From humble beginnings, G&A Hanrahan Ltd has grown into one of the midlands’ leading agricultural contracting firms. As well as providing a complete agri contracting service, the family-run business specialises in precast products.
Ger Hanrahan is different to 99.9 per cent of agricultural contractors in that he wasn’t born into a farming family. He attributes his interest in farm machinery and all things farm-related to his upbringing on a neighbours’ farm in Drumcullen, near Birr. That family was the Fleury’s, of which Offaly’s 1985 All-Ireland winning hurling captain Pat Fleury is undoubtedly the best known member.
“My father worked for Offaly County Council,” explains Ger, who is married to Ann and has three children – Keith, Niamh and Stephen.
“My mother died when I was very young and that’s when the Fleury’s took my brother John and I under their wing. They effectively reared us and instilled the love of farming and machinery in us. John has his own plant hire business in Drom, Co. Tipperary and I’m obviously tipping away with the farm contracting here in Drumcullen.”
Ger and Ann set up G&A Hanrahan Ltd in 1979 on the back of buying a 50-acre farm. They now farm 250 acres, on which they grow corn, sugar beet and maize as well as keeping dry stock. The farm is complimented by the agricultural contracting and precast products businesses. The Hanrahan’s have been manufacturing a wide range of precast products for the past 12 years, including kerbs, lintels, sills, flue gatherers, pier, wall and chimney caps, tank distribution boxes, concrete posts, wall panels, garden ornaments, paving and patio slabs and feed troughs for farm animals.
Specialising in silage cutting, slurry spreading, ploughing, reseeding, hedge maintenance and corn harvesting, G&A Hanrahan Ltd is committed to providing a high-quality service and complete customer satisfaction. Ger and Ann have a wide range of machinery to carry out your work quickly and efficiently, providing you with value-for-money and an alternative to investing in your own expensive equipment.
The Co. Offaly company’s success can be attributed to the quality of its equipment and the knowledge, skill and expertise of its staff. G&A Hanrahan Ltd delivers the value and quality farmers expect from their agricultural contracting partner.
The Hanrahan’s run a fleet of 10 tractors which are a mixture of New Holland and Case IH. The six New Holland models are TM155, TM150, 8560 (x2), 7840 and 7610. Ger and Ann recently took delivery of two brand new Case IH Puma 160 tractors from Garahy Tractors in Birr. The other Case IH tractors in the fleet are a MXM120 and a MX140.
“We try to keep our tractors and our machinery as new as possible,” says Ger.
“That said the two new Case tractors are our first major investment in a while. By keeping your machinery fresh, you lessen the chances of incurring breakdowns, which can prove very costly. No farm contractor can afford downtime, especially when things are really busy.”
Other plant / machinery operated by the family business include: two New Holland FX58 forage harvesters; Volvo L90 loading shovel; John Deere 2064 combine harvester; New Holland 8060 combine harvester; Krone Big M mower; two McConnel 6500 hedge-cutters; four-metre Vaderstad sower; three-metre Amazon sower; Vicon disc mower; Bogballe spreader; Kverneland plough; Abbey slurry spreader; Belmac slurry spreader; New Rock slurry agitator; five Red Rock, Kane and Sheehan silage trailers.
All machines are maintained, serviced and cleaned on a regular basis. The Hanrahan’s employ four full-time staff, namely Michael Boland (who has been working with them for over 30 years), Brian Dooley, Donal Mahon and Roman Lukaszuk. The four lads have a wealth of experience behind the wheel and in operating farm machinery. They also enjoy a great rapport with customers.
“We have built up a loyal customer-base by offering a professional, tidy and value-for-money service. Most of our customers are within a 10-mile radius of Drumcullen here in south Offaly. Our hedge-cutting service covers a wider area, taking in parts of Galway and Tipperary. We appreciate the business our customers continue to give us,” Ger continues.
The farm contracting business is busy all year round. For Ger and Ann, who take on extra workers at busy times, the year begins with slurry spreading, followed by ploughing. The silage season, which typically runs from May to September, is a particularly hectic time for the Hanrahan team who will work around the clock to keep their clients happy. The harvest, followed by more slurry spreading and hedge-cutting, takes precedence at the back end of the year.
At the time of writing, Ger and Ann’s eldest son Keith was due to return from New Zealand in time for the start of the silage season. Their daughter Niamh is also currently in New Zealand, while youngest son Stephen is still in school.
“The three of them help out when they’re at home,” notes Ger, who concludes by thanking his customers for their continued support.
For all your agriculture contracting needs in the south Offaly area, make sure to give Ger or Ann a call.
G&A Hanrahan Ltd
Killyon,
Birr,
Co. Offaly.
Tel: 057 9120983 / 087 2595318
Fax: 057 9121588
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 6, July 2015
