A NEW world record for having the most combine harvesters in one field was set last Saturday as 175 machines gathered in a field
in Duleek, harvesting the crop in just 18 minutes. The organisers of the event called Combines 4 Charity say that the day was a massive success, with up to 16,000 people turning out to support the world record attempt despite the dull weather. The entire event was in aid of the Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre, Barnardos, Self Help and the National Rehabilitation Hospital. Chairperson of the organising committee, John McDonnell, estimated that up to € 300,000 was raised for the four charities. Scheduled to start at 3pm, the damp weather forced the organisers to put back the attempt to 5pm. The previous world record was set in Australia in 2003, but Combines 4 Charity smashed the Australian record of having 59 combines in one field. The Australian attempt took three years to orgainse, where the Duleek attempt was organised in just three months. Chairperson John McDonnell that what they had achieved hadn’t quite hit him yet as he was ‘in a daze’ since Saturday. Only 5,000 people were expected to turn out, yet the attendance more than trebled on the day. Asked whether he would be planning any more world record attempts in the future, the chairperson said: ‘No, I think one is enough for me!’