Feature: Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Summer 2026
Irish Tractor Agri & Plant recently caught up with Paudie for an interview to discuss the latest projects happening and the current machinery on offer.
…. The business remains very much a family affair. Pat and his wife Kathleen continue to play an active role, while their five sons – Paudie, Shane, Alan, Kieran and Conor – now oversee the day-to-day running of the operation.
"The five of us are running the show now, but our parents are still involved in the business as well," Paudie Cronin told Irish Tractor Agri & Plant.
That family commitment has been a cornerstone of the company’s success and has helped drive its steady growth over the years.
Today, Pat Cronin & Sons employs a significant workforce that fluctuates depending on seasonal demand.
"There’s between 20 and 30 working here at the moment, and at peak season then it could go well up to around 40," said Paudie.
While agricultural contracting remains at the heart of the business, diversification has been a key factor in its development.
Alongside silage harvesting, slurry spreading, cultivation, reseeding and land reclamation work, the company has established a substantial presence in construction and civil engineering projects throughout Munster.
The scale and variety of current projects highlight the breadth of the operation.
"We’re with Beechwood Civils in Midleton and we’ve another job on-going with BAM down in Ringaskiddy," Paudie explained. "We’d be on a couple of jobs with O'Callaghan Brothers, one of them in Killarney, and then we have work going on at Tipperary Racecourse as well. We're with Wills then on our own project in Limerick and we're with Johns in Glanmire as well. As well as that, we've our own private work as well."
Such projects demonstrate how the business has successfully expanded beyond its agricultural origins while maintaining strong links to the farming community. The diversification has also provided stability during periods when agricultural contracting faces increased economic pressures.
Forestry has been another important strand of the business for decades. The company has been involved in forestry operations since the late 1980s and has undertaken extensive work for Coillte and private forestry owners throughout the region. Services include forestry road construction, mounding, reforestation and site preparation, further broadening the company's capabilities.
Supporting such a diverse operation requires substantial investment in machinery and equipment, something the Cronin family has never shied away from……..
Full interview in the summer 2026 issue, available at the link below:
