Passionate Ploughmen

Chris McCullough visits a family of ploughmen with a varied collection of tractors, at Ballyrobert in Co. Antrim.

The art of ploughing has a strong historical tradition of being handed down through generations in Northern Ireland and that culture still exists to this day. However, as tractor technology becomes more advanced, some could argue that the ploughing ‘art’ is being lost as its becoming more automated, rather than carried out by human skill.

There does remain a strong connection to the sod and furrow in Northern Ireland, as is highlighted by the ever increasing number of ploughing societies that exist there. With that in mind there are more people, who are not necessarily farmers, still intent on carrying the tradition of ploughing on into future generations.

Three generations of the Gamble family from Ballyrobert in Co. Antrim are all involved in ploughing and have even turned the furrows together at events. Passionate ploughmen William Gamble and his son Nigel have more recently been joined by third generation Marc, who has also developed a huge interest in the practice.

The trio has amassed more than 100 years of ploughing experience between them and has participated at competition events all over Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and on the UK mainland.

All three men are members of both Ballynure Vintage Tractor Ploughing Society and Ballyboley Ploughing Society. Not only do they have a wealth of experience in ploughing, but have also accumulated an eclectic mix of tractors into their collection, each with its own story to tell.

The most experienced ploughman of the three is naturally William, who has been ploughing since he was 11 years old in 1948. Back then William learned to plough on a Continental-powered Ferguson tractor while working for a local farmer, as his family was not involved in farming.