Leinster Trophy Car Race 1935-1949

Year	Winners	Car
	Skerries Circuit	Handicap Libre
1934	Jack Toohey	1645cc Adler Trumpf
	Tallaght Circuit	Handicap Libre
1935	Jack Toohey	933cc Ford
1936	Jack Toohey	933cc Ford
1937	Desmond McCracken	1.122cc Morgan
1938	“Jock” St. John Horsfall	1.950cc Aston Martin
1939	C. Ernie Robb	1.496cc Alvis Special
1948	William Leeper	972cc Sieger
1949	Race Cancelled
	Wicklow Circuit	Handicap Libre
1950	M. Pearse Cahill	1287cc Iona Special
1951	Mike Hawthorn	1496cc TT Riley BWK324
1952	J. Desmond Titterington	Allard J2
1953	Freddie Smith	Ford Special
1954	Bill Lacey	1250cc MG TD
1955	David Piper	746cc Empire Lotus IV
1956	J. Brian Naylor	1484 cc Lotus Eleven Maserati
1957	J. Brian Emerson	948cc Buckler
	Dunboyne Circuit	Handicap Libre
1958	John W. Anstice-Brown	948cc Austin Healey Sprite
1959	R. Alec Jameson	692cc Berkeley
1960	Gerry Ashmore	1475cc Cooper Climax F2
1961	Tommy Hayden	1098CC Lola Climax
1962	Bob Olthoff	3000cc Austin Healey
1963	Sidney J. Taylor	1216cc Lotus Elite
1964	Jack Pearse	1594cc Lotus Kincraft Ford 4.7
1965	Chris Summers	5308cc Lotus 24 Chevrolet V8
1966	cancelled- ferry strike
	Bishops Court	Handicap Libre
1967	Dave Furlong	1498cc Lotus 7 Ford
	Mondello Park Club Circuit	Formula Libre
1968	John Pollock	1.6L Crossle 12F Ford
	Mondello Park National Circuit	Formula Libre
1969	John Pollock	1.6L F2 Lotus 48 Ford
1970	Brian Nelson	1.6L Crossle 18F Ford
1971	John Watson	1.6L Brabham BT30 Ford
1972	Ken Fildes	1.8L Crossle 22F
	Mondello Park National Circuit	Formula Atlantic
1973	Tommy Reid	Brabham BT38/40 Chevrolet
1974	Patsy McGarrity	Chevron B25 Ford BDA
1975	Jay Pollock	Crossle 28F Ford DBA
1976	Patsy McGarrity	Chevron B29 Ford DBA
1977	Patsy McGarrity	Chevron B29 Ford DBA
	Mondello Park National Circuit	British Formula 3
1978	Eddie Jordan	Chevron B29 DBA
1979	Trevor Templeton	Rait RT1/78 Toyota
1980	Trevor Templeton	Rait RT1/78 Toyota
1981	Ray Mallock	Rait RT4-218 Ford
	Mondello Park National Circuit	EFDA FF 2000
1982	Ayrton Senna	Van Diemen RF82 Ford
1983	Cor Euser	Van Diemen RF83 Ford
1984	Mauricio Gugelmin	Reynard SF84 Ford
1985	Bertrand Fabi	Reynard SF84 Ford
1986	Henrik Larsen	Reynard SF86 Ford
1987	J.J. Lehto	Reynard SF87 Ford
	Mondello Park National Circuit	EFDA GM Opel Lotus Euroseries
1988	Mika Hakkinen	Reynard FVL Mk.1 Opel 2.0L
1989	Paolo de Cristofaro	Reynard FVL Mk.1 Opel 2.0L
1990	Vincenzo Sospiri	Reynard FVL Mk.1 Opel 2.0L
	Mondello Park National Circuit	UK Vauxhall Lotus
1991	Jason Elliott	Reynard FVL Mk.1 Opel 2.0L
	Mondello Park National Circuit	Formula Lotus Opel Irelande
1992	Wym Eckmans	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
1993	David L.Wright	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
1994	Vivion Daly	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
	Mondello Park National Circuit	EFDA GM Opel Lotus Euroseries
1995	Jason Watt	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
1996	Derek Cunneely	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
1997	Marcello Battistuzzi	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
	Mondello Park International Circuit	EFDA GM Opel Lotus Euroseries
1998	Etienne van der Linde	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
1999	Tomas Schekter	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
	Mondello Park International Circuit	Formula Europa Cup Ireland
2000	Paul Dagg	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
2001	John O’Hara	Reynard FVL Mk.2 Opel 2.0L
	Mondello Park International Circuit	Formula Ireland
2002	Robby Coleman	Van Diemen FR02 Ford 2.0L
2003	Emmett Queenan	Van Diemen FR02 Ford 2.0L
	Mondello Park International Circuit	Formula BMW UK
2004	Simon Walker-Hansell	Mygale Formula BMW FB02 1.2L
	Mondello Park International Circuit	Formula Ford 1600
2005	Neville Smyth	Ray GRS05 Ford
2006	Kris Loane	Van Diemen RF92 Ford
2007	Peter Dempsey	Ray GRS07 Ford
2008	Robert Barrable	Swift Ford
	Mondello Park International Circuit	Formula Vee
2009	Garry Newsome	Sheane VW
2010	Daniel Pollery	Sheane VW
2011	Ray Moore	Leastone 004 VW
	Mondello Park International Circuit	Formula Sheane
2012	Kevin Sheane	Sheane VW
2013	Barry Rabbitt	Sheane VW
	Mondello Park International Circuit	Formula Ford 1600
2014	Stephen Daly	Ray GR11 Ford
2015	Stephen Daly	Ray GR11 Ford
	Mondello Park International Circuit	Boss Ireland
2016	Hywel Lloyd	Dallara F3/08 Mercedes
2017	Cian Cleary	Dallara F3/11 VW
2018	Stephen Daly	Dallara F308/11
2019	Barry Rabbitt	Tatuus F Renault

