Synonymous with his stunning fleet of immaculate Case tractors and mighty McHale baling outfit, Bantry contractor Jonathan Crowley is known far and wide as a man who is always good to his word – one of the many reasons why his services have been in big demand for more than a decade and a half!
Since setting up on his own over 16 years ago, Bantry man Jonathan Crowley has been consistently delivering unbeatable agri contracting services to local farmers in and around West Cork. With the focus always on quality work invariably finished on time, Jonathan’s loyal customer base have come to appreciate that his word is his bond.
“As far as farmers are concerned, being good to your word is the main thing,” he comments. “Be on time all the time, do the best job you possibly can, and mind the ground. Once you do these things, you won’t go too far wrong.
“If I give my word, I stand by it. Being punctual, reliable and doing a good job for a fair price is what keeps customers coming back..”
Every job done properly carries an inherent value and Jonathan never set out to be the cheapest contractor in Cork, nor has he any interest in getting involved in a race to the bottom by cutting rates. Instead, the emphasis is firmly on quality and reliability. He’s upfront with all his customers and the loyalty that’s been instrumental in the success of the business works both ways.
Although every contracting business in the land comes with the pressure of having to make money, the Cork man nevertheless thoroughly enjoys his day-to-day activities out in the field:
“Ah, we do enjoy it most of the time,” he confirms. “I love it really and it works fine. I’ve been at it a good while now and that speaks for itself. I have 16 seasons done now and am heading into my seventeenth.”
Jonathan comes from a farming background, having grown up on a family farm known for sucklers and sheep. The bug bit and he went down the contracting route, learning the ropes from a couple of great local men:
“I worked for a couple of other contractors before going out on my own,” he told Irish Tractor & Agri. “I was with Val Wholey, Seamus Conor, the O’Brian Brothers and Tony O’Mahony in Bandon for five and a half years and got great experience there, I also did a bit of lorry driving with Tony O’Mahony and Kevin McCarthy for a while. All these men taught me a lot and that’s where I got my contracting experience from.”
There was always an intention to hopefully one day set up his own contracting business and Jonathan took the plunge in ’09. Collaborating with Gerald McCarthy from then to the present day, he has never looked back…
“From the beginning, he did the mowing and I did the baling; he does disc harrowing and I do ploughing and setting. We still work together hand in hand. He also does slurry with an umbilical system and we both have tankers. We have a great working relationship together … I’d say Gerald does about 90 per cent of the mowing out in front of the balers for me.”
As well as baling, Jonathan also provides a host of other keen services including drawing bales, ferrying silage from one farm to another, hedge cutting, mulching, loading and spreading lime, spreading dung and spreading slurry. He also operates a dump trailer and a low-loader for some heavy haulage work.
The Cork agri contractor runs a pair of McHale Fusion 4 balers alongside two McHale rakes. The tractors in the yard, numbering six at present, are all Case.
“I started with New Holland but have changed over to Case, and I’d be known for Case gear now,” he notes. “The local dealership, Lynch McCarthy, provides phenomenal back-up service — I wouldn’t go away from Case.”
Other local businesses supplying Jonathan with exceptional products and service levels include Atkins Farm Machinery (McHale), Bailey Machinery Sales (SlurryKat), Bantry Tyre Centre, Tanner Tyres and Carbery Oils, all of whom make it that little bit easier to keep the wheels turning.
As for the catchment area covered, Jonathan, who benefits from a steady and longstanding client base, reveals: “I’d travel up to 25-30 miles but most of the work is within 30 minutes in a tractor. An hour would get us to 90 per cent of our customers, the majority of whom have been with us for a long time. The nature of this work is that no matter how good your service is, you will always lose a customer here or there along the way, but thankfully for each one I lose I seem to pick up two more.”
Investment is ongoing, not just in the day to day running of the business but also fleet replenishment and expansion. “I’ll usually invest at the end of the season, once I have a clear picture of how the season went. Last year was good and we upgraded a baler and went from five to six tractors in October. I also have a slurry tank changed and on the plant side bought a new mini digger.”
By looking after the needs of farmers in a prompt, precise and professional manner, Jonathan Crowley Agri Contractor has come a long way in a relatively short space of time, growing organically and gradually over the years in direct response to demand for top-class contracting services.
Any ambition to grow the business going forward? “No, I’m happy with where I’m at,” the Bantry man concludes. “I don’t think there is room for expansion because there are other contractors around me and I’d get on very well with most of them – we’d all give each other work when we get busy. If you go to the next level, you are going to inevitably step on toes and that’s something I’d rather avoid.”
Jonathan Crowley Agri Contractor,
Bantry,
County Cork.
Tel: 086 3079919
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 14 No 1, Spring 2026
Featured, Jonathan Crowley Agri Contractor
