Established in 1969, Curran Bros Agricultural Contractors is a leading contracting firm based near the Donegal-Derry border in Carrigans. The Currans are also tillage farmers who grow barley and potatoes.

Founded by Edward and William Curran, Curran Bros Agricultural Contractors also involves their brother Paul and Edward’s sons James and Eamonn. The family-run business covers all areas of farm contracting, including ploughing, soil preparation, sowing, silage mowing, bale wrapping and stacking, silage harvesting, raking, combining, straw baling, straw turning, destoning, bed tilling, planting, potato harvesting, crop spraying, excavation work, hedge-cutting and general haulage.

Committed to providing a top-class service and complete customer satisfaction, the Currans 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. Donegal firm’s success can be put down to the knowledge, skill and expertise of its staff, as well as the quality of its machinery. Curran Bros’ highly-skilled and professional team deliver the value and quality farmers expect from their agricultural contracting partner.

The Currans run a seven-strong fleet of Massey Ferguson tractors (3120, 3655, 3635, 8220, 5470, 3095 and 3080). “We’ve always had Masseys. We find them to be reliable, economical and comfortable to drive. While we do most of the maintenance ourselves, we sometimes have to send them to Donegal Tractors in Letterkenny or to William Bell Tractors in Fivemiletown, Co. Tyrone for the trickier repair jobs. We get our parts from them and D&M Farm Services in Eglinton, Co. Derry,” James Curran explains.

Other plant / equipment operated by Curran Bros Agricultural Contractors include three combine harvesters (New Holland TX34, New Holland 8060 and Massey Ferguson 665), two Welger round balers, one Krone round baler, CLAAS forage harvester, Krone mower, JCB loading shovel, three Herron silage trailers, JCB JS130 digger, Kverneland four-furrow reversible plough, long reach hedge cutter, tiller, Grimme 32 potato planter, Grimme 1500 potato harvester and Grimme one-pass potato harvester.

All machines are upgraded on a regular basis to avoid breakdowns and downtime. There is no such thing as a quiet time for this highly-regarded contractor who will work around the clock at peak times and take on extra staff to keep clients happy. Ploughing, planting and soil preparation takes precedence in the early part of the year, following by silage cutting and baling during the busy summer months. After that comes the combining, straw baling and then the hedge-cutting.

“We cut 600 acres of pit silage and 600 acres of round bales every year. We cut a further 800 acres of barley, wheat and oats a year and bale a lot of straw. We had a good year up until September when the weather took a turn for the worst. You face a constant battle with the weather when you’re in the farm contracting business. It dictates everything,” James adds.

The Currans are kept busy all-year round with excavation work, be it digging out foundations for sheds and buildings or land drainage and reclamation. “We’re doing twice as many digger jobs as we used to. It’s something that has really taken off for us. Our JCB JS130 digger is always going. No job is too big or too small.”

Curran Bros Agricultural Contractors cover within a 20-mile radius of Carrigans, which is situated in the north-east of Co. Donegal. They have customers on both sides of the border in Donegal and Derry, many of who have been on their books for over 40 years.

“We’ve built up a large and loyal customer-base over the years. Our customers choose us because we provide a professional, punctual and clean service at the keenest rates. When we say we’ll be there on time, we mean it. We always do our best to give the farmer the possible service. We have found that if you look after them, they will look after you,” James says.

In addition to providing a top-class agri contracting service, the Currans grow their own barley (150 acres) and potatoes (30 acres). They supply the barley to Inisleigh Co-Op Farm Foods Ltd in Newtowncunningham, Co. Donegal and the potatoes to local customers.

The family would like to take this opportunity to thank their suppliers and customers for their continued support and loyalty.

Curran Bros

Agricultural Contractors

Lower Kildrum,

Carrigans,

Co. Donegal.

Telephone: 086 3643026

Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 6 No 1, February 2018

Curran Bros Agricultural Contractors