Report

The Leinster Trophy Car Race is the Highlight of the Motorsport Ireland Calendar. It has a long history dating back to 1934, and is currently run over the International Circuit at Mondello Park, Co. Kildare, but was also run at the Skerries Circuit in 1934 before moving to Tallaght (1935-1949), Wicklow (1950-1957), Dunboyne, Co. Meath (1958-1966) and Bishops Court in 1967 before moving to the Mondello Park Circuit.

The Leinster Motorcycle & Car Club was founded in 1921. In 1923 they began organissing 100-mile Motor-Cycle Races, and in 1930 the Leinster Trophy moved to a new circuit around Skerries-Rush-Lusk. In 1934 they ran the first Leinster Trophy Car Race, which was won by Miss Fay Taylour, driving a car owned by Fianna Fail TD, Robert Briscoe.

In 1935 the circuit moved to Tallaght, as the Skerries circuit was not suited to 4-wheeled vehicles, and the race continued around the Tallaght Circuit until 1939, and the outbreak of World War II. It was restarted in 1948, and continued for two years.

Two sons of Arthur Conan-Doyle, who wrote The Sherlock-Holmes books, took part in one of the races.

The race ran from Main St, Tallaght, along to Templeogue Bridge, then down Firhouse Road to Old Bawn, and back up to Main St, Tallaght.

The Circuit moved to Wicklow in 1950 and the Dunboyne, Co. Meath in 1958, before finding a permanent home in Mondello Park, Co. Kildare in 1968. The race became part of Formula Atlantic in 1973 and then in 1978, British Formula 3, with Eddie Jordan, later to own a Formula 1 team, winning the race that year driving a Chevron B29 DBA

Other famous winners have included Formula 1 Champions, Ayrton Senna, in 1982, driving a Van Diemen RF82 Ford, and Mika Hakkinen, in 1988, driving a Reynard FVL Mk.1 Opel 2.0L. it was during this period, 1982 to 1999, that the Leinster Trophy became part of the European Formula Drivers Association. Most winners during this time drove Reynards, either Reynard FVL Mk.1 or Mk.2 Opel 2.0L or Reynard SF84 Ford

In 2000, the race became part of Formula Ford 1600, most years, with Stephen Daly winning twice in 2014-2015, and again in 2018.

References

Websites

[1] South Dublin County Council Library (2018) The Tallaght Motor Racing Circuit 1935-1948 [Internet] Available from: https://localstudies.wordpress.com/2018/08/23/the-tallaght-motor-racing-circuit-1935-1948/ [Accessed 21 January 2020]

[2] South Dublin County Council Library (2018) Motor Race Posters 5 [Internet] Available from: https://localstudies.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/motor-races-poster-5.png [Accessed 21 January 2020]

[3] Manning Brian, Motorsport.ie (2018) Leinster Trophy 75th Anniversary Facts & Figures [Internet] Available from: https://motorsport.ie/2018/09/12/leinster-trophy-75th-anniversary-facts-figures-by-brian-manning/?fbclid=IwAR13bM9MtqJPx6BJL7O09ad90cmzbP_1JrvcFT1it1nEZoF7pik9gLgDWwA [Accessed 14 May 2020]

[4] Motorsport Ireland (2018) Results for 15/16 September 2018 [Internet] Available from: http://www.motorsportireland.com/results/18-09-16/Results_for_15_16_September_2018.aspx [Accessed 14 May 2020]

[5] Motorsport Ireland (2019) Results for 14/15 September 2019 [Internet] Available from: http://www.motorsportireland.com/results/19-09-15/Results_for_14_15_September_2019.aspx [Accessed 14 May 2020]

Images

[6] The Old Neighborhood of Tallaght (2020) Photo by Gerard Byrne January 16, 2020 [Internet] Available from: https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/82831633_2841136469308052_8550734644532740096_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_ohc=LgqZziLm1rEAX-d9ty6&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=273a80ebca45486f28c0d39fd4bebc18&oe=5ED8022B [Accessed 21 January 2020]

[7] The Old Neighborhood of Tallaght (2020) Photo by Gerard Byrne January 16, 2020 “Tallaght 1938 a very rural place” [Internet] Available from:https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/82451742_2845370152218017_9178026459338375168_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_ohc=EtfknZ95SdMAX8oSdep&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=e8e76b2681b2feba22df578c9c98eea9&oe=5E9AADA3 [Accessed 21 January 2020]

[8] Top Gear (2019) Car Race Season Closes with Annual Leinster Trophy [Internet] Available from: https://i2.wp.com/www.topgear.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/fullsizeoutput_5b42.jpeg?zoom=1.25&fit=1024%2C683 [Accessed 14 May 2020]

Further Reading

McCullagh, Robin, The Tallaght Motor Races 1935-1948 (Dublin, 2011).

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Richard Declan Mulcahy

About this document

Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish North American & World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 14 May 2020

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2020

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.