Show to mark 30 years of motor club

Clare Motor Club is 30 years old this year and the committee has decided to celebrate by having an indoor motorsport and car show on Sunday in Unit J, Ballymaley Business Park on the Gort Road.

On March 30, 1980, three motorsport enthusiasts, Pete Larner, Dermot Kelleher and Paddy Bradley, met at Car Spares on the Mill Road in Ennis and discussed forming a motor club.
It was decided to hold a meeting and a rally video show in the Lifford Arms (now the Lifford) on April 9 with a view to forming a club. About 50 people attended and it was decided the club would be officially launched in the West County Hotel on April 29, 1980 when the first committee would be selected.
The club applied to the RIAC for affiliation in 1981 but was turned down on the grounds that Clare was well served by clubs in Limerick and Galway.
Meetings followed with both clubs to enlist their help to be recognised by the governing body in Dublin and after several months of negotiations and helping out by providing marshals and officials for the Galway International and the Limerick Thomond Rally, as well as running a stage for the Circuit of Ireland as it came through Clare, they got the go ahead.
With the backing of the UAC and the late Willie Fitzsimons of the RIAC, who the club members had met on a trip to the Isle of Man Rally, affiliation was finally granted on February 23, 1982.
The club ran its first single stage in 1982. In 1983, they hosted a number of events, which were repeated in 1984, as well as the addition of a test trail in May. The club then took the ultimate step in increasing the tarmac single stage rally to a Stages Rally on July 8, which was called the Hydro Hotel Stages Rally.
On July 6, 1986, the club moved to Kilkee where, with the help of the town traders, they ran the Kilkee Stages Rally, which was won by the late Frank Meagher.
The Clare Stages Rally was set up in 1988 by David Hogan and Dermot Kelleher and was based at The Amber Inn on the Tulla Road. Today, the Clare Stages Rally has developed into one of the premier rounds of both the Dunlop National Rally Championship and the Top Part West Coast Rally championship.
Admission to Sunday’s event is free and there will be a lot to see, including modern and vintage rally cars, single seaters, modern and vintage motorbikes, merchandising, rally videos show and Playstation for children.
The show will open from 1pm until 6pm and further details are available from the club PRO on 086 6028367.