you're referring to, The donegal fellow would want to take a look at his lifestyle but he's the only one i've seen bar the auld boy who's carrying extra timber

AlanG

Very good show although it will be interesting to see if they can vary it a bit to fill six episodes without the scripting you usually get on these things. TG4 show what quality can be done on a small budget and put RTE to shame. Even their player is better than RTE.

cute geoge

There is a great mix of contractors from Donegal to Kerry out to Conamara .I would never have known of all the small contract work around conamara and they are all likeable characters .Is it Pat or Allister is the tougher case ,surely Allister seems to manage everything himself from cows to repairs to driving .

Bualadh bos to tg4!!!

ezra_

Season 2,3 and 4: The lads try to get paid.