Ever driven on the little secondary roads between Athy and Kilcullen in Co. Kildare? If you have, you may have noticed how perfectly straight they all are as they stretch off before you into the distance! Well, that is because you are actually driving on what was one of Europe”s greatest and most elaborate racing tracks! On these little Kildare roads, the epic history of the motor car and Formula One began. Read more about it here. The Gordon Bennett Race came to Ireland in 1903 and attracted some of the greatest crowds the country had ever seen. James Gordon Bennett, proprietor of the New York Herald, presented in 1900 a trophy for an international car race. The first Gordon Bennett motor race took place in France in 1900. In 1902 the race was won by the Englishman Selwyn Edge in his napier car and, in accordance with the competition rules, England was to host the 1903 race. As racing was forbidden in England, the organisers looked to Ireland for a suitable racecourse and legislation was passed to allow the race to take place in this country. The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in the British Isles, and their secretary, Claude Johnson, suggested Ireland as the venue. The editor of the Dublin Motor News, Richard Mecredy, suggested an area in County Kildare, and letters were sent to 102 Irish MPs, 90 Irish peers, 300 newspapers, 34 chairmen of county and local councils, 34 County secretaries, 26 mayors, 41 railway companies, 460 hoteliers, 13 PPs, plus the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Patrick Foley, who pronounced himself in favour. Local laws had to be adjusted. This led to the Light Locomotives (Ireland) Bill was passed on 27 March 1903. Kildare and other local councils drew attention to their areas, whilst Queen’s County (Laois) declared ”That every facility will be given and the roads placed at the disposal of motorists during the proposed race”. Eventually Kildare was chosen, partly on the grounds that the roads which were already relatively straight would be a safety benefit. However, in the weeks leading up to the event, locals were removing road gullies, improving sharp bends and cutting hedges. The effects of which are still evident down to present times. As a compliment to Ireland, the UK team chose to race in Shamrock green which has thus become the colour of British racing to this day. The course chosen for the 1903 Gordon Bennett motor race was centred on Athy. There was considerable public concern about safety after the 1901 Paris-Bordeaux Rally, in which at least eight people had been killed. To allay these fears, the 1903 race was held over a closed course which had been carefully prepared for the event. It was marshalled by 7,000 police officers assisted by troops and club stewards, with strict instructions to keep spectators off the roads and away from corners. The route consisted of two loops that comprised a figure of eight, the first was a 52-mile loop that included Kilcullen, The Curragh, Kildare, Monasterevin, Stradbally, Athy, followed by a 40-mile loop through Castledermot, Carlow, and Athy again. The race started at the Ballyshannon cross-roads (53.0853°N 6.82°W) near Calverstown on the contemporary N78 heading north, then followed the N9 north; the N7 west; the N80 south; the N78north again; the N9 south; the N80 north; the N78 north again. The official timekeeper of the race was Mr. T. H. Woolen of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. Ninety one Chronographs for timing the race were supplied by the Anglo-Swiss firm Stauffer Son & Co. of La Chaux-de-Fonds and London. Competitors were started at seven minute intervals and had to follow bicycles as pilots through the control zones in each town. The 328 miles (528 km) race was won by the famous Belgian Camille Jenatzy, driving a Mercedes in German colours. Each car passed twice through Athy on each circuit. The Gordon Bennett 1903 twelve competitors representing Germany, France, UK and the USA took part in the race on Wednesday 2 July 1903. The cars were required to keep within the national 12 mph speed limit when passing through towns and villages. Of the twelve cars which started the race only five completed the course. Britain and Irelands S.F. Edge was disqualified for receiving assistance from the locals in Athy where buckets of water were thrown over his tyres to cool them and help keep them on the wheel rims. The winner was the German driver Jenatzy with a Mercedes in a time of 6 hours 39 mins and an average speed of 49.2 mph. When it was all over, the 1903 Gordon Bennett was celebrated as one of the best organised and planned in its history. And, it remains a reminder of a romantic time when science, romance and the motor car came together on the leafy little roads of Kildare. GORDON BENNETT CUP RACE RESULTS 1900 - Paris-Lyons, FRANCE F.Charron Panhard 61.11kph/38.60mph L.Girardot Panhard R.de Knyff Panhard 1901 - Paris-Bordeaux, FRANCE L.Girardot Panhard 59.53kph/37.00mph Only one finisher 1902 - Paris-Innsbruck, FRANCE S.F.Edge Napier 51.17kph/31.80mph Only one finisher 1903 - Athy, IRELAND C.Jenatzy Mercedes 79.16kph/49.20mph R.de Knyff Panhard H.Farman Panhard 1904 - Taunus, GERMANY L.Thery Richard-Brasier 87.69kph/54.50mph C.Jenatzy Mercedes H.Rougier Turcat-Mery 1905 - Auvergne, FRANCE L.Thery Richard-Brasier 77.88kph/48.40mph F.Nazzaro Fiat A.Cagno Fiat.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 14:39:30 +0000
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