Recognised island-wide as a proven Deutz-Fahr combine specialist, Kearney Bros Agri is Fermoy has been awarded the prestigious official Deutz-Fahr franchise for County Cork. We touched base with parts manager Stephen Kearney to suss out what the future holds for this highly-regarded, upwardly-mobile, customer-focused business.
It was announced in mid-December that Deutz-Fahr was expanding its dealer network in Ireland with the integration of two new dealerships, one in Cork and one in Galway. Already boasting vast experience of the wonderful Deutz-Fahr marque – with particular expertise in combine harvesters – Kearney Bros Agri took on the agency for County Cork.
Already main dealers for Spearhead, Cashel’s Engineering, Conor Engineering, SIP Grass Equipment, and Fleming Agri Products, Kearney Bros Agri boasts more than 40 years’ experience working with Deutz-Fahr tractors and combines, and as such possesses all the experience, expertise, knowledge and energy needed to deliver the level of sales and back-up service the SDF Group demands.
“We have always been known for Deutz-Fahr and have been selling them for a really long time,” notes Stephen Kearney, who heads up the parts department. “The original Kearney Bros (Castlelyons) Ltd. business goes back to the mid-1970s and was run by my father [Neilus] and his three brothers. They closed down in early 2009 and that same year my brother Eoin Kearney and Kevin O’Keeffe set up Kearney Bros Agri and relocated to Acres in Fermoy.”
Eoin and Kevin, the partners behind Kearney Bros Agri, both served their time in the original garage in Castlelyons. “They did their apprenticeships there and qualified as mechanics there,” Stephen confirms, adding that the wealth of experience they had of selling and servicing Deutz-Fahr tractors and particularly combines over the years was instrumental in them being invited to take on the new franchise:
“That would have been a big thing for us as we would already have considered ourselves to be well
known for selling and servicing Deutz Fahr Tractors and Combines in Ireland.
“We had a bumper year in 2022 when we sold over 20 combines to customers across the country, because there was a very good harvest season, prices were good and the outlook was good.”
It goes without saying that Kearney Bros Agri are delighted to have taken on the official Deutz-Fahr dealership. “We’re pleased for a number of reasons. To sign back up with them as main dealers will make it easier to access parts while we’ll also be able to pass some more advantages on to our customers, such as zero per cent finance on tractors, being able to spec the exact tractor that suits their needs, and also more access to software and service. Billy Cunningham is the service agent here who looks after servicing and warranty work locally and we’ve struck up a great working relationship with him.
“So far, it’s going even better than expected,” Stephen continues. “We weren’t expecting to sell so many tractors so quickly or for there to be such a positive uptake of the 0% finance option. It’s going really well – our customers are happy and so are we.”
Regarding the fantastic reputation Kearney Bros Agri has developed throughout Ireland as a respected and in-demand Deutz-Fahr combine specialist, Stephen elaborates: “We made our name selling ex-demo, second-hand combines, which we imported from all around Europe. Deutz-Fahr combines are very popular in Wexford, Kilkenny, Cork and Waterford, but we even sold them up as far north as County Down, Louth and Kildare. So, we are already covering all of Ireland north, south, east and west for Deutz-Fahr combines – sales, service and parts. We’re known nationwide for combines and combine parts; that’s our bread and butter, really.”
Due to the very nature of this work, there’s never a dull moment at Kearney Bros Agri. “With combines, there’s a lot of servicing and parts involved. We’d never have a quiet month because we’d have the combine servicing and repairs to look after as well as the tractors. With combines, we’d be looking after and maintaining up to 100 units in various locations around the country. From the end of April onwards, we’d already be getting combines ready for harvest season.”
As well as their already-thriving second-hand business, Kearney Bros Agri now holds the official agency for new Deutz combines and tractors. At the time of writing, the Cork dealership had two new combines in stock alongside seven quality second-hand machines not to mention a vast selection of multi-brand second-hand tractors.
As for the proud tradition Kearney Bros Agri has of working with Deutz, Stephen comments: “It’s a family tradition but more than that too because Kevin [O’Keeffe] is also a big part of the business and has also worked with Deutz for years. As well as being a partner in the business, Kevin oversees the workshop / servicing, while Eoin looks after sales. I’m over parts – ordering and deliveries – and also look after yard sales.”
There’s a tight team of nine at present comprising Kevin O’Keeffe, Eoin, Neilus and Stephen Kearney, Eileen in accounts, a skilled Polish national providing spray painting and bodywork services, qualified mechanic Johnny Hannon, two apprentices and one recently-recruited new apprentice.
Quality service has always been the priority at Kearney Bros Agri and this will continue to be the case going forward. “That’s what kept us in the game with Deutz combines and tractors,” says Stephen. “With combines especially, there’s no other way – you have to provide that back-up service, be available and be on the other end of the phone during harvest season. That level of customer service is what this business is built on.”
As for the future of Kearney Bros Agri, Stephen is confident that they can continue to go from strength to strength… “I think we can grow the business more,” he concludes. “When you take on a decent agency like this, you are always hoping that you might entice some other bigger agencies to get on board. The farmers we deal with are Dairy, Tillage, Beef etc and ideally, we’d be hoping to be offered a really good tillage machinery dealership.
“We’re holding out for the right one and if we get it the plan would be to push on with that and to also keep the Deutz-Fahr tractor and Deutz-Fahr combine agencies going and to keep growing by looking after our customers with the best products and service.”
Kearney Bros Agri Ltd.,
Acres,
Fermoy,
County Cork.
Tel: (025) 32105
Email:
[email protected] – Eoin Kearney 087 2864740
Web: kearneyagri.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kearneybrosagriltd
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 13 No 1, Spring 2025
Featured, Kearney Bros Agri Ltd.
