South-west Donegal's Boyle family to appear on TG4 series Contractors

A south-west Donegal family will be part of an entertainment-based documentary series set to screen on TG4.

‘Contractors’ is returning for Season 2 at 9:30pm on Thursday, March 21, and will feature Terence Boyle and his family, who are from Crove, Carraig.

His daughter Niamh emailed and put his name forward. She helps out with the contractor work with Boyle Plant Hire & Civil Contracts, who do a mix of machinery word and then silage and bales in the contracting season. Son Padraig is studying at the Agricultural College in Ballyhaise, Cavan. 

Contractors is a seven-part series exploring the working lives and personal narratives of eight agricultural contracting families from diverse locations over a 12-month period. It offers a unique, practical and personal insight into contemporary life in rural Ireland.

“Featuring other contracting crews from Meath, Waterford, Cork, Kerry and Cavan, the series highlights their professional challenges, the highs and lows of their daily routine and their hopes and dreams, presenting a no-holds-barred portrait of eight extraordinary crews for hire – all members of an agricultural sub-economy without which farming would not be possible,” is how the programme is described.

“Throughout the year there’s a lot of machinery work to be done on the land in Ireland and the farmers can’t do it alone. So they turn to farm contractors and their families: men and women, young and old - hired hands and subcontractors – driving the tractors, excavators and combines, foraging, hauling, seeding, cutting and harvesting.

“Without them, fields would be unploughed and unseeded, slurry would be unspread, silage would be uncut and hedgerows would descend into chaos. These are real, hardworking people. Some are full-time farmers who offer their skills and machines for hire come ploughing season and harvest time.

“Others are dedicated contractors who hire additional help for the busy months – among them, mums, dads and students earning money to cover the rent – a connected community in a no-nonsense world where time costs money and excuses count for nothing.
In their company, we’ll share the ups and downs, daily routines, unexpected twists, good times and bad as eight contractors gear up to tame the land. We’ll discover not only how they deal with shrinking margins and logistical challenges, but also how they manage the equally daunting balance of work and family life.

“With an unprecedented mix of Irish culture, heritage, experience and contemporary society presented in the Irish Language featuring many strong female-led and female-centred enterprises, this series will be a melting pot of all ages, generations and sexes set in the Ireland of the 2020s blended into a high-quality programme that will stand the test of time.”