An Offaly farming family is kicking off an exciting year after winning the free use of a Merlo Multifarmer 34.7—a powerful hybrid of telehandler and tractor—thanks to a major competition run by Agriland and Merlo Ireland.
Michael Guinan, who farms in County Offaly with his wife Concepta and son Kevin, entered the draw last autumn after spotting it on the Agriland website. With more than 30,000–35,000 entries flooding in, he never expected to win—he didn’t even tell his wife he had entered!
The competition was launched at the National Ploughing Championships 2024 and offered farmers across Ireland the chance to enjoy a full year—or up to 1,000 operating hours—of a Merlo Multifarmer.
Why the Prize Matters
The Guinan farm is a busy mixed dairy and beef enterprise with 120 Montbéliarde cows and a long family history stretching four generations. They use two Lely robotic milkers, rear their bull calves to finish, and run a split farm where the Grand Canal divides the land—making machinery manoeuvrability a daily challenge.
That’s where the Merlo Multifarmer comes in.
With three‑point linkage, PTO, hydraulic pick‑up hitch, and full telehandler lifting capacity, the Multifarmer blends two machines into one. It can handle feeding, bale work, towing, cultivation, slurry agitation and more - all in one versatile package.
Michael had actually been researching a second-hand machine before the competition win. His son Damien, having worked with telehandlers in New Zealand and the UK, had already encouraged him to consider making the switch. Now, with a year‑long trial, the family can fully test whether a telehandler is the future for their farm.
Putting the Multifarmer Straight to Work
Michael plans to put the machine to use right away. The first major task? Power harrowing ahead of maize drilling at the end of April.
And thanks to the unique challenges of crossing the narrow stone bridge that splits their land, the Guinans are especially interested to see how the Multifarmer’s manoeuvrability compares with their current loader tractors.
Fully Supported in Ireland
The Multifarmer has been supplied through FJS Plant Hire, one of Merlo Ireland’s newly established agricultural dealers. Merlo’s growing dealer network—set up after the company launched its Irish subsidiary—ensures strong local support for sales, parts and servicing nationwide.
More to Come
With such a significant piece of machinery now part of daily life on the Guinan farm, we’ll be following the Guinans throughout the year to see how the Multifarmer performs across feeding, fieldwork, silage season and everything in between.
Contact us or visit the Merlo Multifarmer page to find out more.