(RIP) Bin Ridin
Registered user
Whizzing through Leinster to follow the odyssey of the first roadracers in Ireland in 1903
BOB MONTGOMERY
Wed, Jun 11, 2008
GREAT ROADS:A COUPLE of years ago the county councils of Carlow, Kildare and Laois joined together to make the route of the circuit used in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Race easily identifiable by tourists.
After 105 years some of the roads have disappeared or been altered, but more than enough of the original route and its features is still recognisable and makes the journey around the old circuit very worthwhile.
The route is well signposted and is divided into five stages, beginning at the original start point - Ballyshannon crossroads southwest of Old Kilcullen at the end of the M9 motorway from Dublin. From the start the route first heads northeast to Old Kilcullen before swinging south on the N9 and passing through Balitore, where the American team based themselves for the race, on through Timolin and Moone and through Castledermot into Carlow.
Stage two runs northwest from Carlow to Athy on the R417, passing through Maganey and Kilmorony. Athy was very much the centre of activity during the Gordon Bennett race and the Mercedes team based themselves in the town, while the English team were based at Rebhan Castle.
From Athy the signs direct you back along the N78 past the start area at Ballyshannon crossroads, and on to Kilcullen before turning west on the R413 to cross the Curragh Plains into Kildare town.
Along the N78 you will pass the Moate of Ardscull, site of 13th century Norman earthworks - and a particularly favoured viewing point during the race in 1903.
Here several grandstands were erected which gave a fine view of the approaching cars as they ran along one of the fastest sections of the course from Athy. Here also is the monument to the race erected in the 1960s and today it is a very evocative spot to sit and imagine the race cars of 1903 thundering past.
From Kildare, the Gordon Bennett route signs bring you over Stage 4 to Monasterevin and on southwest towards Portlaoise. Monasterevin features strongly in photographs of the race and was a much-favoured spot to see the cars and their drivers close up. After leaving Monasterevin they headed out over the Heath of Maryborough, itself an important archaeological site with Iron Age burial mounds as well as Neolithic, Christian and mediaeval sites. Here a local pioneer, Aldritt by name, attempted to fly in a plane of his own design and construction in the early years of the 20th century.
The final part of the signposted route runs from the Heath to Athy swinging southeast across Co Laois, passing close by the Rock of Dunamaise.
Climb its heights as the views are breathtaking on a clear day.
The route passes through Stradbally, and two miles outside the town occurred the one serious incident of the 1903 race when the English driver, Charles Jarrott, a great favourite of the crowd, had the steering break on his Napier while speeding on a fast downhill section. The Napier rolled and the crowd, believing both Jarrott and his riding mechanic, Bianchi, to be dead, laid them out in a nearby farmyard and covered the "bodies"' with white sheets. Imagine their surprise when the "bodies" started to moan and speak to each other.
A couple of kilometres after Stradbally the signposts direct you northeast again through Athy, and back to the finish of the route at Ballyshannon crossroads.
It's a fascinating drive, filled with memories of the great 1903 race which did so much to establish international motorsport once and for all.
BOB MONTGOMERY
Wed, Jun 11, 2008
GREAT ROADS:A COUPLE of years ago the county councils of Carlow, Kildare and Laois joined together to make the route of the circuit used in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Race easily identifiable by tourists.
After 105 years some of the roads have disappeared or been altered, but more than enough of the original route and its features is still recognisable and makes the journey around the old circuit very worthwhile.
The route is well signposted and is divided into five stages, beginning at the original start point - Ballyshannon crossroads southwest of Old Kilcullen at the end of the M9 motorway from Dublin. From the start the route first heads northeast to Old Kilcullen before swinging south on the N9 and passing through Balitore, where the American team based themselves for the race, on through Timolin and Moone and through Castledermot into Carlow.
Stage two runs northwest from Carlow to Athy on the R417, passing through Maganey and Kilmorony. Athy was very much the centre of activity during the Gordon Bennett race and the Mercedes team based themselves in the town, while the English team were based at Rebhan Castle.
