Taking home the turf in Mayo in car creel racks back in 1966

By Tom Gillespie

IN 1966, because of a shortage of donkeys - the traditional method of taking home turf from the bog - garage proprietor, the late Cathal Duffy, came up with a novel way of getting the fuel home - creels on a Volkswagen, as pictured here by Liam Lyons.

The Connaught Telegraph featured the story on the front page with the following headline: 'Bringing home turf - the 1966 way!'

The report went as follows:

A scarcity of donkeys is causing farmers in Co. Mayo a big headache.

For without the donkeys they cannot bring their turf home from the bogs.

But now a garage proprietor has come with an idea which he thinks will solve all the farmers’ worries.

Garageman Cathal Duffy of Castlebar said: "Donkeys are being bought up at such a fast rate for seaside resorts and donkey racing in Britain that there is an acute shortage of them here.

"Buyers are willing to pay up to £30 for good donkeys, and very few farmers are willing to turn down an offer like that."

Most farmers, however, own cars nowadays, said Mr. Duffy, who has now started manufacturing ‘car creel racks’ to allow them bring home peat for their fires.

Two creels - large baskets made from supple rods - are hung from each end of tubular steel bars which are fastened across the top of a car like a roof rack.

Mr. Duffy said: "The two creels can carry up to three days supply of turf.

“And local farmers are so interested in them that I have several orders for them already."

A small car trailer would cost farmers at least £35, but Mr. Duffy said his creel racks will only cost 35 shillings.

He said: "I am applying for a patent for the creel rack, and I intend to start manufacturing them at my garage. They can be adapted for use on almost every type of car."

A spokesman for Mayo Committee of Agriculture told the newspaper: "The donkey population of Mayo has dropped from 13,000 in 1960 to about 8,000 today (1966). They are fast disappearing from the countryside."