From Athy the signs direct you back along the N78 past the start area at Ballyshannon crossroads, and on to Kilcullen before turning west on the R413 to cross the Curragh Plains into Kildare town.
Along the N78 you will pass the Moate of Ardscull, site of 13th century Norman earthworks - and a particularly favoured viewing point during the race in 1903.
Here several grandstands were erected which gave a fine view of the approaching cars as they ran along one of the fastest sections of the course from Athy. Here also is the monument to the race erected in the 1960s and today it is a very evocative spot to sit and imagine the race cars of 1903 thundering past.
From Kildare, the Gordon Bennett route signs bring you over Stage 4 to Monasterevin and on southwest towards Portlaoise. Monasterevin features strongly in photographs of the race and was a much-favoured spot to see the cars and their drivers close up. After leaving Monasterevin they headed out over the Heath of Maryborough, itself an important archaeological site with Iron Age burial mounds as well as Neolithic, Christian and mediaeval sites. Here a local pioneer, Aldritt by name, attempted to fly in a plane of his own design and construction in the early years of the 20th century.
The final part of the signposted route runs from the Heath to Athy swinging southeast across Co Laois, passing close by the Rock of Dunamaise.
Climb its heights as the views are breathtaking on a clear day.
The route passes through Stradbally, and two miles outside the town occurred the one serious incident of the 1903 race when the English driver, Charles Jarrott, a great favourite of the crowd, had the steering break on his Napier while speeding on a fast downhill section. The Napier rolled and the crowd, believing both Jarrott and his riding mechanic, Bianchi, to be dead, laid them out in a nearby farmyard and covered the "bodies"' with white sheets. Imagine their surprise when the "bodies" started to moan and speak to each other.
A couple of kilometres after Stradbally the signposts direct you northeast again through Athy, and back to the finish of the route at Ballyshannon crossroads.
It's a fascinating drive, filled with memories of the great 1903 race which did so much to establish international motorsport once and for all.
BOB MONTGOMERY
Wed, Jun 11, 2008
GREAT ROADS:A COUPLE of years ago the county councils of Carlow, Kildare and Laois joined together to make the route of the circuit used in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Race easily identifiable by tourists.
After 105 years some of the roads have disappeared or been altered, but more than enough of the original route and its features is still recognisable and makes the journey around the old circuit very worthwhile.
The route is well signposted and is divided into five stages, beginning at the original start point - Ballyshannon crossroads southwest of Old Kilcullen at the end of the M9 motorway from Dublin. From the start the route first heads northeast to Old Kilcullen before swinging south on the N9 and passing through Balitore, where the American team based themselves for the race, on through Timolin and Moone and through Castledermot into Carlow.
Stage two runs northwest from Carlow to Athy on the R417, passing through Maganey and Kilmorony. Athy was very much the centre of activity during the Gordon Bennett race and the Mercedes team based themselves in the town, while the English team were based at Rebhan Castle.
From Athy the signs direct you back along the N78 past the start area at Ballyshannon crossroads, and on to Kilcullen before turning west on the R413 to cross the Curragh Plains into Kildare town.
Along the N78 you will pass the Moate of Ardscull, site of 13th century Norman earthworks - and a particularly favoured viewing point during the race in 1903.
Here several grandstands were erected which gave a fine view of the approaching cars as they ran along one of the fastest sections of the course from Athy. Here also is the monument to the race erected in the 1960s and today it is a very evocative spot to sit and imagine the race cars of 1903 thundering past.
From Kildare, the Gordon Bennett route signs bring you over Stage 4 to Monasterevin and on southwest towards Portlaoise. Monasterevin features strongly in photographs of the race and was a much-favoured spot to see the cars and their drivers close up. After leaving Monasterevin they headed out over the Heath of Maryborough, itself an important archaeological site with Iron Age burial mounds as well as Neolithic, Christian and mediaeval sites. Here a local pioneer, Aldritt by name, attempted to fly in a plane of his own design and construction in the early years of the 20th century.
The final part of the signposted route runs from the Heath to Athy swinging southeast across Co Laois, passing close by the Rock of Dunamaise.
Climb its heights as the views are breathtaking on a clear day.
The route passes through Stradbally, and two miles outside the town occurred the one serious incident of the 1903 race when the English driver, Charles Jarrott, a great favourite of the crowd, had the steering break on his Napier while speeding on a fast downhill section. The Napier rolled and the crowd, believing both Jarrott and his riding mechanic, Bianchi, to be dead, laid them out in a nearby farmyard and covered the "bodies"' with white sheets. Imagine their surprise when the "bodies" started to moan and speak to each other.
A couple of kilometres after Stradbally the signposts direct you northeast again through Athy, and back to the finish of the route at Ballyshannon crossroads.
It's a fascinating drive, filled with memories of the great 1903 race which did so much to establish international motorsport once and for all.
BOB MONTGOMERY
Wed, Jun 11, 2008
GREAT ROADS:A COUPLE of years ago the county councils of Carlow, Kildare and Laois joined together to make the route of the circuit used in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Race easily identifiable by tourists.
After 105 years some of the roads have disappeared or been altered, but more than enough of the original route and its features is still recognisable and makes the journey around the old circuit very worthwhile.
The route is well signposted and is divided into five stages, beginning at the original start point - Ballyshannon crossroads southwest of Old Kilcullen at the end of the M9 motorway from Dublin. From the start the route first heads northeast to Old Kilcullen before swinging south on the N9 and passing through Balitore, where the American team based themselves for the race, on through Timolin and Moone and through Castledermot into Carlow.
Stage two runs northwest from Carlow to Athy on the R417, passing through Maganey and Kilmorony. Athy was very much the centre of activity during the Gordon Bennett race and the Mercedes team based themselves in the town, while the English team were based at Rebhan Castle.
From Athy the signs direct you back along the N78 past the start area at Ballyshannon crossroads, and on to Kilcullen before turning west on the R413 to cross the Curragh Plains into Kildare town.
Along the N78 you will pass the Moate of Ardscull, site of 13th century Norman earthworks - and a particularly favoured viewing point during the race in 1903.
Here several grandstands were erected which gave a fine view of the approaching cars as they ran along one of the fastest sections of the course from Athy. Here also is the monument to the race erected in the 1960s and today it is a very evocative spot to sit and imagine the race cars of 1903 thundering past.
From Kildare, the Gordon Bennett route signs bring you over Stage 4 to Monasterevin and on southwest towards Portlaoise. Monasterevin features strongly in photographs of the race and was a much-favoured spot to see the cars and their drivers close up. After leaving Monasterevin they headed out over the Heath of Maryborough, itself an important archaeological site with Iron Age burial mounds as well as Neolithic, Christian and mediaeval sites. Here a local pioneer, Aldritt by name, attempted to fly in a plane of his own design and construction in the early years of the 20th century.
The final part of the signposted route runs from the Heath to Athy swinging southeast across Co Laois, passing close by the Rock of Dunamaise.
Climb its heights as the views are breathtaking on a clear day.
The route passes through Stradbally, and two miles outside the town occurred the one serious incident of the 1903 race when the English driver, Charles Jarrott, a great favourite of the crowd, had the steering break on his Napier while speeding on a fast downhill section. The Napier rolled and the crowd, believing both Jarrott and his riding mechanic, Bianchi, to be dead, laid them out in a nearby farmyard and covered the "bodies"' with white sheets. Imagine their surprise when the "bodies" started to moan and speak to each other.
A couple of kilometres after Stradbally the signposts direct you northeast again through Athy, and back to the finish of the route at Ballyshannon crossroads.
It's a fascinating drive, filled with memories of the great 1903 race which did so much to establish international motorsport once and for all.
